Genre
a collection of essays
Setting and Context
Discussion of the twentieth century standpoint of art in Christianity
Narrator and Point of View
Narrator: the author
Point of view: first person
Tone and Mood
Tone: contemplative
Mood: neutral
Protagonist and Antagonist
Christianity, Christian life, acceptance of art as an important part of Christianity, adapting to the contemporary times
Major Conflict
Upon coming to the conclusion that there is a negative connotation with art in Christianity, which is often overlooked or put aside as unimportant in living the true Christian life, the author argues the importance of art as an inherent part of man and thus Christian life and provides examples of art in the Bible.
Climax
The author concludes his essays by saying that not every Christian is to be an artist, but argues instead that Christian life in itself is art, as a life of truth and beauty.
Foreshadowing
"No single sermon can say everything that needs to be said."
"The man who tries to put everything into one sermon is a bad preacher indeed."
-foreshadowing of the failure if one tries to put the whole truth into one single box, failure that comes with limitation
Understatement
"If we stand as Christians before a man's canvas and recognize that he is a great artist in technical excellence and validity-if in fact he is-if we have been fair with him as a man and as an artist, then we can say that his world view is wrong. We can judge this view on the same basis as we judge the views of anybody else-philosopher, common man, laborer, businessman or whatever.
-understatement of disagreeing with someone
Allusions
Allusions to various artists and works of art: Picasso, Shakespeare, T.S. Elliot's "The Waste Land".
Imagery
Rich religious imagery from the Bible as well as imagery of art in the form of paintings, literature and music is present in the essays.
Paradox
"Even the world view that there is no meaning is a message."
Parallelism
"The very thing that a modern artist wrestles with, these artists had to wrestle with."
"God simply wanted beauty in the temple. God is interested in beauty."
Metonymy and Synecdoche
"...my hands formed a musical instrument."-"hands" as a representation of an entire individual
Personification
N/A
