This is far from being a comprehensive list of the books out there that discuss the intersection between art and faith, but these are a few of the ones that have impacted me most, made me think, given me a different perspective, or just been something interesting that I’ve come across, particularly in my thesis research.

• Crouch, Andy. Culture Making, 2008.

  I think this one’s going to be another transformative classic for me. I’ve only read it once so far, and already my copy is dog-eared and highlighted with notes in the margins. Crouch begins with an analysis of what “culture” is, and then proceeds to challenge Christians in the arts that simply condemning, critiquing, copying, and consuming culture is not enough; the only way to truly change culture at its core is to create it.

• L’Engle, Madeleine. Penguins and Golden Calves: Icons and Idols, 1996.

  While this isn’t specifically about art, it’s about one of the underlying issues that the church has had with art over the years: condemning art (specifically visual arts) to avoid the temptation of turning the artwork into idols. L’Engle takes this concept to everything in life, presenting the idea that an icon (a concept rather unfamiliar to this Evangelical Protestant girl) is like a window–something to look through and see God–and an idol becomes a mirror reflecting on itself.

• L’Engle, Madeleine. Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art, 1980.

  Full disclosure: Madeleine L’Engle is probably my all-time favorite author. I’m on a quest to own all of her books, and I’m about halfway there. Having said that, this was one of the first books that really made me think about the theology of art. She talks about art as being “incarnational,” the presence of God manifested in us and a reflection of God as Creator in our work and lives, and reminds artists that work doesn’t need to be explicitly “Christian” to honor God.

• Noland, Rory. Thriving as an Artist in the Church, 2004.

  This is more of a workbook for an arts ministry within the church to work through together, and it deals with the very nitty-gritty details of actually honing a craft and finding a place for it within the church–whether that’s in the performing or visual arts–as well as touching on the theology of art. Someday, I’d love for the artists at my church to have a Bible study on the theology of art, and this would be a good resource for that, in addition to supplemental materials from some of the other books on this list (and others). It’s not quite as effective to read alone in one sitting, but I can imagine that it would spark some pretty good discussions.

• Schaeffer, Franky. Addicted to Mediocrity, 1981.

  Franky Schaeffer, the son of Francis Schaeffer, was writing 30 years ago about the need for Christians in the arts to reclaim their artistic heritage and to take back the arts, which were abandoned by much of the church for much of the 20th century. The best thing about this book is his insistence on the fact that being mediocre in the arts is more damaging than being mediocre at any other physical job we do–building a house, for instance–because what is damaged by mediocrity is not simply a home or possessions, but people’s perception of God Himself and the integrity of Christians in the world as a whole. Yes! It’s what I’ve been trying to say for years, but just hadn’t found the books to back me up! Read my entry about this book.

• Schaeffer, Francis. Art and the Bible, 1973.

  This little book (less than 100 pages) is one of the foundational books on Christianity and the arts in the past 40 years. It’s a look at where and how art appears in the Bible, and presents a way to evaluate art from a Christian perspective. If you take a look at its “Works citing this book” page on Amazon, it’s a comprehensive list of a lot of what’s currently out there in the field of faith-based art.

Here are a few more books that are waiting on my shelf to be either read or re-read. Again, this is far from a complete list, and I’m still searching for more, particularly books that deal specifically with the intersection between faith and theatre, as opposed to the arts in a more general sense. If you’ve got any recommendations, please send them my way!

• Bustard, Ned (ed). It Was Good: Making Art to the Glory of God, 2006.
• Forbes, Cheryl. Imagination: Embracing a Theology of Wonder, 1986.
• Rhodes, Constance (ed). The Art of Being, 2004.
• Ryken, Philip Graham. Art for God’s Sake, 2006.
• Veith, Gene Edward. State of the Arts: From Bezalel to Mapplethorpe, 1991.