Poetics describes all aspects of our lives that get us up in the morning; that enlivens and humanises us. It could be as simple as a walk along a beach.
Poetics “entice” us and invite us (more on this in a future post on poetry).
Philip Sydney talking about poetry talks about “the alchemy of art”… starting with the “now”; the present moment; the ordinary and the everyday.
Art starts with great love – “pondering with our eyes” – loving enough to notice, to pay attention, to be open to surprise and mystery; to the “more” that is both explicit and implicit. We remember people by what they loved.
Matthew’s parables of the lilies used to illustrate his point about art as extending an invitation to wait, to notice, to exercise patience, and to take time.
Artists want to create experiences that take us out of the ordinary; into the “uncharted spaces”; cf. Australian author David Malouf’s novel “Harlands Half Acre” - published in the 1980’s. (NY Times review here).
Artists want to make something special out of “this world” [taking seriously the incarnation] – the materiality of the incarnation.
The “artist’s imagination” is critical to “healing our world”.
They “fill the imagination gap” between what “is” and what can “be” (they offer a vision of the future – an audacious vision of how the world can be).
They imagine “this world” from the perspective of, and for the sake of the whole person. Their imagining is deeply holistic.
Artists (potentially) have the opportunity to “remake the world”; they aid us as we join in on God's redemptive work of ongoing (re) creation.
The resurrection is a “taste” of the world and its potential to become (cf. John 11 / the story of the resurrection of Lazarus; particularly Jesus’ conversation with Lazarus’ sisters. Resurrection. Life from death is in this world; it’s not apart from this world cf. Lazarus.
“What keeps us from sleeping is they [Jesus-followers] have threatened us with resurrection.”
Artists [implicitly and sometimes explicitly] wager on resurrection.
We are profoundly aware that we live in brokenness and the “valley of darkness”. Artists offer light; they name our experiences; the see other possibilities; other invitations.
Poetic space gives us a “place” to “go on”. It opens space for hope; for the hope of life; for the hopes of longing and desire. Christian faith, however, needs to take us beyond this poetic space.
We need to make space for lament; without it there is no recognition of bondage; of suffering; but also for hope in God. Lament gives expression to need; to need of something beyond our own desire for self-sufficiency.
Lament is a sign that we are persuaded by both suffering (our experience of its reality and the mystery of it) and hope.
Art excites people about possibilities.
Poetic theology gives us eyes to see through the dark cloud of suffering. It gives us eyes to see through the darkness, the pain, the brokenness, the seeming hopelessness etc. It’s why we often turn to poetry, music, art, film etc when we find ourselves in a place of suffering. Poetic theology gives us eyes to see the possibility of hope; the possibility of difference and transformation.
Wisdom can be found in culture; it’s not our exclusive possession – cf. Acts 17 where St. Paul names what is already there.
The Spirit is poured out on ALL flesh!
We need a positive theology of desire to underscore a positive theology of the aesthetic.
We need to recover a contemplative reading of Scripture (underscoring for me the importance of such practices as Lectio Divina and Ignatian Imaginative prayer. We need to counter-balance the dominance of the historical-critical, cognitive, and rational readings of Scripture.
He mentioned the healing-story of a bookshop in Bagdad in which Western and Islamic poetry was read and discussed. A story of “human exchange and mutual enrichment”.
All cultures are broken (as are all people) however all cultures can be redeemed. God is already at work in culture, healing and redeeming it. So too people.
Cultures are “radically ambiguous”. They are morally charged.
Artists remind us to pay attention; to read the world; to engage and notice “what’s beautiful, excellent, and good” (St. Paul)
Let’s celebrate more; rather than spending so much time and energy (as Christians) focusing on the negative. We need to nurture the things people love; this is a way people model the wonderful ways that each person uniquely images something of the mystery and infiniteness of God.
Podcast - 21st August 2008
In this episode, Dr. William Dyrness discusses the content of his new book, Senses of the Soul: Art and the Visual in Christian Worship. This book is based on the results of research conducted with Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox congregations in the Los Angeles area. Dr. Dyrness is Professor of Theology and Culture at Fuller Seminary. Other recent books published by Dyrness include Reformed Theology and Visual Culture (2004) and Visual Faith (2001).
The total length of this episode is 20:51. You’ll find the podcast here.
All of this is a very important topic - indeed the most important topic in todays world, and in any time and place.
The most influential form of art in todays world is cinema and TV. How much beauty can be found there?
Speaking of Christian art in particular, one of the most spectacular lavishly praised examples of Christian cinema (art) was The Passion by Mel Gibson. At the time it was promoted as a great missionary tool for Christianity.
How much beauty and "healing of the world" was communicated in that film, wherein the "hero" was systematically beaten to death in up close detail.
Remembering that the way that we relate to our bodies is also inevitably dramatized on to the world "stage" altogether.
Posted by: John | Friday, 05 August 2011 at 04:55 PM