Christian Art in the Home

[DD2008]

What are your thoughts on Christian art in a person's home. Is it ok to have Crucifixes, pictures and statues of the saints, and rosary beads..etc decorating your house?

 

[Epiphoskei]

Pictures and statues of saints aren't outright evil, I suppose, provided you're not worshipping them. One of my Church's elders has a pair of bookends in the shapes of the heads of Luther and Calvin, and I don't think anyone in our church worries he's carrying on some idolatrous rituals in his home.

It's Christ where this becomes more problematic. Since we already worship Christ, if we have regularly seen images which are supposedly pictures of him, when we worship, we're going to be worshipping with those images in our minds.

Typically, Reformed types don't like crucifixes for that reason.

 

[DD2008]

Pictures and statues of saints aren't outright evil, I suppose, provided you're not worshipping them. One of my Church's elders has a pair of bookends in the shapes of the heads of Luther and Calvin, and I don't think anyone in our church worries he's carrying on some idolatrous rituals in his home.

It's Christ where this becomes more problematic. Since we already worship Christ, if we have regularly seen images which are supposedly pictures of him, when we worship, we're going to be worshipping with those images in our minds.

Typically, Reformed types don't like crucifixes for that reason.

So, imagine you had a Crucifix in the living room and a statue of Mary on a shelf, a statue of Joseph Mary and the baby Jesus on another shelf with a Rosary, and an Icon of Mary on the wall.

Is that going to make your Presbyterian Pastor worry?

 

[Epiphoskei]

Yes, probably.

 

[DD2008]

Yes, probably.

But if your not worshiping them is there anything wrong with having them as sort of a family album or just to appreciate the art of them?

What about those paintings, images, and statues says they are for worship or that we should get rid of them? That sounds like what the Muslims do. They have no art other than textual.

 

[Epiphoskei]

Well, as I said, I would be less concerned about images of Mary and Joseph. It's the crucifixes that I don't think can be merely art.

When someone sees an image again and again, he's going to begin to associate that image with what it's representing. Then when he does worship Jesus, he'll be taking along all these images of Him which he has seared in his mind, which, while perhaps more or less faithful to what the scripture teaches about him, aren't purely biblical images. He then finds himself worshiping in accordance with the precepts of art, not the precepts of the Bible.

 

[Cajun Huguenot]

I would not be concerned as long as they are decorations and not used for any form of worship.

Kenith

 

[DD2008]

Well, as I said, I would be less concerned about images of Mary and Joseph. It's the crucifixes that I don't think can be merely art.

When someone sees an image again and again, he's going to begin to associate that image with what it's representing. Then when he does worship Jesus, he'll be taking along all these images of Him which he has seared in his mind, which, while perhaps more or less faithful to what the scripture teaches about him, aren't purely biblical images. He then finds himself worshiping in accordance with the precepts of art, not the precepts of the Bible.

I would not be concerned as long as they are decorations and not used for any form of worship.

Kenith

One thing about the Catholics, they certainly do have some great religious art.

I learned from my time in the Catholic Church that a crucifix reminds one of the sacrifice of Christ, and is an object in the home that is useful for bringing up christian conversation.

The statues I was worried about are the statues of Mary and the Icon of Mary. But really, they are great art and I don't see the problem as long as no one worships them. Mary is a key figure in the Bible as she is the Mother of the Lord and delivered the Magnificat in Luke. So I think she qualifies as a good Christian to remember in the life of the Church.

 

[xapis]

Brother DD,
You should be most concerned with images of Jesus.

Please read these Q&As from the Larger Catechism of our Westminster Standards concerning the second commandment:

Q. 107. Which is the second commandment?
A. The second commandment is, Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.[517]
Q. 108. What are the duties required in the second commandment?
A. The duties required in the second commandment are, the receiving, observing, and keeping pure and entire, all such religious worship and ordinances as God hath instituted in his Word;[518] particularly prayer and thanksgiving in the name of Christ;[519] the reading, preaching, and hearing of the Word;[520] the administration and receiving of the sacraments;[521] church government and discipline;[522] the ministry and maintainance thereof;[523] religious fasting;[524] swearing by the name of God;[525] and vowing unto him;[526] as also the disapproving, detesting, opposing all false worship;[527] and, according to each one’s place and calling, removing it, and all monuments of idolatry.[528]
Q. 109. What are the sins forbidden in the second commandment?
A. The sins forbidden in the second commandment are, all devising,[529] counselling,[530] commanding,[531] using,[532] and anywise approving, any religious worship not instituted by God himself;[533] tolerating a false religion; the making any representation of God, of all or of any of the three persons, either inwardly in our mind, or outwardly in any kind of image or likeness of any creature whatsoever;[534] all worshipping of it,[535] or God in it or by it;[536] the making of any representation of feigned deities,[537] and all worship of them, or service belonging to them,[538] all superstitious devices,[539] corrupting the worship of God,[540] adding to it, or taking from it,[541] whether invented and taken up of ourselves,[542] or received by tradition from others,[543] though under the title of antiquity,[544] custom,[545] devotion,[546] good intent, or any other pretence whatsoever;[547] simony;[548] sacrilege;[549] all neglect,[550] contempt,[551] hindering,[552] and opposing the worship and ordinances which God hath appointed.[553].
Q. 110. What are the reasons annexed to the second commandment, the more to enforce it?
A. The reasons annexed to the second commandment, the more to enforce it, contained in these words, For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments;[554] are, besides God’s sovereignty over us, and propriety in us,[555] his fervent zeal for his own worship,[556] and his revengeful indignation against all false worship, as being a spiritual whoredom;[557] accounting the breakers of this commandment such as hate him, and threatening to punish them unto divers generations;[558] and esteeming the observers of it such as love him and keep his commandments, and promising mercy to them unto many generations.[559].

SOURCE: http://www.reformed.org/documents/wlc_w_proofs/WLC_091-150.html

The numbers throughout point to the prooftexts from Scripture. The source link provided will give you access to the links to the Scripture proofs.

 

[DD2008]

Brother DD,
You should be most concerned with images of Jesus.

Please read these Q&As from the Larger Catechism of our Westminster Standards concerning the second commandment:

SOURCE: http://www.reformed.org/documents/wlc_w_proofs/WLC_091-150.html

The numbers throughout point to the prooftexts from Scripture. The source link provided will give you access to the links to the Scripture proofs.

Let me give an example. I grew up as a Southern Baptist Pastor's kid. In our living room was a painting called the Head of Christ by Warner Sallman:

Image deleted.

Do you believe that this image is idolatrous and shouldn't be hung in a home?

 

[xapis]

Absolutely.

In fact, I would appeal to the mods to remove that image from this forum.

 

[DD2008]

Absolutely.

In fact, I would appeal to the mods to remove that image from this forum.

Don't worry. If it actually bothers you. I'll delete it.

 

[DD2008]

Absolutely.

In fact, I would appeal to the mods to remove that image from this forum.

Removed.

 

[DD2008]

Ok. So, to some of the Reformed images of Christ are offensive.

What about prayer? Are mental images of the Lord idolatrous since they aren't actually what he looks like? Do you think meditative or contemplative prayer is wrong?

 

[bradfordl]

I think there is a reason the Lord did not ordain a physical description to be included in the Word of his earthly appearance.

 

[DD2008]

I think there is a reason the Lord did not ordain a physical description to be included in the Word of his earthly appearance.

When I imagine what he looked like I think of a 33 year old Jewish man who wears plain clothes and is in pretty good shape from growing up as a carpenter. I imagine he probably got thinner as his ministry continued though as he was homeless. I imagine he had a beard and long hair.

 

[edie19]

So, imagine you had a Crucifix in the living room and a statue of Mary on a shelf, a statue of Joseph Mary and the baby Jesus on another shelf with a Rosary, and an Icon of Mary on the wall.

Is that going to make your Presbyterian Pastor worry?

I hope so

 

[edie19]

we don't need artwork - we see Jesus the Christ on every page of the Bible - from Genesis 1:1 through Revelation 22:21

I think the Erasmus quote in my signature sums it up pretty clearly

 

[bradfordl]

The only images given to Christians of Christ, and the only ones we need, are the Word and sacraments.

 

[edie19]

The only images given to Christians of Christ, and the only ones we need, are the Word and sacraments.

that darn message

You have given out too much Reputation in the last 24 hours, try again later.

I'll be back later