In Context: When Beauty was a Crime - the Christian Artworks they Tried to Hide
- Thom Reaves
- Jun 25
- 5 min read
When we talk about art, beauty, and creativity in the modern world, conversations often veer into the realm of lifestyle trends, interior design influencers, or avant-garde galleries. Somewhere along the way, the Christian imagination seemed to shrink, as if the life of faith and the pursuit of beauty existed in separate, unrelated worlds.
But it wasn’t always this way.
From the earliest days of the church, beauty and creativity weren’t indulgences. They were witnesses. They were tools of discipleship, storytelling, worship, and hospitality. Beauty spoke when words failed. Art carried truths when language was outlawed or illiterate. Creativity was woven into the Christian life not as decoration but as declaration.
Today, as modern believers navigate a culture that prizes image over meaning and novelty over depth, we have an opportunity — even a responsibility — to reclaim the essential, sacred connection between faith and beauty.
A Creative God, A Creative People
The very first sentence of Scripture introduces us to God not as lawgiver, judge, or king, but as Creator.
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1)
This matters. God’s first revealed act was one of creativity. And if we believe humans are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27), then creativity isn’t a niche hobby or personality trait — it’s part of our spiritual DNA.
Theologian Dorothy Sayers once wrote, “The characteristic common to God and man is apparently the desire and the ability to make things.” In other words, when we create — whether it’s a meal, a poem, a well-laid table, or a meaningful space — we’re not indulging in something superficial. We’re participating in one of the most ancient, divine traits humanity was gifted.
Beauty Isn’t Optional — It’s Missional
Historically, beauty has played a vital role in Christian witness. The early church, often impoverished and persecuted, still found ways to adorn their homes and underground meeting places with meaningful, beautiful symbols: the fish, the anchor, the vine.
Later, in the medieval and Renaissance periods, churches became sanctuaries of beauty not to glorify human hands, but to draw the eyes and hearts of the faithful toward heaven. The stained glass windows of Chartres, the mosaics of Ravenna, and the iconography of the Eastern Church all carried theological weight and liturgical purpose.
But art wasn’t always accepted peacefully.
When Beauty Offended
Throughout history, art has been both celebrated and condemned within Christian contexts. At times, certain works were derided as too secular, too sensual, too disruptive. And yet, many of these controversial pieces revealed deeper Christian truths that contemporary critics failed to see.
AOne famous example is Caravaggio’s “The Calling of St. Matthew” (1599-1600). At the time, Caravaggio’s gritty, streetwise portrayals of biblical figures scandalized polite society. His saints looked like common laborers, his Christs like itinerant wanderers, not the sanitized figures of earlier religious art. And yet, it was precisely this raw realism that spoke to a faith that met people in the grit of everyday life.
Another is “The Ghent Altarpiece” (1432) by Jan van Eyck, one of the most stolen and fought-over works of art in history. While its lavish depiction of the Lamb of God and the adoration of the saints might seem purely devotional today, its bold realism and theological daring unnerved some medieval critics. The altarpiece’s central panel — a sacrificial lamb bleeding into a chalice — offered a visceral, almost unsettling depiction of the Eucharist, forcing viewers to confront the depth of sacrifice at the heart of Christian faith.
Even in modern times, works like Marc Chagall’s “White Crucifixion” (1938) placed Christ squarely within the suffering of contemporary Jewish and Christian communities during the rise of Nazism, daring to intertwine faith and current events in a way both political and theological.
Why It Still Matters Today
We live in a time when beauty is often seen as trivial, and when Christian art is either confined to sentimental gift-shop trinkets or hyper-polished, market-tested church branding. But beauty — true, thoughtful beauty — still carries the power to open hearts, awaken longing, and point to God.
When a home is arranged with care, it testifies to hospitality.
When a song stirs tears, it reminds us we’re alive.
When a photograph captures a fleeting, holy moment, it hints at eternity.
As Christians, we aren’t called to abandon beauty for utility. Nor are we called to pursue beauty for its own sake. We’re called to let beauty serve the gospel — to use artful living as a form of witness, comfort, invitation, and worship.
Living Artfully as a Christian
So what does this look like in the life of an everyday believer? It doesn’t require a gallery opening or a trust fund. It means:
Creating spaces that speak peace. A home where guests feel welcomed, not impressed. Where meaningful objects — a photograph, a hand-written verse, a grandmother’s quilt — tell stories of faith and family.
Finding the sacred in the ordinary. Seeing God’s artistry in a sunset, a neighbor’s laugh, a child’s drawing. Learning to pause, notice, and give thanks.
Refusing to separate faith and creativity. Recognizing that designing a garden, composing a melody, or restoring an old chair can be acts of worship when done to honor God and bless others.
Using beauty to lift others. Sending handwritten notes. Curating art shows in church basements. Supporting Christian creatives. Bringing a meal not just in Tupperware, but on a beautiful plate with a linen napkin — not for show, but for dignity.
Telling better stories. Through the films we watch, the books we read, the conversations we have, offering narratives of hope, redemption, and beauty in a world desperate for them.
Final Thoughts
Art as Lifestyle isn’t a superficial trend for Christians. It’s a return to our roots — to a faith that once filled cathedrals with color, composed symphonies to the glory of God, and believed that the world itself was a sacred work of art.
We serve a creative God. And if we believe what Scripture says about His nature and ours, then living artfully is one small, faithful way we reflect Him to the world.
So let’s make beautiful things. Let’s curate beautiful lives. Not for vanity, but for testimony.
As poet Gerard Manley Hopkins wrote:
“The world is charged with the grandeur of God.”
Let’s not be afraid to show it.
Comments