EMQ » Jan – March 2025 » Volume 61 Issue 1
Arts and Mission
Summary: Artistic expressions are reshaping Christian mission and worship globally. As global churches increasingly contextualize their faith, the arts emerge as a powerful tool that increases spiritual depth and provides a more holistic understanding of the Christian experience. Despite progress, tension persists between Western influences and indigenous forms. From African music festivals to Indian worship reforms, creative initiatives are transforming mission work. Can arts bridge cultural divides and offer a more holistic expression of faith worldwide?
By James R. Krabill
Human beings have been designed by the Divine Creator to be more than mere robots or computers. They are meant to commune with the Creator, to cultivate a relationship of intimacy, of interaction, devotion, and deep fellowship. It is true that Jesus taught his followers to “think clearly” about matters of faith and their relationship with God (John 14:9–11). But he also stressed the importance of their “loving God deeply” (John 15:5–9), of “worshiping God passionately” (Luke 9:28–36), and of “obeying God faithfully” (Mark 8:34–38).
So much of theology in the past has focused on our rational capacities, our articulation of clear doctrines and dogmas. And as important as these are, they will not ultimately get us to those places of intimacy God so deeply desires for us. To achieve this level of faithfulness, we need to move beyond logic and reason and begin to employ other complementary dynamics of intelligence with which the Creator has also endowed us, the imaginal and emotional.
Artists are uniquely gifted to help the church deepen its faith, reframe its theology, and expand its practice in these additional realms. Voices from the Majority world church in Africa, Asia, and Latin America – shaped many times by rich traditions of orality and prolific expressions of artistic creativity – are calling for a more holistic understanding of the Christian experience and its implication for living out and sharing the good news. So, this is indeed an exciting moment in the life of the world church as God’s people open themselves up to new modalities of faithfulness and explore where the Spirit might lead them.
