MJS_Christian faith_Journal #8

The Christian faith has a strong history of blending “pagan” and Christian elements in their art and sometimes, doctrine. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this approach to art and theology?

The blending of the pagan and Christian elements threw art creates elements that we have all heard of at one time or another. For example, the Easter bunny, Santa, and so on are of the pagan type creations. These creations are not holy. They are meant to help children get into the spirit of the holiday at hand. For example, Christmas is Christ’s birthday. Because children are young it is hard for them to understand or pay attention long enough to learn the story of whom and why Christ was born. So, the fun story of Santa was created to help children enjoy the spiritual day of Christ’s birthday. Some might say this is wrong but it seems harmless due to the fact that it has been going on for so long. It has just become a custom to the US and to other countries in other variations. I am not sure if this is an advantage or a disadvantage.

Another way pagan and Christian elements have been blended is that priests once wore a robe and now they ware the suit. This may have come about because of casual Friday or business casual dress. Business casual is a more excepted dress code among businesses in the now. Most would ware to Church what they would ware to work. So, because businesses have become business casual so have Churches. The business casual use to be on casual Friday and now casual Friday is Jeans day. So, our style of dress is evolving over the years.

The advantage of this is that we are becoming a more relaxed society. I’m not sure we are completely there yet but it is coming. One day the business casual may include jeans. According to our text we all started out naked and became dressed in reference to the images of art through out our text. Maybe we are slowly making our way back to naked. Probably not but I am sure I do not know and will not know in my lifetime. This would probably be a disadvantage in getting to lax with in our society. I mean it probably is not the best thing to subconsciously move backward.

Misty J Slavens