INTERVIEW, PART II: Rev. Gerald R. Johns Jr., pastor, Providence Christian Church, Kentucky
April 30th, 2009 by Menachem Wecker
For part one, see here. Rev. Gerald R. Johns Jr. is pastor of Providence Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Nicholasville, Kentucky. Per his website, he received a B.A. from Southwestern College and an M.Div. from Texas Christian University. You can follow him on Twitter, where I first “met” him, @JerryJohns.
MW: It seems like some Christians point to St. Luke drawing the Virgin while guided by an angel as not only permission to create sacred art, but also an encouragement to do so, while others adopt a more let’s say minimalist approach to religious culture. Is it simply a question of a debate over whether that episode occurred?
GRJ: I don’t know that I have enough information to give an answer to this question.
MW: To what extent do some churches downplay the visual arts for political reasons (like distancing themselves from Catholic churches)?
GRJ: It’s hard for me to answer this one because of my perspective. I have been on the progressive side of the church since I was baptized. I could speculate and say that in the free church movement in the United States there is a definite Catholic “backlash.” Part of my religious heritage includes exposure to the A Capella Church of Christ. There are some, not all, in that movement who believe that the Catholic Church is a cult. I have heard that line of thinking in many places. So, I could speculate about art and say that in those traditions where Catholicism is anathema, those who are career artists would likely stay away from the sorts of sacred art which are prominent in the history of the Catholic faith. It seems to me — but again this could be because of my perspective — that religious art these days is not sacred art in the way we think about classic art. Religious art, it seems to me, is more about the person of Jesus and depictions of him that would show his power for salvation or over demonic forces.
MW: Who are your favorite Christian artists? Do you think there is a such thing as Christian art per se?
GRJ: Never thought about this before. I tend not to see the world in terms of Christian/ non-Christian. I don’t patronize businesses based on whether they display a fish or not. So, I don’t know that I have ever considered who my favorite Christian artist is. I will say that French impressionism touches me and so does the art of Native Americans.
MW: To what extent did Texas Christian University address Christian art?
GRJ: I was at Brite Divinity School which is a part of TCU. The school offered a class titled, “The Intersection of Art and Theology.” It was a truly wonderful experience to be in that class. I live in Lexington, Kentucky, now, and Lexington Theological Seminary is located here. They have intentionally filled the building with art. It may be sacred and it may not. There are quilts and prints and lithos. A wonderful idea that makes the space more interesting.
MW: Can art-making ever overlap with prayer? Could it ever be a substitution for communal prayer?
GRJ: There has been a surge in using the potter’s wheel as a prayer tool over the past generation. I have attended large assemblies where the wheel was placed in the room and a potter was making art while worship was occurring. At our regional assemblies in KY we are blessed with a couple who use art as a prayer form during worship. They progressively paint on a blank sheet that is back lit during the assemblies. It may not so much substitute for public prayer as it might enhance it. Then again, maybe the making of art can become itself a community prayer. Why not.
Part three to follow.