The Artistic Life

"The art gallery or art museum theory of art to which philanthropists and promoters would persuade us views art as a luxury quite beyond the reach of ordinary people. Its attempt to glorify the arts by setting them aside in specially consecrated shrines can hardly supply more than a superficial gilding to a national culture, if the private direction of that culture is ugly and materialistic–Keyserling would say, animalistic. The proposition is as absurd as this: Should we eat our meals regularly from crude, think dishes like those used in Greek restaurant, but go on solemn occasions to a restaurant museum where somebody's munificence would permit us to enjoy a meal on china of the most delicate design? The truly artistic life is surely that in which the æsthetic experience is not curtained off but is mixed up with all sorts of instruments and occupations pertaining to the round of daily life."
-Donald Davidson "A Mirror for Artists" I'll Take My Stand (1930)

The Incarnation of Religion

"We may go further and ask whether what we call the culture, and what we call the religion, of a people are not different aspects of the same thing: the culture being, essentially, the incarnation (so to speak) of the religion of a people."
-T.S. Eliot (Christianity and Culture, 1948)

Food and Dominion

In 1 Timothy 4:1-5 we learn several things. First, everything created by God is good, and second, we are to be thankful to God for His blessings. To reject either of these things is to destroy God's gifts (see other posts on these subjects here, here, and here). A third thing that Paul brings out is that God created food “to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.” What then? Did He not created it to be received by all men? What about common grace and the rain on the just and unjust? John Calvin has a great point to make on this subject:

“I reply, Paul speaks here of the lawful use, of which we are assured before God. Wicked men are in no degree partakers of it, on account of their impure conscience, which, as is said, 'defileth all things.' (Titus 1:15)

"And indeed, properly speaking, God has appointed to his children alone the whole world and all that is in the world. For this reason, they are also called the heirs of the world; for at the beginning Adam was appointed to be lord of all, on this condition, that he should continue in obedience to God. Accordingly, his rebellion against God deprived of the right, which had been bestowed on him, not only himself but his posterity. And since all things are subject to Christ, we are fully restored by His mediation, and that through faith; and therefore all that unbelievers enjoy may be regarded as the property of others, which they rob or steal."[1]

In a similar vein, commenting on the fact that “it is made holy by the word of God,” Calvin comments:

"And which of us would venture to claim for himself a single grain of wheat, if he were not taught by the word of God that he is the heir of the world? Common sense, indeed, pronounces, that the wealth of the world is naturally intended for our use; but, since dominion over the world was taken from us in Adam, everything that we touch of the gifts of God is defiled by our pollution; and, on the other hand, it is unclean to us, till God graciously come to our aid, and by ingrafting us into his Son, constitutes us anew to be lords of the world, that we may lawfully use as our own all the wealth with which he supplies us."[2]

Of course, this doesn't mean that unbelievers don't have civil property rights. It does mean that in the eyes of God they are unlawful trespassers on earth. It does mean we have been restored to the task (and promise) of dominion under Christ. It is because Christ was exalted with dominion that we as His people gain the dominion which we lost in Adam. By our union with Christ we are made kings to reign with Him (Rev. 5:10). Since He is the Lord of all, so we also are heirs with Abraham of the whole world by faith (Rom. 4:13). As children of Abraham (Gal. 3:29), we inherit the land. The world and the blessings on it (e.g. food) have been given to us so that we may enjoy and glorify God through them.

The food we eat is made holy. It is set apart for righteousness by the Word of God and prayer. We are taught by the Word of God our place of dominion in our Father's world. We give thanks in prayer for our food, eating for the glory of God, the giver of these blessings. When that is done, we will not be self-centered. We will give our worship and service not to food, nor health, nor any other earthly thing, but to God alone. In that way will God’s blessings be used correctly and to our good. We will thank Him for the way He has made all His blessings. We will not pervert His blessings for our glory, but will stand in awe of His wisdom in His creation, and work with it humbly and joyfully.

Calvin on Fasting

In my book I quote John Calvin concerning fasting. You can read his complete treatment of this important aspect of a Christian philosophy of food in his book, Institutes of the Christian Religion in Book 4, Chapter 12, Sections 14-21 here: http://www.ccel.org/ccel/calvin/institutes.vi.xiii.html

"Let us, therefore, make some observations on fasting, since very many, not understanding what utility there can be in it, judge it not to be very necessary, while others reject it altogether as superfluous. Where its use is not well known it is easy to fall into superstition." (4.12.15)

The Council of Gangra

The council of Gangra was an eastern church council held in the 300s A.D. (between the councils of Nicaea and Constantinople) and directed to suppress a schismatic, ascetic movement in Armenia. It has some very interesting, biblical points, some of which concern food:

Canon II: If any one shall condemn him who eats flesh, which is without blood and has not been offered to idols nor strangled, and is faithful and devout, as though the man were without hope [of salvation] because of his eating, let him be anathema.  

Canon XVIII: If any one, under pretence of asceticism, shall fast on Sunday, let him be anathema.

Canon II condemns a strict form of religious vegetarianism, and at the same time upholds the food regulations of Acts 15. The prohibition of eating of blood is especially important in my perspective since it forms such an important part of God's covenant with Noah and is continued throughout the Bible. (See this post on the topic.) Also, I think the forbidding of ascetic fasting on the Lord's Day is advice to be heeded. Greek commentator Balsamon (12th century) said of this canon, "By many canons we are warned against fasting or grieving on the festal and joyous Lord’s day, in remembrance of the resurrection of the Lord; but that we should celebrate it and offer thanks to God, that we be raised from the fall of sin. But this canon smites the Eustathians with anathema because they taught that the Lord’s days should be fasted."

Other canons of Gangra include:

Canon I: If any one shall condemn marriage, or abominate and condemn a woman who is a believer and devout, and sleeps with her own husband, as though she could not enter the Kingdom [of heaven] let him be anathema.  

Canon XIII: If any woman, under pretence of asceticism, shall change her apparel and, instead of a woman’s accustomed clothing, shall put on that of a man, let her be anathema.  

Canon XV: If anyone shall forsake his own children and shall not nurture them, nor so far as in him lies, rear them in becoming piety, but shall neglect them, under pretence of asceticism, let him be anathema.  

Canon XVI: If, under any pretence of piety, any children shall forsake their parents, particularly [if the parents are] believers, and shall withhold becoming reverence from their parents, on the plea that they honour piety more than them, let them be anathema.  

Canon XVII: If any woman from pretended asceticism shall cut off her hair, which God gave her as the reminder of her subjection, thus annulling as it were the ordinance of subjection, let her be anathema.

The whole thing is beneficial to read and can be found here: http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf214.viii.v.iii.html

-Peter B.

Priorities...

"It is vanity to wish for long life, if you care little for a good life" -Thomas A'Kempis

"Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." Matthew 6:31-33

Principles for Understanding Blessings and Curses

As promised in my last post, here are some principles concerning biblical blessings and curses. These are important to realize when we are talking about food, health, beauty, and other blessings. (Note: many of the Scripture proofs are only examples of proof throughout Scripture; in other words, "etc..." could be put on the end of many of these.)

1. God defines blessings and curses, and He has done so in the Holy Bible. (Gen. 1-2, 17:6-8, Deut. 28, Lev. 26, Matt. 5:2-12)

2. We are to desire blessings (and their accompanying responsibilities) and abhor curses. (Deut. 30:19-20, 1 Cor. 7:21-24, assumed throughout Scripture and inherent in the idea of blessing and curse. For example, it would be wrong to desire cannibalism, which is an intense curse in Deut. 28:53-57.)

3. We are to work for blessings and against curses. (Compare Lev. 26:4-5, 9, Deut 28:4, Gen. 1:26-31, 3:16-19)

4. We are to realize that, whatever our efforts are, we receive blessings and curses by God's sovereign decree (and blessings always by grace through faith). (Lam. 3:37-39, Is. 45:7, Luke 17:7-10, see next point)

5. In this life, God will sometimes bring apparent curses on believers and apparent blessings on unbelievers, but when this happens it is ultimately a blessing for the believers (as a testing, humbling, and disciplining) and a curse on unbelievers (as a increase of accountability and a harding). (Heb. 12:7-11, Ps. 73)

6. Blessings thus come upon God's covenant people, His children by grace through faith who love God and keep His commandments, while curses come upon covenant-breakers. (Ps. 144:15, Ps. 128, Rom 8:28, Deut. 8)

7. We are not to be anxious concerning blessings and curses, but are to put our trust in God.(Matt. 6:11, 25-34)

8. God's total sovereignty does not absolve us from active responsibility, but establishes it.(Ps. 90, compare points 3 and 4, compare 2 Thess. 3:10-12 with Ps. 111:5)

9. Our work for blessings is not unrelenting, but ought to rested from (with faith in God) at times. This actually often increases blessings. (Gen. 2:1-3, Ex. 20:8-11, Lev. 25:1-7, Matt. 6:17-18)

10. Not all blessings and curses are equal, and our desire and work should vary compared to their worth (as defined by God). (See the way the Bible deals with and prioritizes the various blessings like wealth, good name, crops, health, children, wife, etc... as in Luke 14:26, Matt. 6:19-20, 18:5-6, Prov 22:1, and the same with curses)

11. God's kingdom and righteousness are to be sought as the greatest end. (Matt. 6:33)

12. Christ, and the fellowship with God that He brings, is the greatest blessing; from Him all other blessings flow, and in Him all the nations will be blessed. (2 Cor. 1:20, Gal. 3, Gen. 12:2-3, Heb. 8)

Much more could be said on this topic. Hopefully this is helpful. Too often people forget these things in discussions concerning not only things like health and nutrition, but also theology, farming, birth control, eschatology, economics, and the like.