"Tending the Fire That Burns at the Center of the World" (David F. White)

TITLE: Tending the Fire That Burns at the Center of the World: Beauty and the Art of Christian Formation
AUTHOR: David F. White
PUBLISHER: Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2022, (192 pages).
 

There is a saying that claims in a subjective sense, that beauty is according to the eyes of the beholder. In other words, if one thinks it is beautiful, then it is. Otherwise, it is not. That is how many love relationships begin. What if beauty is not just something that is subjective? What if the revelation of Truth is beauty in itself? What if admiring beauty draws us closer to Truth and the Giver of all Truth: God? In a book that goes beyond criticizing subjective mindsets, author David White shows us the real issue of how modernity has reduced the search for Truth into pieces of facts and tangibles that have little bearing on the significance of faith, mystery, and transcendence. This book's premise is that beauty is "a way of attending to God’s speech that awakens, empowers, and forms us in Christ’s lovely way." The author laments how modernity has alienated mankind by suggesting a limited form of objectivity. Descartes and Kant popularized the Enlightenment as "I think  therefore I am." Pragmatists claim that "I do, therefore I am." Some modernists even teach us about the primacy of feelings, "I feel therefore I am." All these philosophies are reductionists at their very core. White asserts that the Christian faith pushes back against all of these frameworks by recognizing the importance of  the "hallowing of all incarnate matter." Using art and beauty as ways to inculcate Christian formation, the way forward is toward wholeness and holistic living. Christianity encourages aesthetic spirituality that leads not only to awareness but an encounter with the living God. Thankfully, White does not commit the same errors of reductionism by reducing spirituality to the domain of aestheticism and beauty. Beauty inspires, not replaces the need for spiritual exercises or abstract theology in tending the spiritual fire. White begins with a description of beauty as the start of any "social imaginary" or initial assumptions, against the widespread use of rational analysis. 

Highlighting some insights about the place of beauty, White shows us how as a phenomenon, we need to allow beauty to go beyond superficial treatment. As "light of being," beauty needs no justification. As a "biblical witness," we see how God Himself manifests the elements of beauty through his interaction and acts of grace. White then goes on to help establish beauty as a (not the) foundation for Christian Formation. He makes an important observation that our way of knowing God is not via the mastery of knowledge but by gazing at the mystery of God's revelation. From creation to the incarnation of Christ, we see the manifestation of the beauty of God's love shown to us. He contrasts poiesis (creative making) vs the overuse of rational analysis to understand life and meaning. Creativity begets creativity. White then shows us how liturgy as art can help us see the beauty of Christ in us, and how art as liturgy can express our gratitude to God in worship. Both art and worship go hand in hand. The chapter on liturgy provides us several ways to enhance our worship. 

My Thoughts

This is a unique book that not only counters the overwhelming paradigm of rational analysis and deterministic philosophies but also offers us a way to let beauty bring about a greater awareness of God's presence in our world and in us. The author brings forth a formidable arsenal of rational thought to express the need for aesthetic appreciation. I like the way he does not dispel the need for intellectual analysis but engages them as a necessary partner to aesthetic beauty. Together, the journey of Christian Formation is more holistic and complete. It is tempting for any one of us to jettison one thing for another. Not White who emphasizes beauty and art without minimizing rational thought. Such an approach in itself prevents one from falling into the pitfalls of reductionism. Indeed, the nature of beauty is that it cannot be quantified. In fact, beauty enhances the unity of love in heart, mind, soul, and strength. White's thesis has deep implications for our theology, liturgy, and Christian living. Theologically, he reminds us about the multifaceted nature of seeking Truth. Just like what Willliam Willimon had observed, we need to resist our tendency to subvert Jesus' teachings with mere analysis or rampant moralizing. Theology and spirituality are two sides of the same coin. They inform each other. By letting beauty guide our understanding of theology. we become more holistic in our Christian thought. On the liturgical front, beauty shows us how to breathe life into otherwise mundane routines. Like the use of music and aesthetic art in church, we can let the creative use of art guide us to worship God more deeply. A beautiful piece of music touches the heart in ways that no theological treatise can do. The chapter on the ways to let art inform liturgy is a powerful demonstration of the practical aspects of White's thesis. Finally, there is the part about Christian living. Like water that drips past rocks into the deepest crevices of life, beauty is that aqueous device to enable us to be formed deeply from the inside out. 

I remember years ago this phrase that has stuck with me ever since. It is from the little storybook by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry entitled, "The Little Prince." It says: "The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or touched, they are felt with the heart.” Life is beautiful only when we take time to ponder in wonder at the creator behind the creation. In looking at Jesus' reminder in the famous DO NOT WORRY passage in Matthew 6. Jesus didn't just tell us not to worry. He calls us to ponder in wonder at the birds, and the lilies of the field, and to avoid the traps of worrying about the clothes we wear or the food we eat. I think there is a profound truth Jesus is telling us. We cannot let the GET-THINGS-DONE paradigm define the tenets of success. The way to appreciate and enjoy the life we now have is to take time to ponder the beauty of nature and the marvel of creation. These things cannot be rushed. They need to be experienced without the pressure of efficiency, productivity, and time. This book gives us another way to experience art, beauty, and the excitement of Christian Formation. 

David F. White is the C. Ellis and Nancy Gribble Nelson Professor of Christian Education at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. David's most recent writing includes Joy: A Guide for Youth Ministry with Sarah F. Farmer and Miroslav Volf (2020), Dreamcare: A Theology of Youth, Spirit, and Vocation (Cascade, 2013), Awakening Youth Discipleship: Christian Resistance in a Consumer Culture with Brian J. Mahan and Michael Warren (Cascade, 2007), and Practicing Discernment with Youth (2005).

Rating: 4.5 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book has been provided courtesy of Wipf & Stock and SpeakEasy blogging tour without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.