Zion is the source of all Beauty

Zion is the city of God and scripture speaks of that city being the perfection of beauty. Psalms 48-50 describe God's glory and how his city sits on a hill shining forth perfection. The children of God can find security in this city and thus we can find security in God's perfect beauty. Pure beauty is a source of comfort. This is what draws us to it, it is what causes us to stop and take notice, the source of perfection comes from God, glory, peace, beauty, all seen from HIS city, Zion the source of perfect beauty.

Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the city of our God! His holy mountain, beautiful in elevation is the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion, in the far north, the city of the great King. -- Psalm 48:1-2

Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth. --Psalm 50:2

Religious Art ripe for rebirth

...the rediscovery of the expressive element in art since about 1900 is a
decisive event for the relation of religion and the visual arts. It has made
religious art again possible.

The predominance of the expressive style in contemporary art is a chace for
the rebirth of religious art. Not each of the varieties of this style is equally
adequate to express religious symbols. But most of them definitely are. Whether
and to what degree, the artists (and the churches) will use this opportunity
cannot be anticipated. It is partly dependent on the destiny of the traditional
religious symbols themselves in their development during the next decades. The
only thing we can do is to keep ourselves open for a new rise of religious art
through the expressive style in the art of today.

-- Paul Tillich
Theology of Culture, 1959

Paul Tillich. Theology of Culture (Oxford Univeristy Press; New York 1959) pp 74-75.

Paul Tillich on Idolatry

Paul Tillich played a key role in connecting theology with psychology, literature, and the arts.
This is a quote from his Systematic Theology.

Idolatry is the elevation of a preliminary concern to ultimacy. Something
essentially conditioned is taken as unconditional, something essentially partial
is boosted into universality, and something essentially finite is given infinite
significance (the best example is the contemporary idolatry of religious
nationalism). The conflict between the finite basis of such a concern and its
infinite claim leads to a conflict of ultimates; it radically contradicts the
biblical commandments and the first theological criterion.

Paul Tillich, Systematic Theology, Volume 1 (University of Chicago Press, 1951), pages 11-14.

Jesus Creates Beauty through love-artistry

The Puritans knew how to express their vision of beauty through elequant words. Their connection to the truths of Scripture came forth in their theology, devotions, and prayers. This excerpt from The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions speaks of the beauty that Christ creates through his artistry in the sanctification of the disciple.

Make me fruitful by living to that love,
my character becoming more beautiful every day.
If traces of Christ's love-artistry be upon me,
may he work on with his divine brush
until the complete image be obtained
and I be made a perfect copy of him, my master

The Valley of Vision: A collection of Puritan prayers and devotions. Edited by Arthur Bennett. The Banner of Truth Trust 1975. Versa Press 2007. p. 25

Artists are invited to Create by God

Those gifted with the ability to create art are given a special gift indeed. This is only one of the many characteristics imparted to mankind from God the Father as the Creator of all. If He creates, he is only happy to allow his creation to follow in creating as well. The problem of idolatry comes when man feels that he is somehow God himself while creating art. There in lies the confusion for the artist. The art one creates is not truly his possession. All artistic expression belongs to God as the result of God's gracious gift of talent, materials, subject matter, and ability to appreciate beauty. God has been involved with his creation long before physical matter was spoken into being. As such, he graciously allows Christians to participate in the creation of beauty.

If God is the Creator of all things created, then those created in his image, imago Dei, are priviliged to be asked to create by the Creator and in like manner of the Creator.

Discernment in thinking about Art

I have come to the conclusion that Art in and of itself is not the problem to be feared in the Church. Idolatry is most definitely warned against in Scripture, and by all means should be avoided in the Church. Yet there is a difference between eliminating images all together out of fear of idolatry and embracing images with discernment. At the heart of the debate between Evangelical iconoclasts and iconodules is the proper discernment in how to think about and use Art within the worship space. Proper discernment is receiving guidance from our Lord on what is good and what is best. Evangelicals must always seek what our Lord teaches as best in worship. Improper discernment leads to idolatry. Proper discernment leads to illumination.