Episode

Why do most professional critics and unbelievers hate “Christian art”? Is it because they’re prejudiced against the Gospel? Should their opinions matter to Christian artists or Christians in general? On this episode of the Renew the Arts Podcast, Michael and Justus talk about the God’s Not Dead movie franchise, the dubious label “Christian art,” and why Christians need to listen carefully to what unbelievers think and feel about the creative work the church creates and endorses.

Stay tuned at the end for “Steeples,” by Fiery Crash, from his album In Clover, which we think exemplifies a nuanced and compelling approach to making persuasive artistic appeals to those who are at odds with God and the church.

The story most American Christians have believed concerning the national abortion epidemic is that, with Roe v. Wade, with a stroke of a pen, activist Supreme Court justices loosened the nation’s morals when they loosened the nation’s law. But the statistics tell a different story, a story which confirms that politics are downstream from culture. Join Justus and Michael as they explore this timely and surprising topic.

And listen until the end to hear Warbler’s “Kool-Aid,” from his most recent record, Sea of Glass—a stunning, faith-filled denunciation of contemporary politics in the form of a folk rock protest record.

On this episode of the Renew the Arts podcast, your hosts Justus and Michael will take you on a bracing conversational journey into what might seem at first like a strange topic—why the church should make more ugly art. What exactly do they mean by “ugly art”? And why is it so crucial to the church’s witness and ministry to unbelievers and believers alike?

Ezekiel 23 is the very ugly passage Michael quoted. You can read several translations here: http://biblehub.com/ezekiel/23.html

With the passing of Billy Graham, who is going to reach the next generation with the Gospel? It’s probably not who you think. In fact, it might not even be one person at all. In this episode of the Renew the Arts podcast, Justus leads the way in a discussion of the changing landscape of Gospel missions in this media-saturated age. Stay tuned at the end for “Who Will Speak?,” a song by Brock’s Folly from their album, “The Great Commoner.”

Can art preach? Should it?

For their first episode, Michael and Justus discuss the two biggest lies Christians believe about the arts: First, that all art by Christians must present the gospel. Secondly, that no art can present the gospel.