Christians should be Offended by Bad Art
April 2019
Christians Should be Offended by Bad Art
Smith, C Christopher. “Christians Should be Offended by Bad Art,” Relevant Magazine. Feb. 29, 2016,
It is easy to critique Christian culture when it comes to the creation of art. C Christopher Smith uses the example of early Christian music, when the artistry of the song was less important than the “Jesus per minute” that was packed in it. Thankfully, Smith does not only critique Christian art, but also offers his readers a way forward. His argument is not just that Christian art should be equal with secular art, but that as Christians we should see it as our mandate to pursue excellence in whatever we do, arguing that “we cannot separate our means from our ends.”
After offering this point of view, he goes into different categories to break down what it looks like to pursue excellence. He talks about sacrifice, collaboration and humility as ways that we can create more excellent work while we exhibit the characteristics of Jesus Christ.
What Smith had to say resonated with me as a Christian artist. And reminded me that we are not just “artists at work,” but are also “works of art” (Erwin Mcmanus). Can my life show Christ as much as my art does? I hope so.