Hannahweber’s Weblog

Monday, September 22

The question that keeps coming up in our conversation is “What is art?” and to put a Bauman twist on the seemingly simple question, some will add “What is good art, and what good is art?” It was our assignment in last week’s “Art & Culture” class to come up with a definition that we think is suitable. Needless to say, it was a simple assignment which proved to be ultimately more challenging as it was talked about more every day.  A week later, we have our vague, yet unstable definitions, and are anticipating getting them analyzed in class tonight by Mr. Pepiton.  

I am inclined to say that art is, in its broadest sense, a means of communication. What the art communicates is the intent of the artist, but different interpretations will be produced by various observers.  If art is a means of communicating, it should be created with the purpose of inspiring thought and conveying truth. Art should require thought in the creating process and be deliberate in its meaning. 

The idea of art conveying truth could be broken down into artist’s intent, which is always going to be true, and the observers understanding, which could be true or false. Art is intentional, however, not all considered to be “art” will be viewed by everyone with that respect. Therefore, art viewed in that way would be considered false. 

My thoughts now are leading me to two different facets of art: God’s creation, and our interpretation of God’s creation.  Man is fallen, therefore, any work created by him will reflect, or inadvertently proclaim, our sinful nature. Thus, art can never fully represent God’s creation.  But should we cease creating art if the end result is nothing more than a seemingly false sentiment? Not at all.  Art can convey messages in ways that words cannot.  Our message is about grace and redemption, and art is our humanly attempt to illustrate and portray those true Christian principles.  It is our duty to convey the truth, in whatever manner: our actions, our words, and even our art.

It is reassuring to know that philosophers have been trying to pinpoint an accurate definition of art for centuries, and have yet to do so. This has merely been an exercise to get our minds thinking about this topic.  

I anticipate changes being made to my definition in the future. This is merely a collection of my thoughts(though incomplete) regarding the subject right now.  

Sunday, September 21

The nights here are quiet and still. The moon reaches over the mountain tops and the stars radiate  around    the open sky.  
There is a faint noise that emerges from the trees: a steady rush of insects expressing themselves with    song. 
These noises are unlike any human made melody. They all chant in one accord, each sound rendered from their feeble frame comes as an offering, all demonstrating their own selfless melody to human beings alike. 
All of nature seems to assemble at this point of the day to reveal their devotion to the One that made them. 
     They never cease to separate themselves from their constant routine.  
A crisp breeze is blowing throughout the rails of the porch, only speaking when its presence becomes unheard over our own selfish thoughts. 
As time passes, it becomes a less arduous task to move from oneself and into the mind of another.        Hours pass, and though nothing has changed, the minds of those caught up in the elegance of the darkness have been refashioned in a way that only few comprehend.  

      God’s glory has been manifested in us, though nothing has been required of us other than to merely observe.  

Thursday, September 18th

A new favorite past time of mine is “star-tipping” I was shamelessly introduced to the technique earlier today. It starts with someone spinning around in a dark field while staring up at the stars, and then unexpectedly flashed with a bright light, and the result is a sudden, yet dramatic crash to the ground.  Some of us are more apt to hit the ground face first, but that just makes it all the more entertaining! After our long days of studying, we figure there needs to be some mind-less activity going on here every once in a while..

It is hard to believe the week is almost over.  I have fallen into a set routine, which has made my days more relaxing than last week. Wake up at 6:30, and at the end of the day, attempt to get to bed at a decent hour.  There are no afternoon classes this week, other than Monday night’s “Art and Culture” class, and Wednesday night’s group discussion on The Intellectual Life. The study load is overwhelming at times, most days spending at least three hours absorbed in one of the six books we are currently reading, several of which have to be completed by the middle of October!  Hopefully, the amount of reading will subside in the coming months.

Before arriving here at Summit, my analyzation of various questions would have pointed to answers I had previously heard, or the first thing I could find. Not here. A seemingly simple question such as “What is art?” has been talked about here all week, and has yet to have a specific answer.  My first inclination in answering that question would have been “art is something created by humans intended to be beautiful”. Now, after so much discussion on the subject, I would be more wiling to say that art is something intended to be truth, but the perception of art can be true or false.  I am still unsure of how art and beauty coincide. Beauty, in my definition, is anything that reflects God’s glory.  For art to be beautiful then, it must be true in a way that earnestly reflects God’s glory, which is rarely evident in most art today. There are still so many thoughts racing in my mind about the subject, that I should probably refrain from writing out all these unfinished thoughts… 

Wednesday, September 17

It is the middle of week two, and there are even more questions yet to be answered.  In order to help alleviate our problems, we asked Dr. Bauman to hold an open forum in which we could all voice our various questions, to which he gladly agreed to do. After dinner, we gathered in the dining hall and discussed topics such as “What is beauty, and does art have to be beautiful?”, “Can, and should women be elected into office?”, “Can someone make a biblically sound assertion without using scripture?”, and, the recently recurring questions on “baptism, and the legitimacy of infant baptism.”  

Needless to say, we didn’t arrive at definite answers to most of them(surprising, huh?) but came to the realization that none of us can authoritatively answer any of these questions. The answers are all found in scripture, it is just a matter of looking. More studying is ahead of me!

Tuesday, September 16

Dr. Bauman has a teaching style that is rarely seen today. He not only tells us what to think, he teaches us how to think. The majority of the time he provides us with questions, yet neglects to answer them. This has proven to be a frustrating method as well as a productive one.  Conversations outside of class are an attempt to answer some of the fundamental questions posed earlier, but most of the time it only serves as an outlet for more questions, which leads to more doubt, followed my more discussion. It is a vicious circle, indeed.  Regardless of all the confusion, it has been encouraging to be around so many like-minded people, all struggling with the same questions, yet all answering them different ways.  We are learning to listen to each others beliefs, and draw our own conclusions from their thoughts.  It is amazing to see God working in the lives of everyone here.  

Friday, September 12th

It is Friday night, and I am sitting here in my room, eating a Nutella and jelly sandwich(compliments of my Mother) and finishing reading the last chapters in “An Experience in Criticism”.  This is the first “free” evening here, and I am thoroughly enjoying spending this time studying for several uninterrupted hours in the quietness of my room.  After such a strenuous week of classes and discussion, I am looking forward to spending the weekend revitalizing my brain in preparation for the coming week. 

Tomorrow morning, several of us are going into Pagosa to some rummage sales.  After the rummage sales we will be visiting the great sand dunes in Alamosa. We are all pretty excited about it! 

 I will write more in the coming days.

Wednesday, September 10th

These first few days have blown my mind.  blowing my mind in both a positive and negative way.  Negatively in the fact that I don’t know nearly as much as I thought I did, and positively in the assurance that I will leave here with many of my questions answered. 

It has been a fast paced week. Probably one of the busiest ones of the semester.  We start the mornings off with Dr. Bauman’s classes: Politics, History of Christian Thought, and English Literature, and afternoon classes with Mike Mandt, teaching on “Icons of Evolution”.  Afternoon classes will be periodical, some afternoons will be devoted to study, as well as more discussion.  Visiting scholars such as J.P. Moreland, Charlie Peppiton, and Donald Williams will be offering several different classes throughout the semester.  Every day here has been almost entirely scheduled out, from breakfast to group studies at night, it has proven to be challenging as well as productive. It has been our mindset here to try to adhere to this new routine, and to make the most out of every minute of it. Dr. Bauman emphasized our first night here that the key to success was routine, and hopefully as we all get more accustomed to the amount of work we will have to do each day, we will take advantage of our routine and accomplish a lot in the days ahead.

Thursday, August 28, 2008.

It has come to my knowledge that I am not so indiscisive when it comes to my future. Look at this this way(as Galatians 1:10 puts it) If I were continually seeking the approval of those around me, meaning human beings, less superior than the God Almighty, then it would seem that my actions would be ultimately more beneficial for their sake. I am not seeking the approval of those around me. I am seeking the approval of the One who made me. Who knows the best and the worst that could happen to me in the coming future. It baffles me that He gives us the free will to decide what our futures could be(atleast as much as our feeble minds can grasp) but yet shapes it so that His will is ultimately what prevails. How awesome and unfathomable is that? He does not require any of the credit for the good things that happen, but could we humble ourselves so much that when good things happen to us, it would be so clearly evident that it was only God that could have brought that into our lives? I want to be that kind of person. I am praying for God help me lower myself in that way. And it is also my prayer that I would keep in mind all the scripture that I have been reading. I am looking forward to spending these next few months entirely devoted to learning about my Creator. I am giving Him this time, so that I may be more equipped mentally. Oh, how He has so much more in store for the future. I cannot fathom.

“And pray in the spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayer and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given to me so that I may fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel. For which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.”

   Ephesians 6:18-20

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Dr. Bauman arrived earlier today. He will be our “scholar in residence” here this fall.  All of us were stricken with fear when we first caught a glimpse of him.  Hearing the stories that came from former students intimidated us greatly. The process in which he teaches is not the traditional way.  He not only speaks, he asks questions, which causes everyone to be involved in the classroom debate. I know this method will prove to be successful, but until then, I will remain fearful of the coming months.   

Greetings!

Welcome to my first blog entry! This is where I will tell about my experiences at Summit Semester 2008.  Access to internet will be scarce, so the entries will come whenever I can find wireless. 

Stay tuned for several blog posts in the coming months!

Other Summit Semester blogs: 

Summit Ministries Blog

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