A Call for Balladeers

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At a Glance

The art we consume changes the way we think, so where are the artists who speak Godly truth through their art, the balladeers that disciple the nations through their respective mediums?  In this episode, we discuss Darrow’s upcoming book, A Call for Balladeers, as well as how beauty, truth, and goodness are linked, and how artists have a role to play in the kingdom of God.

What You'll Hear

Chapter 1: Art (1:03)

  • New ideas come usually come from philosophers in universities before being picked up by artists and spread to the surrounding culture.
  • Philosophers touch the mind, but artists touch the heart.
  • Art isn’t usually seen as something that can glorify God.
  • The kingdom of God does not replace the existing culture, it enhances it.


Chapter 2: Beauty
(20:11)

  • Beauty, goodness, and truth are all linked together.
  • Evil is hideous.
  • We can recognize beauty in the world God created.
  • Beauty is a way to evangelize.

Chapter 3: Balladeers (37:06)

  • A balladeer is someone who tells stories through song.
  • Martin Luther wrote songs that spread and changed people’s hearts.
  • Art impacts culture.
  • Everyone can be a balladeer in the way they promote beauty, even if they are not artists.
  • Picking up trash makes the world more beautiful.


Chapter 4: Conclusion
(1:00:43)

  • Sign up for book updates, join the Balladeers community, and learn about the launch concert happening on September 16 in beautiful Dana Point, CA at acallforballadeers.com

Using the link above, you can read the transcript, listen along, and adjust the speed of the podcast while you listen.

Beauty impacts you… the sunset, the flower, the different things that God creates. We have a Creator God, who created things incredibly beautiful.

Tim (31:37)

Team Member Highlight

Darrow Miller is a world-renowned author and teacher on Christianity and culture, apologetics, worldview, poverty, and the dignity of women. In 1981, he began 27 years at Food for the Hungry, serving there as vice president from 1994 to 2007 until he helped launch the DNA in 2008. 

Darrow Miller
Go Deeper

 A Call for Balladeers: Pursuing Art and Beauty for the Discipling of Nations

Are you a Christian artist who struggles with being an artist and serving God?
Through a biblical lens, Darrow Miller examines what it means to be a Christian artist and the role of beauty in the world. As the First Artist, God created the universe to be beautiful, and set a precedent for all mankind: to create art, not for religious obligation, but simply for the sake of beauty itself.


With scrutiny and honesty, A Call for Balladeers takes a hard look at the faulty perspective toward art and beauty held by many Christians today and uses the Bible to make a case for why the Church should be concerned with the arts. Miller provides a hopeful, liberating outlook for Christians who find themselves caught in a dilemma between their artistic endeavors and their desire to minister to their community.
 
There is no divide between art, beauty, and the Christian faith. God uses the arts and artists to advance His kingdom of truth, goodness, and beauty on earth as it is in heaven. A Call for Balladeers will help Christians think biblically about art, teach them about historical and modern-day balladeers, and encourage artists to use their God-given talents to minister prophetically, bringing transformation to their communities and nations.
Quotes

“Typically, ideas begin in universities with philosophers and with people who love wrestling with ideas. From there, they go to the artists, who have satellite dishes coming out of their heads, where they hear the new ideas that are coming. And they begin to write songs and develop films. They do poetry, they paint, they dance. They turn the ideas into an art form. And then they spread these ideas to the culture as a whole, through their art. And it’s at that point where the professional class takes those ideas and create laws, they create institutions, they create objects to sell based on those ideas. And finally, the ideas get down to the average person.” Darrow (3:21)

“The kingdom of God has a culture, a way of doing things, a way of seeing things, a system of virtues. God is true. God is good. God is beautiful. And these things are reflective of the culture of the kingdom of God.” Darrow (13:29)

“When I become a Christian, I don’t cease to be Scott Allen with a unique personality. But what I am as Scott Allen with the unique personality is enhanced. I become what I was intended to be. And it’s the same with cultures. When cultures are influenced and adopt the culture of the kingdom, they become what God intended them to be.” Scott (17:22)

“Beauty impacts you… the sunset, the flower, the different things that God creates. We have a Creator God, who created things incredibly beautiful. And He created us in His image to be creators of beauty.” Tim (31:37)

“I can tell you, having worked in development for 40 years traveling all over the world, one of the greatest causes of poverty in the world is a lie. And that is that men are superior to women. That is a lie that is embedded in cultures all over the world.” Darrow (40:44)

“We hear songs all the time about the degrading of women, and they’re very popular and the people that write those songs and sing those songs become millionaires. Where are the people who understand that women are made in the very image of God?” Darrow (46:02)

Picking up trash is a rebellious act. It’s rebelling against discarding junk everywhere. And you can see that in a culture that promotes beauty, part of what they’ve promoted is cleanliness. And if you don’t care about beauty, you don’t care about cleanliness, you just throw stuff wherever. So picking up trash is a rebellious act against a culture that does not care for a beauty.” Darrow (54:43)

Learned something new? Have a question? Enjoying the podcast? Let us know!

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vinita chacko
vinita chacko
1 year ago

Thank you. Yes, enjoyed the pod cast. I am always attracted by beauty, in art, architecture, nature, homes, hospitality. but as I grew up in the 60’s and 70’s as Christians the culture leaned towards being utilitarian and functional. They called that simplicity. Married to a missionary doctor and living on mission hospital campuses in India, I always questioned why hospitals were so drab, if you want to make a person feel well again we need to make it a more attractive place, not dull and somber.
When I see nature, I see beauty, I see brilliant colours, shapes designs.When I hear the description of the tabernacle I see beauty and harmony and precision. This is our God, it is a reflection of who he is. There were times when I was a young Christian I almost felt guilty for liking what is beautiful.
Your podcast confirmed my belief, God is beauty, Beauty illuminates truth. Beauty touches our hearts and shapes us. we are all called to create spaces of beauty.. even in our relationships… beauty is seen in love gentleness and the fruit of the spirit.

Darrow Miller
1 year ago
Reply to  vinita chacko

Dear Vinita,
 
It is so good to hear from you. So glad you enjoyed the podcast. What you have written is so clear and powerful. Thanks for taking the time to write to us.
 
We have just had our first ZOOM Webinar for the Balladeer community. We engaged Randall Flinn of Ad Deum Dance Company in Houston.

To view this webinar recording or for more information on my newest book, A Call for Balladeers: Pursuing Art and Beauty for the Discipling of Nations, please visit acallforballadeers.com

Vinita, our next webinar in January will feature a very important artist and friend from India. I hope you will be able to participate. Your response to the podcast was so clear and encouraging.
 
Thanks again for writing

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