Art is meant to entertain us, to give us pleasure, and to offer fun. It’s also meant to show us beauty—that’s part of the pleasure it gives—and sometimes that beauty points us to the glory of God. Art reaches us through imagination, showing us things rather than telling us things—putting us through experiences which allow us to learn more deeply than we can from abstract explanations or simple statements. That any of this is possible is because there are different kinds of meanings.

I’m writing a series on art because I think Christians in America no longer know what art is for, and we need to learn its purposes again. Last week I suggested that art is first of all meant to entertain and delight us by being beautiful. Other purposes, like showing truth, will only make sense once we understand this. I concluded saying beauty, at least in part, is recognized by our five senses and makes us respond emotionally when we experience it.

Doctor Starr returns to the 'bot for a new Science Fiction University seminar: The Purpose of Art. For those who don't know him, Dr. Starr is a professor at KCU, and may be one of the United States foremost authorities on C.S. Lewis. He has a new book coming out Real Soon Now featuring C. S. Lewis' last remaining unpublished short story (well, sort of...). Charlie is writing in context of the Church and Art- but I believe it also applies to us.

Does the current rise in shows about Geeks and Geek Culture (like Big Bang Theory, Chuck, etc.) signal something more theological than we thought?

Well, maybe and maybe not... but Dr. Starr is going to dive in anyway!