Addicted to Mediocrity: 20th Century Christians and the Arts

By Frank Schaeffer

Book Overview

In this provocative book, Franky Schaeffer shows how Christians today have sacrificed the artistic prominence they enjoyed for centuries and settled instead for mediocrity. The evidence for this sad... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0891072144
• ISBN13: 9780891072140
• Release Date: January 1981
• Publisher: Good News Publishers
• Length: 127 Pages
• Weight: 0.42 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Franky Hits the Nail on the Head

If you're a Christian involved in the arts, you MUST read this. Even though the book was written back in 1981, Franky's comments about contemporary evangelicalism indulging themselves in propagandizing, sloganeering bad art with the label "Christian" slapped on it is more relevant that ever. Franky attacks the false notion that if you're a Christian and you are an artist that any art you do MUST have an overt, and obvious "Christian" theme to it. Creativity in and of itself is Godly, and good and Evangelicals need not slap a cheap propagandizing slogan on it to justify it. Likewise, Franky tears down the false assumption that some actions in the Christian life are "spiritual," (ie . reading your Bible and praying) while others are "non-spiritual" (ie playing with your kids.) All of the Christian life is spiritual. I can't recommend this book enough!

A MUST-READ!

I have to wonder whether some of the above reviewers that are critical of this book have even bothered to read it. Do you need concrete evidence of the existence of mediocre efforts in the Christian community? Take the time to walk into any Christian bookstore, or take a casual look at the state of "Christian TV". His book predated the fall of Jim and Tammy Baker as well as Jimmy Swaggart.Schaeffer's remarks are succinct and to-the-point. He is remarkably restrained in reviewing the (then) current state of artistic activity in American Christianity. His words have proven to be amazingly prophetic. Get this book if you have ANY interest in a clear look at "true spirituality" in regards to the arts.

20 years ahead of his time

Not anger but healthy, funny cynicism makes the tone of this book both an easy read and very convicting and eye-opening. The truth in this book applies even more now than it did when he wrote it! The trends within the church that he writes against in this book have actually gotten worse, not better, in the last 20 years. He links it all to the utilitarian paradigm first introduced through evolutionary theory--amazing! Isn't evolution what evangelicals are so hard-core against? And all this time, they've been operating out of a paradigm rooted in that theory. Time for you to read this book and then do something about this...

Very honest, though painful evaluation of pop-Christians.

This is a very thought-provoking book dealing with Christians and the arts. All too often, mediocrity is actually encouraged by "Pop-Christian" thought processes - people too seldom ask hard questions, and evaluate things such as art and music by very superficial criteria.

Franky argues convincing against separating secular from sacred

This book is an excellent book on how Christians have compromised their once great devotion to worshiping God through creativity and in other 'secular' ways. Franky argues that there is no separtion between secular and sacred. We can worship God (even)by painting, even if it doesn't have some Biblical scene! Franky speaks of how Christians have narrow mindedly decided only things that are practical are good (following the pragmatic worldy ways)instead of simply worshiping God in all that we do. Overall Franky writes a very compelling argumen