Culture
Christian Culture: Art, Architecture, Books, TV & Films etc.
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Stock Market Crash – The Everything Bubble, Tulip Mania and the Second Great Depression
Money was unlimited, everyone was getting rich and valuations for investors always went up. The greatest asset of them all was the tulip and everyone was gambling with them. You could buy a tulip for the equivalent of a few dollars and sell it later for the price of a house! This was the Netherlands in the seventeenth century.
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Christopher Nolan, Christianity, the Bible, Faith and Cinema
When film historians adjudicate the principal directors and screenwriters of our time, Christopher Nolan’s name will be in the top ten. Known for The Dark Knight Trilogy (2005–2012), Inception (2010), Interstellar (2014), Dunkirk (2017) and Tenet (2020), amongst others, this filmmaker submits deep questions about the nature of the soul in blockbuster films.
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Was Vincent van Gogh a Christian? Christianity and Art Explored
Did Van Gogh experience a spiritual awakening? Vincent’s early years certainly developed in an atmosphere of faith in Christ. Born in 1853, in the Netherlands, his father and grandfather were Dutch Reformed ministers. They committed themselves to help the poor and to become Christ’s hands and feet to provide aid to those in need. Inspired by the hope of Christianity, Vincent committed himself to train as a preacher. After failing his…
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Post-Impressionism: Christian Belief and Art Explored
“Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while” (Mark 6:31) We live in an unrelenting world of pressure; our calendars are full, schedules are overloaded and stress levels reach new highs. In our busy lives, we can forget to chart something important to God – come aside and rest. Be at peace, be still! We must not allow ourselves to become indefinitely busy, that we cannot hear the still small voice of the Holy Spirit.
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The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence
“There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful, than that of a continual conversation with God; those only can comprehend it who practice and experience it” – Brother Lawrence You can feel God in the kitchen. You can sense the Lord at work. You can know the presence of Jesus in menial chores. This was the message of Brother Lawrence, a peasant soldier who became a monk in seventeenth century France. Through patience, Lawrence learnt to still his mind and focus on God’s presence in all his dealings. He struggled at first with tedious chores in the monastery; travelling into the village for goods,…
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Christianity & Architecture: Big Ben, the Bible & the Elizabeth Tower
Big Ben is the most recognised timepiece in the world. The Clock Tower known throughout the nations by its crowd-pleasing name Big Ben derides from the Great Bell. It resides at the north end of the Palace of Westminster and at its heart are some intriguing Christian themes. My journey to Big Ben begins at Portcullis House. Once through the security checks, I walk into the majestic light-filled atrium of Portcullis House, looking for a glimpse of the prime minister. I head down to the tunnel which connects the new building with the Victorian Houses of Parliament. Walking underneath Bridge Street, I turn left and enter a small doorway to…
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Christianity and Art: The Royal Collection & the Faith of Queen Elizabeth II
Before the printing press and education made the Bible available to all, believers used their eyes and imagination to attempt to understand God. There was a danger of idolatry, which the Reformation sought to address, yet some paintings read like the pages of a book. On the 13 September 1940, a German bombing raid hit the Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace, London. From the charred remains, the Duke of Edinburgh decided to convert the Chapel into an art gallery and display elements of the Royal Collection. I have been privileged to view the Queen’s masterpieces in several exhibitions in the Queen’s Gallery, and at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and at…
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The Revelation TV Story: Hey Howie, Howard Conder & Gordon Pettie
The sixties changed everything. The Beatles burst into a world gasping for breath, from an age of post-war bleak austerity. It was all just a laugh to begin with. Partying replaced serious life choices. Promiscuity shunned commitment and responsibility. Consumerism hypnotised the soul. “God is,” they said, “a myth.” Into this world a young Howard Conder made his mark, playing the drums for big bands and taking home a packet of money. Soon he drove a Rolls Royce, hung out with his mate David Bowie and Eric Clapton greeted him by name. Howard played gigs with the revered celebrities of this ‘golden age’ of the sixties revolution and he passed…
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Revelations of Divine Love by Julian of Norwich – All shall be well
“All shall be well, and all shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well” – Julian of Norwich Everything you need is found in Christ and all your heart truly desires, is found in Christ. Out of the abundance of God’s goodness, His love will flow into your soul. “God loved us before He made us; and His love has never diminished and never shall.” These are the words of Julian of Norwich, a woman living in self-imposed house arrest – permanent social distancing – in a single cell attached to the Church of St Julian, in Norwich, England. In her estrangement from the world, she found…
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Christianity and Art: The Pre-Raphaelites
‘He has filled them with skill to do all manner of work…in blue, purple, and scarlet… and those who design artistic works’ (Exodus 35:35). You’ve been told The Mona Lisa is the greatest artwork in the world. That’s clever marketing after its theft and return. For most of its life, those with access to The Mona Lisa walked past, ‘just another portrait.’ If you visit The Mona Lisa in the Louvre, Paris, expect a two-hour queue, followed by a brief glimpse of a painting at a distance, shrouded behind thick bullet-proof glass. No time to linger, examine and ponder. If you want art to take your breath away, discover the…
