--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We are not being true to the artist as a…" description: "\"“We are not being true to the artist as a man if we consider his work \"junk\", simply because we differ with his outlook on life. Instead, if the artist..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e93/francis-a-schaeffer-22002_art_we-are-not-being-true-to-the-artist-as-a_751064.jpg" --- # We are not being true to the artist as a man if we… ![“We are not being true to the artist as a man if we consider his work "junk", simply because we differ with his outlook on life. Instead, if the artist's technical excellence is high, he is to be praised for this even if we differ with his worldview... Yet where his work shows his worldview, it…” quote by Francis A. Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e93/francis-a-schaeffer-22002_art_we-are-not-being-true-to-the-artist-as-a_751064.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e93/francis-a-schaeffer-22002_art_we-are-not-being-true-to-the-artist-as-a_751064.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e93/francis-a-schaeffer-22002_art_we-are-not-being-true-to-the-artist-as-a_751064.jpg) > ““We are not being true to the artist as a man if we consider his work "junk", simply because we differ with his outlook on life. Instead, if the artist's technical excellence is high, he is to be praised for this even if we differ with his worldview... Yet where his work shows his worldview, it must be judged by its relationship to the Christian worldview. If we stand as Christians before a man's canvas and recognize that he is a great artist in technical excellence, we have been fair with him as a man. Then we can say that his worldview is wrong. We can judge his views on the same basis as we judge anybody else- philosopher, common man, laborer, business man, or whatever. God's Word binds the great man and the small, the scientist and the simple, the king and the artist. We should realize that if something untrue or immoral is stated in great art, it can be far more devastating than if it is expressed in poor art. The greater the artistic expression, the more important it is to consciously bring it and it's worldview under the judgment of Christ and the Bible. The common reaction among many however, is just the opposite. Ordinarily, many seem to feel that the greater the art, the less we ought to be critical of its worldview. This we must reverse.”” [Francis A. Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-a-schaeffer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Art should be judged on technical skill and moral worldview, not dismissed for differing opinions; excellence does not excuse harmful ideas. **In simple terms:** Judge art by skill and moral impact. Key Takeaway Separate skill from worldview; assess both. Themes art ethics Christianity criticism Mood thoughtful critical reflective Type philosophical theological When to use this quote - church teaching - art criticism - education - media analysis Key Concepts aesthetic evaluation theology moral philosophy Questions to Reflect On - How do we balance appreciation of skill with moral critique? - When should artistic merit be overridden by ethical concerns? A Different Perspective Technical excellence can mask harmful messages; requires careful discernment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Artistic expression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artistic-expression/) [Business man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business-man/) [Christian worldview](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian-worldview/) [Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [Common man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common-man/) [Great man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-man/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Outlook on life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outlook-on-life/) [Shows Worldview](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shows-worldview-5842887/) [Worldview Judged](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worldview-judged-5842886/) [Worldview Judgment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worldview-judgment-3180105/) [Worldview Wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worldview-wrong-2745736/) ## Related quotes > [“We should realize that if something untrue or immoral is stated in great art, it can be far more devastating than if it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-a-schaeffer/we-should-realize-that-if-something-untrue-or-immoral-is-stated-in/) [Francis A. 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Instead, if the artist's technical excellence is high, he is to be praised for this even if we differ with his worldview... Yet where his work shows his worldview, it must be judged by its relationship to the Christian worldview. If we stand as Christians before a man's canvas and recognize that he is a great artist in technical excellence, we have been fair with him as a man. Then we can say that his worldview is wrong. We can judge his views on the same basis as we judge anybody else- philosopher, common man, laborer, business man, or whatever. God's Word binds the great man and the small, the scientist and the simple, the king and the artist. We should realize that if something untrue or immoral is stated in great art, it can be far more devastating than if it is expressed in poor art. The greater the artistic expression, the more important it is to consciously bring it and it's worldview under the judgment of Christ and the Bible. 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