--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Art is built on the deepest themes of…" description: "\"Art is built on the deepest themes of human meaning: good and evil, beauty and ugliness, life and death, love and hate. No other story has incarnated t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09c/john-ortberg-932_art_art-is-built-on-the-deepest-themes-of-hu_3092988.png" --- # Art is built on the deepest themes of human meaning: good… ![“Art is built on the deepest themes of human meaning: good and evil, beauty and ugliness, life and death, love and hate. No other story has incarnated those themes more than the story of Jesus.” quote by John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09c/john-ortberg-932_art_art-is-built-on-the-deepest-themes-of-hu_3092988.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09c/john-ortberg-932_art_art-is-built-on-the-deepest-themes-of-hu_3092988.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09c/john-ortberg-932_art_art-is-built-on-the-deepest-themes-of-hu_3092988.png) > “Art is built on the deepest themes of human meaning: good and evil, beauty and ugliness, life and death, love and hate. No other story has incarnated those themes more than the story of Jesus.” [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Art reflects humanity's deepest dualities, and the story of Jesus embodies these universal conflicts more than any other narrative. **In simple terms:** Art shows good vs evil, love vs hate, life vs death. Key Takeaway Recognize the profound themes in art and faith. Themes art spirituality human nature Mood thoughtful reverent Type analytical inspirational When to use this quote - museum visits - theology studies - creative writing - personal reflection Key Concepts theology symbolism dualism Questions to Reflect On - How do these dualities appear in your life? - What other stories echo similar themes? A Different Perspective Focusing solely on one story may overlook other rich narratives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Beauty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beauty/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Good and evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-and-evil/) [Hate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hate/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Jesus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jesus/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life and death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-and-death/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Love and hate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-and-hate/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Ugliness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ugliness/) ## Related quotes > [“Any poet may find the most profound themes scattered along the path. Observation, if passionate, however, might debauch the deepest of themes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alok-mishra/any-poet-may-find-the-most-profound-themes-scattered-along-the-path/) [Alok Mishra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alok-mishra/) > [No themes are so human as those that reflect for us, out of the confusion of life, the close connection of bliss and bale,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/no-themes-are-so-human-as-those-that-reflect-for-us-out-of-the/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [“The themes in your story are probably sabotaging your relationships or at least making them more difficult.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-skeen/the-themes-in-your-story-are-probably-sabotaging-your-relationships/) Michelle Skeen > [“When I first took time off from my profession to write the Bound to Eve story, some people wondered if I had lost my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-arthur-lee/when-i-first-took-time-off-from-my-profession-to-write-the-bound-to/) John Arthur Lee > [“There are no themes so human as those that reflect the closeness of bliss to bale.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/there-are-no-themes-so-human-as-those-that-reflect-the-closeness-of/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [At the heart of Christian faith is the story of Jesus' death and resurrection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/at-the-heart-of-christian-faith-is-the-story-of-jesus-death-and/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [“For far too long now Christians have told the story of Jesus as if it hooked up not with the story of Israel, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/for-far-too-long-now-christians-have-told-the-story-of-jesus-as-if-it/) [N.T. 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Campbell Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-campbell-morgan/) > [The Bible is to me the most precious thing in the world just because it tells me the story of Jesus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/the-bible-is-to-me-the-most-precious-thing-in-the-world-just-because/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [What I love about the Bible is that it's a group of stories but it's all telling one main story. It's about Jesus Christ.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-diaz/what-i-love-about-the-bible-is-that-it-s-a-group-of-stories-but-it-s/) [Matt Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-diaz/) > [In the whole story of Jesus Christ, the most important event is the resurrection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lyon-phelps/in-the-whole-story-of-jesus-christ-the-most-important-event-is-the/) [William Lyon Phelps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lyon-phelps/) > [If the goal of an actor is to tell the best story ever, there's no higher story than Jesus Christ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diogo-morgado/if-the-goal-of-an-actor-is-to-tell-the-best-story-ever-there-s-no/) [Diogo Morgado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diogo-morgado/) > [“We do not read the Bible aright until we learn to read it as the Story of Israel that comes to completion — fulfillment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tremper-longman-iii/we-do-not-read-the-bible-aright-until-we-learn-to-read-it-as-the/) [Tremper Longman III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tremper-longman-iii/) ## More by John Ortberg > [“What do we do in the dark night? We do nothing. We wait. We remember that we are not God. We hold on. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/what-do-we-do-in-the-dark-night-we-do-nothing-we-wait-we-remember/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [If we are serious about loving God, we must begin with people, all people. And especially we must learn to love those that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/if-we-are-serious-about-loving-god-we-must-begin-with-people-all/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [True repentance never leads to despair. Its leads home. It leads to grace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/true-repentance-never-leads-to-despair-its-leads-home-it-leads-to/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [The greatest bloodbaths in the history of the human race were recorded in the twentieth century in countries that sought to eliminate God, worship,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/the-greatest-bloodbaths-in-the-history-of-the-human-race-were/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [There is no way for a human being to come to God that does not involve surrender.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/there-is-no-way-for-a-human-being-to-come-to-god-that-does-not/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [Will you keep going when you don't know why? 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You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/hurry-is-the-great-enemy-of-spiritual-life-in-our-day-you-must/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [In reality, each thought we have carries with it a little spiritual power, a tug toward or away from God. No thought is purely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/in-reality-each-thought-we-have-carries-with-it-a-little-spiritual/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [The miracle of Sunday is that a dead man lives. The miracle of Saturday is that the eternal Son of God lies dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/the-miracle-of-sunday-is-that-a-dead-man-lives-the-miracle-of/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [“The most important thing about you,” Dallas would often say, “is not the things that you achieve; it is the person that you become.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/the-most-important-thing-about-you-dallas-would-often-say-is-not-the/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [Jesus had a universal concern for those who suffered that transcended the rules of the ancient world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/jesus-had-a-universal-concern-for-those-who-suffered-that-transcended/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [God is a God of endless opportunities to do good; the God of the open door.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/god-is-a-god-of-endless-opportunities-to-do-good-the-god-of-the-open/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [One of the most painful aspects of suffering is the loneliness of it. Others may offer support or empathy, but no one can walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/one-of-the-most-painful-aspects-of-suffering-is-the-loneliness-of-it/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) [Explore all 325 John Ortberg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) ## More Art quotes > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“Hear the sum of the whole matter in the compass of one brief word — every art possessed by man comes from Prometheus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/hear-the-sum-of-the-whole-matter-in-the-compass-of-one-brief-word/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [The capacity to be puzzled is the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-capacity-to-be-puzzled-is-the-premise-of-all-creation-be-it-in/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/) [Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/) > [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/) Taf Teh > [The house has to serve comfort. The work of art is revolutionary; the house is conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-loos/the-house-has-to-serve-comfort-the-work-of-art-is-revolutionary-the/) [Adolf Loos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-loos/) > [During human progress, every science is evolved out of its corresponding art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/during-human-progress-every-science-is-evolved-out-of-its/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [In literature and art memory is a synonym for invention. It is the life-blood of imagination, which faints and dies when the veins are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/in-literature-and-art-memory-is-a-synonym-for-invention-it-is-the/) [Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [“The only thing--I tell you this straight from the heart--that disgusts me in Salzburg is that one can't have any proper social intercourse with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/the-only-thing-i-tell-you-this-straight-from-the-heart-that-disgusts/) [Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/) > [The sublime in art is the attempt to express the infinite without finding in the realm of phenomena any object which proves itself fitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/the-sublime-in-art-is-the-attempt-to-express-the-infinite-without/) [Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/) > [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) [Browse all 48,643 Art quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Art is built on the deepest themes of human meaning: good and evil, beauty and ugliness, life and death, love and hate. 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