I was sure I was going to love this book. "Reflections on Christianity, Literature and the Arts" reads the subtitle. "The most accessible, readable, and yet theologically robust work on Christianity and the arts that you will be able to find," Tim Keller recommends. There are whole chapters dedicated to C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and Jane Austen - all from a theological perspective. Yes, I was sure I was going to love this book!
The First Half
But I didn't. Oh, I liked it all right. But I definitely did not love it. It started out fine. It didn't grab me, but I was patient. I continued my trek along. The first five chapters are dedicated to defining good art, recognizing how art is to be judged, discovering the artist's calling, looking at the Christian approach to creativity and seeing how truth in literature is connected to Eden. Jerram Barrs had some excellent things to say, and this book was indeed theological in nature with lengthy quotes from brilliant minds like John Calvin. But in contrast to the last book I reviewed (which was very different in subject matter but which was written for the same purpose - to magnify the name of Christ in everything) I was not filled with joy as I read this. It felt dry at times, with certain sections that could have been cut a little shorter. I know that people have different reading tastes and different writing styles, but this one did not particularly resonate with me. Barrs laid out a proper, biblical foundation for the arts, but I did not find it especially moving or encouraging.
The Second Half
The final five chapters are each devoted to a different author, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, J.K. Rowling, William Shakespeare and Jane Austen. These chapters are meant to highly extol the authors, praising them for their Christian literature and "echoes of Eden" in each of their works. As far as writing style, there seemed to be a more positive shift here, and Barrs grew in passion as he discussed specific works. He clearly has a love for great literature, and I started picking up on that and certainly found myself loving literature a little more as I read. I have read several books by both C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien and have greatly appreciated their literature. Jane Austen is the same. And so I did love those three chapters. But two chapters left me a tad troubled - chapter eight, on Harry Potter, and chapter nine, on Shakespeare. Here's why:
Chapter 8: Harry Potter and the Triumph of Self-Sacrificing Love: First, let me be clear that I am not one of those Christians who condemns anyone for reading a Harry Potter book or watching a Harry Potter movie. I know godly people who I love who also love Harry Potter. But I have made the choice to not read the books or watch the movies simply because of the same reasons I haven't invested the time to read the Twilight books - I believe there are more edifying works of literature and entertainment to digest. This is a personal choice, made by what would most glorify God. That is why I felt a little surprised as Barrs' intensity flashed up in this chapter by loudly singing the praises of Harry Potter while seeming almost to be chastening Christians who choose not to read or watch Harry Potter. The reason of his approach seemed to be more reactionary to the "anti-Harry Potter extremes" than rounded and un-biased. Yes, Barrs made some good points against the ignorant Christians who condemn Harry Potter just because there are witches in it, but I came away rather disappointed with his overall message.
Chapter 9: Shakespeare and the Christian Worldview: This is a little trickier and a little different subject, and I recognize that Shakespeare is hotly debated among Christians today. Barrs himself recognized the "unknown-ness" of Shakespeare's moral character.
"One view says he is a royalist; another says he is an antiroyalist; one sees him as a passionate Protestant, another as a secret Catholic; he is said to be faithful in marriage and at the same time promiscuous, heterosexual and yet homosexual, a cynic and yet an optimist."
And then Barrs gives what he thinks is the reason for it:
"This is simply because each position held by the characters in his plays is presented with such genuine feeling and conviction."
Earlier this year Mom and I bought four books in the No Fear Shakespeare series, where the Shakespearean script is on one page and a modern translation on the other. We started with Romeo and Juliet and Mom decided that, after reading half of the play and seeing more than one appalling and graphic sexual dialogue, Shakespeare was not for us. Barrs spends his chapter focusing on Macbeth, which I've never read. But he clearly thinks that Shakespeare was a Christian and one of the best writers (if not the best) of all time. I am not debating whether Shakespeare is a Christian or not, but I am wondering if all the modern praise of him is really worth a Christian's efforts.
The End of the Matter
Jerram Barrs didn't write heresy. He wrote with a skilled, scholarly eye for literature, but I did not agree with everything he said. I found his style to not be especially gripping. And I found myself wondering at his chapters devoted to extolling and exalting the works of J.K. Rowling and William Shakespeare. So would I recommend this book? Maybe. Depending who wanted to read it. Will I be eagerly encouraging you to pick up a copy? I don't think so. I'd rather read Name Above All Names again.