All Things New: Essays on Christianity, Culture & the Arts

by Jeremy W. Johnston

This is a collection of essays on Christianity, culture and the arts, most of which appeared in Barnabas magazine over the past decade. The essays are split into 6 sections, focusing on art & creativity, the artist's call, literature, music, cinema and faith & culture. The idea of the essays is to engage Christians to think through how their faith impacts their interaction and involvement with arts & culture, specifically in seeing the value of the imagination, the enrichment creativity brings to all of society and the delight the arts bring to daily life.

"Jeremy has the gift of word-smithing and expressing rather complex ideas with a wonderful perspicuity. All Things New deserves a wide readership."

—ANDREW FELLOWS, director of Christian Heritage in Cambridge, England, and former chair of L’Abri International

"This collection of essays, perfect for picking up and dipping into time and again, encourages us to recite poetry, gobble up great novels, wander through galleries, delight in gourmet food and see the fingerprint of the Creative One in all things good and beautiful."

—KAREN STILLER, senior editor, Faith Today magazine

"All Things New possesses an admirable moderation, as the author gives us just enough on each subject to be helpful but not so much as to tire us.…This is a readable book designed for people who want to understand how Christianity
relates to culture and the arts."

—LELAND RYKEN, professor emeritus of English at Wheaton College and author of The Christian Imagination

174 pages, Paperback

Published June 28, 2018

About the author

JEREMY W. JOHNSTON teaches English, history, and classical studies at Hillfield Strathallan College. He also teaches humanities courses as an adjunct professor and lecturer at Heritage College and Seminary, Redeemer University, and Mohawk College. He holds a master's degree in education and an honours degree in English literature and humanities from the University of Western Ontario. For over a decade, he served as the arts columnist for Barnabas magazine, which is published by the Sovereign Grace Fellowship of Canada. He has been involved in Christian education-teaching, preaching and speaking-at local churches and Christian venues for many years. Jeremy and his wife, Laurie, have been homeschooling their four children for over 20 years. They live in Hamilton, Ont., Canada.

Reviews

[Phil Cotnoir · Rating 4 out of 5]

What do you give to the young person in youth group who is drawn to the arts but has never been taught how to integrate them into their Christian faith? What about the Christian college student who is drawn to good literature but feels that spending much of any time on such 'fiction' means making no contribution to 'real Kingdom work'. What guidance can you give the adult church member who is discovering the joy of painting or music later in life and is not sure how to understand the joy they derive from such pursuits in light of a Biblical worldview?

These are just some of the kinds of people I could see being tremendously helped by this excellent introduction to Christianity's relationship to culture and the arts. The structure of the book is a strength. Short chapters that can be read in only a handful of minutes at most, but each one making a particular point rather well. The cumulative effect of these emphases, some of which are returned to from different angles elsewhere in the book, is a pretty comprehensive vision of how the arts dovetail with the Christian life. The writing flows well and offers no distraction to the point being made. I found myself reading chapter after chapter with undiminished interest - which is always a good sign. I also appreciated the wide range of authors cited and the notes on recommended further reading as this introduced me to authors and works I was not familiar with.

I would gladly recommend this and place it in the hands of believers in my life who have some latent artistic instinct. And perhaps also to those who don't(!) - so they might better understand those who do and the worth of such pursuits.

[Jessica Wilkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enlightening book of essays on exactly what the title says: Christianity, culture and the arts. Insightful, engaging, and a book I know I'll be returning to again and again.

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

An insightful and relevant read from beginning to end! The collection of essays, brilliantly crafted, brings wise counsel for the Christian and his or her response to culture and the arts. This book has re-inspired me to create art--and good art, at that--for the glory of God, and re-invigorated my soul to appreciate art and beauty for the glory of God. Yet even for those who are not Christians, this book is still a thought-provoking read, making the case essay by essay that God is the one who is the true author of beauty--and in Himself beautiful to behold.
I leave All Things New not for the last time, for its pithy, discerning essays are and will be a much-needed resource for the Christian's life...