I keep thinking they are Christian books, since they are sold in Christian bookstores, but so far, despite having read several of them, they are so minimally Christian, if at all, they I don’t know why they would be called such.They are just thrillers, that’s it–and not very good ones at that.
Tacky drug-addled paintings by Thomas Kinkade________________Senior Pastor, Solid Rock Church, DroghedaNational Overseer, Church of God, IrelandExecutive Director, Evangelical Alliance Irelandeaiseanchai.wordpress.com/
Re: Anyone else have issues with Ted Dekker books?
Tacky drug-addled paintings by Thomas Kinkade? LOL! I couldn’t agree more. Thomas Kinkade is just awful junk. Take one art appreciation class in college and if you have any capacity to actually appreciate art you’ll see just how bad this junk is, not to mention the fact that his marketing of limited editions amounts to outright lies exploiting the masses of uneducated. Sad how the Christian bookstores have participated in this rip off.
It’s not surprising that the liberal intelligentsia class find a artist that uses Americana and Christian themes in his paintings to be lesser than themselves.What’s amazing is the not-so intellientsia of Acts – take the shot at the same artist – pointing out his personal shortcomings or parroting the liberal artists class and saying I am so glad we are so much better that that poor rube and his stylings.Even more amazing that this drug addled hireling – that can’t paint better than JD with one art appreciation class under his belt made MILLIONS of dollars – and provided an artistic creation in many American homes with spiritual and religious expressions mixed in.In 2002 – Kinkade donated 2 of his paintings to the Salvation Army to help with the relief efforts of the 9/11 Muslim terrorism attacks…more than 2 million dollars was raised through that effort. Yes – Kinkade deserves to be mocked and ridiculed by those that are better then he.By the way – if these two are correct, Kinkade should get an honorary doctorate in Marketing from Harvard…how else to explain getting his inferior drug addled works to be so popular. ________________
That I can agree with
I don’t think we’re going to get far talking about art if we start mixing politics in and viewing everything through a left/right or liberal/conservative lens. Politics and art appreciation rarely go together. Which is why both the Nazis and the Communists (opposite extremes of the left/right axis) both spent their time persecuting talented artists while promoting horrendous monstrosities that posed as art.My problem with Kinkade is not his so-called ‘Christian themes’. I love art that takes a much more robust and biblical approach to Christianity than a picture of a cart outside a wooden church. That’s why I get frustrated when Christian bookstores are cluttered with such low-level stuff when they could be introducing people to classics like Caravaggio’s Sacrifice of Isaac.
Nick,Thanks for he response? Was it proper to call Kinkade drug addled?I don’t think that was pertinent to his successful years________________
Now, if you had said this in the first place…
Now, if you had said this in the first place…Calling his work kitsch or syrupy or sentimental is one thing. I just thought it was a cheap shot to call it drug-addled. Agreed. Words mean something________________
I don’t think anyone would claim that Kinkade is a Da Vinci. But like NBF, I can still appreciate an idealistic scene that, AT THE LEAST, promotes a worldview that seems both American and Christian.To call him drug-addled was uncalled for. Ray Boltz sang some beautiful and anointed songs, all while dealing with his homosexuality. Same with Kirk Talley.
Never read a Dekker book.Alice Cooper said his darkness was fueled by his own dealings with Christ and his resistance – but he knew the world was a good vs evil affair________________
I think it depends on where his work is sold. If it is being sold on a cruise ship (as was happening last time my wife and I cruised) then it’s simply a case of saying No thanks, we’re not interested.But when they are being sold in a Christian bookstore (which is how it came up in this thread) then I think his lifestyle of alcohol, drugs and extra-marital relationships does become relevant.I don’t think Christian bookstores should sell books by authors whose lifestyles deny Christian values. The same applies to CDs by recording artistes. Should that apply to artwork too?I guess my feelings on this would be similar to seeing a book by Zachary Timms on sale in a Christian bookstore________________Senior Pastor, Solid Rock Church, DroghedaNational Overseer, Church of God, IrelandExecutive Director, Evangelical Alliance Irelandeaiseanchai.wordpress.com/
Nick,You have made a litmus test for selling materials in a Christian bookstore which I am ok with.Shouldn’t that litmus test apply even more to churches as well?So should we surmise that you also feel that any COG minister who has been divorced, had an extra marital affair, drank any alcohol or took drugs should be disqualified from ministry in the church?Or is it bookstores only that you have this high standard for?Or is it just Kinkade you have singled out – and divorced church of God ministers get a free pass?Just trying to be clear here________________
My disdain for Kinkade is not so much his painting as it was his false marketing. I had friends dump thousands of dollars on his 1 of 200 or whatever prints that had at least 20 limited series of the same exact painting, where the only difference was either the size of the frame, or the amount of brush-strokes on the print that were actually put there by the artist, bringing the count from 200
yet JD – in 2014 – his Kinkade products at #81 on bestselling licensed brands, with $425 million in annual sales. Three years after his death.Apparently your tastes and the American public at large are quite different.As for his troubles – I don’t know why his life slipped into disrepair – perhaps he felt all alone and couldn’t cope – or he couldn’t handle the money (much like a Michael Jackson or Elvis Presley) – but the tragedy does not invalidate the God given gifts that were given to him – to make paintings that show what he – and apparently a plurality of Americans – felt were what they aspired life to be.Again, I just don’t understand the venom for works that give so many pleasure in their homes. It seems much like ridiculing Christians for clinging to their Bibles and their guns…and now lets add their Kinkades________________
I certainly think the same litmus test I applied to Kinkade should apply to Church of God ministers. Any Church of God of minister who is convicted of a DWI and has not gone through a restoration program, has an ongoing alcohol and drugs problem, and who is living with a woman other than his wife should not be permitted to preach in, let alone pastor, a church.If a painter had a divorce, and then went through a lengthy restoration program, then that should be no bar to their paintings being sold in a Christian bookstore.Just being clear here. ________________Senior Pastor, Solid Rock Church, DroghedaNational Overseer, Church of God, IrelandExecutive Director, Evangelical Alliance Irelandeaiseanchai.wordpress.com/