This kind of facile and naïve celebration of a superficial expression of "faith" by a celebrity is also a reflection of the generally low condition of our cultural and aesthetic discernment. This is not so much a Christian problem as a philistine problem. One doesn't see a Roger Scruton, or a Roger Kimball, or even, say, a traditional icon painter in his/her studio in Russia, celebrating Ye's single, or Russell Brand's conversion, or what have you. When a culture has fallen as far as ours has into philistinism, crassness, decadence and secularism, the average person -- including the average journalist, writer, editor, and the average Christian. -- has lost most of his discernment and judgment in matters of aesthetics, morals and so forth.
That’s an interesting point, though I’m not convinced one needs much education in high culture to develop that discernment (though it helps, certainly). One can generally traffic in low brow, pop culture and still have a mind sharp enough to avoid getting scammed by contemporary grifters.
And I do maintain that the Christian posture of defensiveness towards imagined secular bogeymen hurts that discernment. We’re uniquely susceptible given that underlying posture.
This kind of facile and naïve celebration of a superficial expression of "faith" by a celebrity is also a reflection of the generally low condition of our cultural and aesthetic discernment. This is not so much a Christian problem as a philistine problem. One doesn't see a Roger Scruton, or a Roger Kimball, or even, say, a traditional icon painter in his/her studio in Russia, celebrating Ye's single, or Russell Brand's conversion, or what have you. When a culture has fallen as far as ours has into philistinism, crassness, decadence and secularism, the average person -- including the average journalist, writer, editor, and the average Christian. -- has lost most of his discernment and judgment in matters of aesthetics, morals and so forth.
That’s an interesting point, though I’m not convinced one needs much education in high culture to develop that discernment (though it helps, certainly). One can generally traffic in low brow, pop culture and still have a mind sharp enough to avoid getting scammed by contemporary grifters.
And I do maintain that the Christian posture of defensiveness towards imagined secular bogeymen hurts that discernment. We’re uniquely susceptible given that underlying posture.