Maybe, if someone where to say, "What can I give (or say to) my non-Christian/atheistic friend to help them believe in God?" Maybe we should give them a video of this guitar solo or some classical masterpiece of music from Bach, Beethoven, etc., before we give them an analytical philosophy book that builds the traditional arguments for God's existence!? OR, maybe we should send our atheist friends to the ocean, or to view a sunrise, or some great mountain-range and ask them how "beauty" could be derived from such natural processes such as the blaze of the sun or a large piece of "rock" (a mountain!) or the simple movement of water (waves in the ocean)?
Another thought: I've been listening a good bit to the compositional music of Hans Zimmer (The Dark Knight, Pirates of the Caribbean, etc.) over the past few years and am simply astounded at the music this man has written. Well, after I did some research on Zimmer himself, I've become even more astounded at Zimmer's music, and it is for this reason: Zimmer has no formal training in music! If we take, then, this argument about music being a pointer towards the existence of God, then I wonder what it says about prodigies such a Zimmer who have no training in music, and yet are able to combine not only traditional orchestral pieces, but even add something like an electrical guitar to the mix as well? It just defies reality, to me, to think that evolved brains could put multiple instruments together to create a unified piece/whole in order to illustrate some moving scene in a moving and/or bring about some intended emotional response from the listener. There's more behind this than meets the eye! -Billy Reinhardt
At the very least, our appeals to rational arguments should be entwined with the reality of artistic beauty. This is one of the “cross-pressures”—to use Charles Taylor’s term—for which a naturalistic point of view cannot provide a satisfying answer.
Amen! Indeed. I definitely don’t think that the traditional rational arguments for theism & Christianity are utterly useless today since we are still rational beings created by a rational God, but I do certainly believe there is hidden power in arguments for God’s existence from aesthetics, music, beauty, desire, etc.
Perhaps specific evidence of diety involvement is that, like with visual beauty, appreciation of aural beauty doesn't have to be learned. It's something inherent in us even before birth. (We've seen or heard of those in the womb responding to music.) We are 'hard-wired' to know beauty.
It's not coincidence that the greatest musician in human history, J.S. Bach, repeatedly stated that his composition and performance of music were focused on God and glorifying Him.
Maybe, if someone where to say, "What can I give (or say to) my non-Christian/atheistic friend to help them believe in God?" Maybe we should give them a video of this guitar solo or some classical masterpiece of music from Bach, Beethoven, etc., before we give them an analytical philosophy book that builds the traditional arguments for God's existence!? OR, maybe we should send our atheist friends to the ocean, or to view a sunrise, or some great mountain-range and ask them how "beauty" could be derived from such natural processes such as the blaze of the sun or a large piece of "rock" (a mountain!) or the simple movement of water (waves in the ocean)?
Another thought: I've been listening a good bit to the compositional music of Hans Zimmer (The Dark Knight, Pirates of the Caribbean, etc.) over the past few years and am simply astounded at the music this man has written. Well, after I did some research on Zimmer himself, I've become even more astounded at Zimmer's music, and it is for this reason: Zimmer has no formal training in music! If we take, then, this argument about music being a pointer towards the existence of God, then I wonder what it says about prodigies such a Zimmer who have no training in music, and yet are able to combine not only traditional orchestral pieces, but even add something like an electrical guitar to the mix as well? It just defies reality, to me, to think that evolved brains could put multiple instruments together to create a unified piece/whole in order to illustrate some moving scene in a moving and/or bring about some intended emotional response from the listener. There's more behind this than meets the eye! -Billy Reinhardt
At the very least, our appeals to rational arguments should be entwined with the reality of artistic beauty. This is one of the “cross-pressures”—to use Charles Taylor’s term—for which a naturalistic point of view cannot provide a satisfying answer.
Amen! Indeed. I definitely don’t think that the traditional rational arguments for theism & Christianity are utterly useless today since we are still rational beings created by a rational God, but I do certainly believe there is hidden power in arguments for God’s existence from aesthetics, music, beauty, desire, etc.
Perhaps specific evidence of diety involvement is that, like with visual beauty, appreciation of aural beauty doesn't have to be learned. It's something inherent in us even before birth. (We've seen or heard of those in the womb responding to music.) We are 'hard-wired' to know beauty.
It's not coincidence that the greatest musician in human history, J.S. Bach, repeatedly stated that his composition and performance of music were focused on God and glorifying Him.
In the Institutes (1:3:3, if I recall correctly), Calvin says that we are masters of the awareness of God from the womb.
Great points! Thanks for reading.