Art

Art proves that man is not mechanistic, but it does not prove that he is spiritually immortal. Art is mortal morontia, the intervening field between man, the material, and man, the spiritual. Art results from man’s attempt to escape from the lack of beauty in his material environment; it is a gesture toward the morontia level. 195:7.15 196:3.30

In the Urantia Book

Angels enjoy our efforts in art (38:2.1)

• the charm of human art consists in the harmony of its unity 2:7.8
• Civilization is in danger when youth neglect to interest themselves in ethics, sociology, eugenics, philosophy, the fine arts, religion, and cosmology. 111:4.4
• fine arts thrive best in cities supported by an agricultural and industrial population slightly under the land-man ratio 68:6.5
• vanity, pride, ambition and honor gave birth to the first manifestations of all the arts, since these emotions need a social arena where they can be exhibited 68:2.10
• Beauty, art, is largely a matter of the unification of contrasts. 56:10.3-4

History of art

• when Prince’s staff arrived art and science were at a low ebb throughout the world, but the rudiments were taught the Dalamatians 66:5.23-27
• Cro-Magnons were artists; the Adamic mixture suddenly accelerated creative imagination. The height of the blue man’s art was about fifteen thousand years ago 80:3.7
• Andites contributed art to every nation to which they journeyed 78:5.8
• Evolutionary religion is the mother of the science, art, and philosophy 5:5.5
• sculpture originated in idol making 92:3.6
• The making of burial statues led to great improvement in Egyptian art. 95:2.4-5
• Jews’ had a deep-seated prejudice against images as symbols of idol worship 96:5.5 142:3.12 185:1.3
• the commandment against making images much retarded art among Jews 88:2.5-6
• Jesus had a favorable attitude towards art despite his Jewish upbringing 142:4.2-3

Art in heavens

• morontia and spirit worlds enjoy high arts 44:0.2
• On Jerusem is the gigantic art gallery of Satania, one of three enormous structures that adorn the seven circles of courtesy colonies 46:5.30

Value

• art by itself cannot elevate soul or nourish spirit 84:8.4
• The art of time is dangerous only when it becomes blind to the spirit standards of the divine patterns which eternity reflects as the reality shadows of time. 195:7.16
• The high mission of any art is, by its illusions, to foreshadow a higher universe reality, to crystallize the emotions of time into the thought of eternity. 48:7.23
• Through art and philosophy the material-minded man is inveigled into the contemplation of the spiritual realities 5:4.4
• Art is only religious when it becomes diffused with purpose which has been derived from high spiritual motivation. 101:9.4
• But spirit communion is not promoted by mere massive ornateness and overmuch embellishment with man’s elaborate and ostentatious art. 167:6.6

Bible parallels

Passages that the paragraphs cited above parallel, quote or reinterpret, from Duane Faw’s Paramony cross-references. Hover a reference to read it.

• The Lord is one God 96:5.5 — Dt 6:4. *There is none beside*: Dt 4:35,39.
• Who is like our God among all 96:5.5 — Ex 15:11.
• You saw no similitude the day 96:5.5 — Dt 4:15.
• No molten god 142:3.12 — Ex 20:4; Ex 34:17; Dt 5:8.
• New fetishes 88:2.5 — Ex 25:10-16; Ex 37:1-9; Ex 40:20; 1 Ki 8:9; 2 Ki 18:4; Dt 10:1-5; Heb 9:4.
• No graven image of anything 88:2.5 — Ex 20:4; Ex 34:17; Lv 26:1; Dt 5:8.
• Moses fought idolatry 142:4.2 — Ex 20:4; Dt 5:8. *Changed by law of love*: Is 38:17; Is 55:4-7; Is 63:7-9. *Love God and thy neighbor*: Mt 5:43-44; Mt 19:19; Mt 22:36-40; Mk 12:28-33; Lk 10:25-27.

See also

• beauty
• sculpture

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