I think one of my favorite phrases in the book is "evil is art." Not, art is evil, but that art, in a deep sense, portrays what the artist perceives is wrong with society. It attempts to be a reflection of culture. This rings close to home when you look at art through history and then look at the prevailing philosophy of the day. They often reflect the moods and questions of the era.

Artists have a different way of looking at the world. As a general rule they are more familiar with pain and suffering and this is expressed in what they create. It is there way of venting in a sense. It is something that needs to be done and they have powerful need to create.

One things I see for Christians is a fear of presenting something that is not happy. Too often in churches, you get the idea that if you are not happy all the time then you are not a good Christian. Listen to popular Christian music. Very rarely do you hear songs that reflect the struggle of the singer and when it is found it is on a CD that no one has heard of. This pattern feeds into the Christian perception that the sun should always shine and leads to a shallow faith.

So, what is a the Christians role in culture? Does all art have to have a Christian theme? Can it just not seek to ask a question? Art is meant for reflection. It is supposed to make the viewer ask themselves questions. While I don't feel like Mr. Staub really answered the question, I felt that he did a good job encouraging believers to get involved in culture and transform it from the inside. To not only ask tough questions but help provide the biblical answer and model. To be a culturally savvy christian.