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The Mystery of Art: Becoming an Artist in the Image of God
Jonathan Jackson began his career in Hollywood over twenty years ago on the soap opera General Hospital. His heart-wrenching performances helped win him five Emmy Awards. Jonathan has also performed in many feature films, including The Deep End of the Ocean, Tuck Everlasting, and Insomnia. His work has taken him to many places around the world, including Ireland, Italy, Romania, and Canada.Jonathan is currently one of the stars of the ABC primetime drama, Nashville, a show centered on the inner workings of the Nashville music scene. Jonathan plays Avery Barkley, an up-and-coming singer/songwriter trying to find his way in Music City.Along with acting, Jonathan is also the lead singer of the band Enation and the author of Book of Solace and Madness, which was published in 2012. Jonathan resides in Nashville, Tennessee, where he loves spending time with his wife, Elisa, and their three children.
192 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2014
16 people are currently reading
113 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Jackson
49 books9 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 25, 2020
Beautiful in every way! So blessed to have read it and hopefully, one day, to re-read it and share in the beauty, the mystery, the transcendence of the author's spiritual journey, his deep love for God, our Lord, and for artists all over the world.
It is a book which left me cold, not in the usual, indifferent way, but a freezing cold which forced me to open my eyes to the bareness of my soul and to the hard truth that I have mistreated my heart and it is not noble (as Reepicheep's) but grieving for the burning love for our Good and Magnificent God. It has opened my eyes to my warm faith, not strong and burning not yet cold and freezing, but warm, alas! which is not how it ought to be, and especially in these horrible times of no Holy Liturgy to attend, no Eucharist to flood every particle of our being, no communion with our fellow parishioners warm is not the right kind of temperature.
Oh, we need this book, and we need burning love and faith to take us far, far into a deeper understanding of our purpose on this earth. No more destroying our souls, no more dissipation, no more futile races for ash and ruin...
It is a book which left me cold, not in the usual, indifferent way, but a freezing cold which forced me to open my eyes to the bareness of my soul and to the hard truth that I have mistreated my heart and it is not noble (as Reepicheep's) but grieving for the burning love for our Good and Magnificent God. It has opened my eyes to my warm faith, not strong and burning not yet cold and freezing, but warm, alas! which is not how it ought to be, and especially in these horrible times of no Holy Liturgy to attend, no Eucharist to flood every particle of our being, no communion with our fellow parishioners warm is not the right kind of temperature.
Oh, we need this book, and we need burning love and faith to take us far, far into a deeper understanding of our purpose on this earth. No more destroying our souls, no more dissipation, no more futile races for ash and ruin...
February 11, 2015
A quick Google search of Jonathan Jackson pulls up a list of acting and musical credentials. He was Lucky Spencer on General Hospital, a role that landed him five Emmy Awards. He was the title role, Jesse Tuck, in the book-turned-movie Tuck Everlasting. I admit to not knowing him for either of these roles. I actually know him as Ricky Ferris, aka the guy who almost prevented Cory Matthews and Topanga Lawrence on Boy Meets World. Just think, if Ricky and Topanga had ended up together our TVs would have never been graced with Girl Meets World. In all seriousness though, Jonathan Jackson is more than an actor or a musician, he is a Christian (and a convert to Orthodox Christianity), and to his immense credit has never shied away from it like other Hollywood celebrities have. Today, I am reviewing his book, The Mystery of Art: Becoming an Artist in the Image of God.
Jackson begins his book by explaining that the highest form of art is prayer. He quickly clarifies that one does not need to be a Christian to be an artist or vice versa. He does, however, ponder whether one can reach the pinnacle of either (Christianity or art) without being both a Christian and an artist. He then defines the purpose of this book, which is "to open a dialogue between the Christian soul and the mystery of art." Lastly, in the introductory material, we learn a brief bit about his journey to Orthodoxy, the Christian East. He explains his clash with Christian Fundamentalism and their view of art as unnecessary at best and sinful at worst. Unfortunately, he paints the West with a broad-stroked brush with the lines, "The original vision of Christianity was maintained in the East and faithfully passed on from generation to generation. There were no crusades or inquisitions, no papal demands for supremacy, no systematic theology or Reformation." This is a broad statement that is not entirely true. It is also a hurtful and unnecessary shot to take at Roman Catholicism.
Jackson then devotes the rest of the book to explaining what art is and what it is not. For example, art is prayer, beauty, mystery, and sacrament. Each chapter is written in a very personal style with references from Jackson's own life and career. The book also has the feel of a lecture/talk that was given and transcribed (not that is a bad thing). I imagine this would make a fascinating audiobook, especially if Mr. Jackson was the one reading it. In between some chapters is what I call "bonus material." This bonus material are poems that Mr. Jackson has written. Anyone who says that actors lack a brain just need to read this poetry to see that couldn't be further from the truth. The account of St. Genesius of Rome was the perfect way to end this book. So whether you are an artist or a Christian, or just one looking to understand how the two converge, I recommend this book.
Jackson begins his book by explaining that the highest form of art is prayer. He quickly clarifies that one does not need to be a Christian to be an artist or vice versa. He does, however, ponder whether one can reach the pinnacle of either (Christianity or art) without being both a Christian and an artist. He then defines the purpose of this book, which is "to open a dialogue between the Christian soul and the mystery of art." Lastly, in the introductory material, we learn a brief bit about his journey to Orthodoxy, the Christian East. He explains his clash with Christian Fundamentalism and their view of art as unnecessary at best and sinful at worst. Unfortunately, he paints the West with a broad-stroked brush with the lines, "The original vision of Christianity was maintained in the East and faithfully passed on from generation to generation. There were no crusades or inquisitions, no papal demands for supremacy, no systematic theology or Reformation." This is a broad statement that is not entirely true. It is also a hurtful and unnecessary shot to take at Roman Catholicism.
Jackson then devotes the rest of the book to explaining what art is and what it is not. For example, art is prayer, beauty, mystery, and sacrament. Each chapter is written in a very personal style with references from Jackson's own life and career. The book also has the feel of a lecture/talk that was given and transcribed (not that is a bad thing). I imagine this would make a fascinating audiobook, especially if Mr. Jackson was the one reading it. In between some chapters is what I call "bonus material." This bonus material are poems that Mr. Jackson has written. Anyone who says that actors lack a brain just need to read this poetry to see that couldn't be further from the truth. The account of St. Genesius of Rome was the perfect way to end this book. So whether you are an artist or a Christian, or just one looking to understand how the two converge, I recommend this book.
December 9, 2014
"Beauty will save the world." With these words,
Dostoyevsky shed profound light on the human soul. In stark contrast to what is commonly understood as art, Jonathan Jackson contends that the true art can only be achieved through humility and self-emptying. He states that art can have a true light, which is Christ and leads to love, or a false light, which ultimately leads to obsession and emptiness. This is stunningly applicable to the canvas of our own self: "see to it that the light inside of you is not darkness, Luke 11:35."
His portrayal of acting as a living prayer for world is staggering; interspersed throughout the book he speaks of his own experience in this kind of prayer.
Obliquely calling beauty as an invitation-to-relation, as does Christos Yannaras in his "Relational Ontology", Jackson also maintains that true art does not have to be preachy. In this sense, he obliterates the false assumption of fundamentalism that often decentralized beauty for the sake of an overt attempt to proselytize. And for this reason, Jackson calls back those who have seen the emptiness of such "Christian pop-culture" to the beauty of true art and Orthodox Christianity.
This book was superb. More often than not I found myself enthralled with Jackson's ability to write single, supercharged sentences that led me to an "aha!" moment. As an artist who has attempted to navigate the the bad art of "trendy Christianity" for my entire life, finally finding a home in Eastern Orthodoxy a year or so ago, I found this book extremely profound. I would highly recommend it. Full review to come on www.BenCabe.com
Dostoyevsky shed profound light on the human soul. In stark contrast to what is commonly understood as art, Jonathan Jackson contends that the true art can only be achieved through humility and self-emptying. He states that art can have a true light, which is Christ and leads to love, or a false light, which ultimately leads to obsession and emptiness. This is stunningly applicable to the canvas of our own self: "see to it that the light inside of you is not darkness, Luke 11:35."
His portrayal of acting as a living prayer for world is staggering; interspersed throughout the book he speaks of his own experience in this kind of prayer.
Obliquely calling beauty as an invitation-to-relation, as does Christos Yannaras in his "Relational Ontology", Jackson also maintains that true art does not have to be preachy. In this sense, he obliterates the false assumption of fundamentalism that often decentralized beauty for the sake of an overt attempt to proselytize. And for this reason, Jackson calls back those who have seen the emptiness of such "Christian pop-culture" to the beauty of true art and Orthodox Christianity.
This book was superb. More often than not I found myself enthralled with Jackson's ability to write single, supercharged sentences that led me to an "aha!" moment. As an artist who has attempted to navigate the the bad art of "trendy Christianity" for my entire life, finally finding a home in Eastern Orthodoxy a year or so ago, I found this book extremely profound. I would highly recommend it. Full review to come on www.BenCabe.com
November 13, 2021
I never realized that this book had been published seven years ago. It is a delightful read, impressionistic, conversational and also profound. It combines analysis with experience and delineates for the Orthodox artist a pathway for discipline and creativity. I cannot more highly recommend it. And I will be rereading it.
January 7, 2018
While I didn't really connect with this book (it felt rather cold and impersonal to me), I loved this:
"[Fear of the arts in the Christian faith]... not only produces bad art, it hinders many great artists from embracing Christianity. Why would an artist embrace a religion that teaches him to be suspicious of beauty? From this perspective, all values, aspirations, aesthetic beauty, and emotional honesty are set aside. Art is reduced to its message."
"[Fear of the arts in the Christian faith]... not only produces bad art, it hinders many great artists from embracing Christianity. Why would an artist embrace a religion that teaches him to be suspicious of beauty? From this perspective, all values, aspirations, aesthetic beauty, and emotional honesty are set aside. Art is reduced to its message."
February 22, 2024
I didn't really know what to expect with this book. I was surprised by the depth and beauty of this theology of art (even though I didn't agree with some of the author's conclusions). My favorite topics in the book were intercessory prayer, humility, meditating on Jesus' questions in the gospels, the importance of being centered and secure in Christ, and art as redemptive parables...those are chapters that will always stick with me. This book helped to transform the way I think about vocation, and caused me to think of some familiar topics from a new perspective.
June 14, 2021
Art and co-creation
A beautiful, timeless exploration of the artist as seeker. Van Gogh once said: "I want to console, as music does". Jonathan Jackson's writing profoundly consoles and uplifts the reader. A moving, timeless, and challenging work.
A beautiful, timeless exploration of the artist as seeker. Van Gogh once said: "I want to console, as music does". Jonathan Jackson's writing profoundly consoles and uplifts the reader. A moving, timeless, and challenging work.
August 8, 2022
This book has made me so proud to be an artist, and confirmed so many of my beliefs and views of art that I thought were “unconventional”, even in my fellow Christian circles. An enlightening and moving read.
June 12, 2019
A really good book with an invitation to deep questions about the nature of art and the role of the artist within society. I'd rate it 3.5 stars only because I didn't find any new info in it.
June 8, 2020
A book full of sentiments that you should definitely read if you are searching for the Truth.
February 8, 2015
This is a beautiful, poetic and profound treatise on the spirituality of the creative process. This surprisingly eloquent and thoughtful read has the depth of the Monks of Mt. Athos, and the enthusiasm of an adoring lover. I highly recommend it.
May 31, 2016
Jackson blends art with the spiritual life in a beautiful way. As an Orthodox Christian, he shares my own faith practices and I loved reading about his work as a musician, actor (on the hit show "Nashville") and how he holds onto himself spiritually.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews