Add To Cart
or checkout with
or checkout with
Title: The Opposite of Art By: Athol Dickson Format: Paperback Number of Pages: 384 Vendor: Howard Books Publication Date: 2011 | Dimensions: 8.44 X 5.50 (inches) Weight: 13 ounces ISBN: 1416583483 ISBN-13: 9781416583486 Stock No: WW583486 |
After a near-death experience reveals to him something he calls "the Glory," master painter Sheridan Ridler spends his life trying to find it again. As he travels, searching for a worldview that can give him answers, he slowly comes to grips with his own selfishness and acknowledges that the glory of God is greater than he can paint.
In describing Ridler's journey, Dickson does not shy away from portraying the dark points of humanity. People are beaten, bombs go off, innocence is lost, and all the brokenness of the world is revealed in full force. However, these conditions and circumstances arent dwelt on as the point of the story; they are the shadows that contrast with the highlights in the painting. Different world religions get a compelling look from an artist's perspective. In the end, Ridler's redemption is the picture that sends another lost soul searching.
Dickson has created a beautifully wrought story. It is majestic as art is majestic, with light and shadows coming together to create a unified image. It also shows truth as art tells truth to some, it will be picture of the wonder of God, but to others, it will miss the mark. The story ends on such an abstract note that some people will be unsatisfied with the picture they've been painted. Ridler's soul searching continually points him to the higher glory of God, but Christianity as we know it isnt definitively described. That does not mean it is not there to be found, but some will be disappointed with the ambiguity.
The Opposite of Art is an intriguing story, its light and darkness together forming a picture that reflects truth but only as art reflects truth. The reader is left in many ways to draw his or her own conclusions. This book isn't for children, but I personally enjoyed its almost fantastical storytelling and its portraits of people and places that solidly reflect the problems with the world's attempts to construct God. Ridler's search represents the world's need for Him, and it echoes Moses' words in Exodus 33:18: "And he said, 'Please, show me Your glory.'" Kacey Heinlein, www.ChristianBookPreviews.com
What would you like to know about this product? Please enter your name, your email and your question regarding the product in the fields below, and we'll answer you in the next 24-48 hours.
If you need immediate assistance regarding this product or any other, please call 1-800-CHRISTIAN to speak directly with a customer service representative.