The History of Art
The Spiritual Decline of Western Art and The Majesty Project’s Call for Restoration
The decline of Western art from the Renaissance masters to modern abstraction is not merely a shift in artistic trends—it is a spiritual collapse, a reflection of a culture that has turned its back on God. As faith diminished, so did the pursuit of beauty, truth, and excellence in artistic creation. What once served as a sacred expression of divine order has been reduced to self-indulgence, relativism, and even nihilism.
This artistic decline mirrors the spiritual decline of the West—a fall from worshiping the Creator to worshiping the self. Instead of reflecting the majesty of God, modern and contemporary art revel in chaos, shock, and personal identity politics, rejecting objective beauty in favor of an art world that prizes self-expression over skill, deconstruction over creation, and provocation over transcendence.
The Majesty Project stands in opposition to this decline. It seeks to restore art to its rightful place as a means of glorifying God, uplifting communities, and revealing divine truth through craftsmanship, beauty, and excellence.
In The Beginning: Beauty, Order, and Creation belong to God
The Bible clearly shows that God loves creation, beauty, and order, for He is the Master Artist who fashioned the universe with precision and purpose. From Genesis, where He calls creation “very good” (Genesis 1:31), to the intricate design of the Tabernacle and Temple (Exodus 31:1-5), Scripture affirms that beauty reflects His nature. Psalm 19:1 declares, “The heavens declare the glory of God,” revealing creation as a testimony to His majesty. God is a God of order, not chaos (1 Corinthians 14:33), filling Bezalel with His Spirit to craft sacred works (Exodus 35:30-35). Revelation 21 describes the New Jerusalem adorned with gold and jewels, emphasizing that beauty is woven into God’s kingdom. Art and creation are divine reflections of the Creator Himself—meant to inspire worship, reveal truth, and draw people closer to Him.
The Renaissance: Art as a Reflection of God’s Glory
During the Renaissance (14th–17th century), art was seen as a sacred calling, a way to reflect the majesty of God’s creation. Artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael sought not just to imitate nature but to reveal the divine order within it. Their work displayed harmony, precision, and beauty—values deeply rooted in the belief that creation itself was imbued with God’s design.
Raphael's Disputation of the Holy Sacrement
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Art was an act of worship – Churches were adorned with masterpieces that lifted the soul toward heaven.
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Truth was absolute – Perspective, light, and proportion were meticulously studied to reflect divine reality.
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Skill was seen as a gift from God – Mastery of form and technique was a discipline of reverence.
The grandeur of Sistine Chapel, the depth of Da Vinci’s Last Supper, and the grace of Raphael’s Madonnas were all testaments to the idea that art should elevate, inspire, and point toward the eternal.
Friedrich's Abbey In the Oakwood
The Enlightenment and Romanticism: Man Replaces God
The shift away from Christian faith began during the Enlightenment (17th–18th century). As reason, science, and humanism took precedence, the focus of art gradually moved from divine order to individual perception.
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Neoclassical art still upheld ideals of order and beauty but with a growing emphasis on human achievement rather than God’s glory.
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Romanticism placed personal experience, emotion, and nature at the center of artistic vision. While still skillful, it signaled a growing shift away from biblical themes, replacing them with personal spiritualism.
Artists such as Caspar David Friedrich and William Blake sought the spiritual, but outside the framework of Christianity. Man’s emotions, rather than God’s truth, became the center of focus. The Majesty Project recognizes that this shift marked the beginning of art’s departure from its divine purpose.
Modernism: The Rejection of Truth and Beauty
By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, modernist movements openly rejected objective truth, beauty, and meaning. The words of Friedrich Nietzsche—"God is dead"—became a prophecy for the art world’s rejection of order and excellence.
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Cubism (Picasso, Braque) fractured form, disregarding realism and divine order.
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Dadaism (Duchamp, Schwitters) mocked artistic tradition, replacing craftsmanship with absurdity.
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Surrealism (Dalí, Magritte) embraced the subconscious and irrational, moving further from any external truth.
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Abstract Expressionism (Pollock, Rothko) abandoned form altogether, embracing chaos and raw emotion over skill.
Art was no longer a reflection of divine beauty but a rebellion against it. This was not an accident—it was a spiritual rejection of God as the foundation of beauty and order. Without God, art had no center. It became a reflection of confusion, brokenness, and existential despair.
The Majesty Project believes that art should inspire and elevate, not degrade and distort. The chaos of modernism reflects a world lost without Christ, and it is time to restore art to its true purpose—to glorify God and bring His majesty to all people.
Picasso's Dora Maar in an Armchair
Postmodernism: The Worship of the Self
By the late 20th and 21st centuries, art had fallen into complete relativism and self-worship. Postmodern art celebrates meaninglessness, irony, and the deconstruction of beauty. Instead of uplifting people, it seeks to shock, divide, and provoke.
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Skill is dismissed as elitist or outdated.
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Beauty is rejected in favor of political or personal agendas.
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Truth is abandoned in favor of subjective “interpretation.”
We now live in a world where a banana taped to a wall (Maurizio Cattelan’s Comedian) or a blank canvas (Jens Haaning’s Take the Money and Run) are considered art. This is the natural consequence of a culture that has removed God from its foundation.
Maurizio Cattelan’s Comedian
Jens Haaning’s Take the Money and Run
The Majesty Project: Restoring Art to Its Divine Purpose
The Majesty Project exists to reclaim art as a sacred calling—a means of worship, a tool for evangelism, and a way to uplift communities through beauty and craftsmanship. Just as Renaissance artists saw their talent as a God-given mission, The Majesty Project encourages artists to create works that reflect God’s truth, inspire the human spirit, and restore beauty to a broken world.
To combat the spiritual decay of the art world, The Majesty Project promotes:
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A return to craftsmanship – Skill and discipline should be valued as a reflection of God’s excellence.
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A restoration of beauty – Art should uplift, inspire, and draw people closer to the divine.
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A rejection of relativism – Truth exists, and art should point to it.
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A focus on community transformation – Art should bring light to darkness, particularly in at-risk communities.
Through this vision, The Majesty Project seeks to revive the lost grandeur of Christian art—not as a relic of the past, but as a living testimony of God's majesty today, bringing it to at-risk communities around the U.S.
Allison Bryant's Lion Of Judah
Conclusion: A Call to Christian Artists
Western art’s decline mirrors the spiritual decline of the culture. As faith in God eroded, so did art’s pursuit of beauty, excellence, and truth. But this collapse is not irreversible. Just as the Renaissance was a period of renewal in the wake of darkness, The Majesty Project calls on Christian artists to bring about a new artistic revival—one that glorifies God and restores the divine purpose of art.
It is time for Christian artists to reject the culture of mediocrity, relativism, and self-worship and instead create with purpose, excellence, and reverence. Art should once again declare the majesty of God and transform lives through its truth.
JOIN US
The Majesty Project invites artists to reclaim their craft as a sacred calling—to create works that glorify God, inspire communities, and restore beauty to a culture in decline. In a world that has abandoned excellence for mediocrity and truth for relativism, we seek to honor the Creator through skill, craftsmanship, and divine purpose. If you long to use your art to uplift souls, reflect God’s majesty, and transform hearts, join us in this movement. Let’s bring back art that reveals the glory of God and restores the lost beauty of our culture.