IDENTITY
In a culture where
everyone is trying to be good
and truth is relative
it is beauty that is the apologetic.
WHO WE ARE
We aim to renew the artist’s perspective of making so as to create not for self expression alone but to embody transcendence in their work. We strive for that work to point to the source of all beauty, carrying the transforming message of the gospel of Jesus Christ in the 21st century.
WHAT WE BELIEVE
Creation
God has instilled within each person his creative Imago Dei. As we are regenerated and accept our identities as co-laborers with Christ, we become ever more responsible to answer the call to join God in the renewal of all things in which we find fulfillment. We believe this is done most impactfully by the act of making and embodying beauty through the works of our hands and the lives that we live.
Communion
We are not alone in the story of redemption. We believe that art and creativity are not a means of exclusive self expression but rather an aspect of the magnificent manifesto of the Christian faith that was begun before our time and will continue for generations to come. We believe that the birthplace of transcendent art is a heart that is in intimate communion with the creator. We also believe that as a community of artists, bent on the same vision of renewal, we can accomplish more by partnering together with the Holy Spirit, than being siloed and separated from others. Community, whether physically embedded or spiritually bonded, is a vital part in ushering the kingdom of heaven.
Conviction
Everyone has an ethical code they hold to and live their lives by. Whether that be under a religious or non religious umbrella, overarching frameworks guard the borders of what we deem good, true and beautiful. As an organization, we hold to an orthodox view of Christianity, agreeing with doctrinal statements such as the Nicene Creed, The Apostles Creed and the Langham Partnership. We believe that artists should be on the front lines of evangelism and that consequently the impetus is on the church to form artists in rich theology so as to not be”tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching…”(Eph 4:14). This is where Parallel Society longs to make its presence known, by coming alongside the local church and helping with this pressing need.
Commission
We believe that In a secular, post-Christian culture like ours, the demographic with the most potency and potential for effective evangelism is the artistic community. It is because of this reason that we strive to reinform and cause a reimagination to the framework that artists create from, to shift from “directionless” to “directional,” as the trajectory of their work shifts from self and/or a horizontal to a vertical end goal. With a directional framework of creativity, art moves from cliché and powerless “faith based work” to embodying true beauty which points back to a powerful God. We long to see Christians walk in their God given identities as creatives, whether vocational or not, to create beauty that compels the human heart towards the divine.