Iconoclasts ... blase?

A quick note from the road ....

I've been making my way through Iconoclast by Gregory Berns. I've always been fascinated by the idea of iconoclasm, ever since Professor John Wortley taught me about the infamous Byzantine controversy in his medieval history class. Iconoclasts are image-breakers, a reference in the middle ages to smashing or removing the supposedly blasphemous images of Christ on paintings, coins, etc. Today, Gregory Berns describes iconoclasts in more appealing terms as "a person who does something that others say can't be done".

The driving concept of my doctoral work is iconoclash. Iconoclash is the idea of taking two opposing images/ideas and bringing them together in ways everyone else thinks is impossible. Rock 'n' Roll Preacher is my take on iconoclash, and the unique contrast generated by bringing rock 'n' roll and religion together gives new meaning and dimension to both terms. Music fans love discussing religion. Religious people need to talk about music. You can't really understand rock 'n' roll or religion unless you understand both.

I've been reading Andy Crouch's Culture Making, which is a call for Christians to stop trashing and bashing culture and start cultivating it instead. Right-wing (and left-wing) Christians are notorious iconoclasts - they're infamous for complaining about cultural trends. Maybe they should give up the iconoclast role and embrace iconoclash. Iconclash is the challenge to create something different -- to be constructive instead of destructive. It's Crouch's idea of cultivating culture. Shouldn't be hard for people who believe they're made in the image of a creator.