Recipes and Recommendations for Imbibing Beauty through Books and Beverages
By Annie Nardone
Reading good literature should be a daily event. Carving out a set time and place to read soon becomes a wonderful habit, no less than necessary food for the mind. In the following collection I am including literary recommendations (“The Pages”) accompanied by a beverage (“Pints, and Pours”) with which to pair them. Each recipe aligns with the author’s era and art in some way.
THE PAGES: Art and the Bible by Francis Schaeffer
“The Christian is the one whose imagination should fly beyond the stars.”
— Francis Schaeffer [1]
I used to live near Holy Cross Abbey of the Cistercian order in Virginia. Many times, this peaceful place was my media free, day-long retreat from the commotion of big city life. I’d pack a tote with paper, pen, Bible, and one book. Francis Schaeffer’s Art and the Bible was my first and best monastery companion. I sat in the silent abbey chapel for hours, asking God for direction in my writing, while reading Schaeffer’s essay. I read the entire text that day, underlining each biblical example of God’s orders to create beauty. Here were the words confirming that the act of making to glorify God is transcendent and good. Whether the piece is painting, poetry, or music, the work is an act of worship when offered back to the One who inspired it. Creating is a joy, a gift, and a holy calling on our lives.
What role do the visual and performing arts play in the Christian life? Schaeffer believes that “if Christianity is really true, it involves the whole man, his intellect and his creativeness.”[2] This book opened my imagination to the direct connection between God’s act of creating and the instructions He gave for creating the tabernacle. Schaeffer’s message is that art is integral to the Christian life. Art and the Bible is a mission statement directing us to create beauty because God first imagined it and called it forth, giving specific instructions in scripture. God told His people to craft representational art and mandated specific designs to Moses for the ark and temple: to craft almond blossom cups, branch detailing, blue pomegranates, and delicate lamps out of pure gold.[3] God instructed Solomon to adorn His house with precious stones and gold.[4] It is our call to create beauty according to our giftedness.
Art and the Bible is Schaeffer’s standout work, an excellent text on his Christian perspective of making, establishing the arts as foundationally important in the life and worship of the Church.
Schaeffer was the founder of L’Abri Fellowship in Switzerland. As a nod to Swiss chocolate, I have the perfect pairing for your reading.
PINTS AND POURS
Homemade Hot Cocoa
1 quart whole milk (or dairy substitute)
1/4 cup cocoa powder (I like dark cocoa)
1/4 cup sugar, to taste
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
Pour milk into a heavy saucepan and warm at a low setting. Whisk in cocoa powder, sugar, and a teaspoon of real vanilla extract. Simmer and stir for 10 minutes. Pour into cups and top with whipped cream.
You can elevate your cocoa with chocolate shavings and a splash of peppermint schnapps, Kahlua, or Frangelico.
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Annie Nardone is a lifelong bibliophile with a special devotion to the Inklings and medieval authors. She is a Fellow with the C.S. Lewis Institute and holds an M.A. in Cultural Apologetics from Houston Christian University. Annie is a writer for Cultivating Oaks Press and An Unexpected Journal. Her writing can also be found at Square Halo Press, Rabbit Room Press, Clarendon Press U.K., Calla Press, and Poetica. Annie is a Master Teacher with HSLDA and Kepler Education and strives to help her students see holiness in everyday life and art. She lives in Florida with her husband and six cats, appreciates the perfect cup of tea, an expansive library, and the beach with family.
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[1] Francis Schaeffer, Art and the Bible (Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 2006), 91.
[2] Ibid., 16.
[3] Exodus 25, ESV.
[4] 2 Chronicles 3, ESV.
