I cannot remember the last time I bought a Christian t-shirt. I really don’t know or understand why we have Christian t-shirt’s to begin with. So when I saw that Monergism was having a t-shirt contest, my mind was immediately directed to high level of cheese at the Christian clothing racks at your local
bookstore novelty shop (for examples, go here, here, and here). However, when I saw the finalists, I was pleasantly surprised the the artwork done. Given that I am more a t-shirt and jeans kind of guy, I could use another t-shirt or two. So how did the contest turn out? Go here for the t-shirt finalists, and this was the winning design:
This was actually my favorite of the bunch too, but the small text is a little hard to read (perhaps the life size is bigger). I have thought a little this morning about the praiseworthiness and profitability of Christian t-shirts. Often they are false advertisements; other times they are superficial substitutes. In light of those thoughts, my mind was led to a song that Derek Webb wrote a few years back. It is called “T-Shirts (What We Are Known For).”
they’ll know us by the t-shirts that we wear
they’ll know us by the way we point and stare
at anyone whose sin looks worse than ours
who cannot hide the scars of this curse that we all bare
they’ll know us by our picket lines and signs
they’ll know us by the pride we hide behind
like anyone on earth is living right
and isn’t that why Jesus died
not to make us think we’re right
when love, love, love
is what we should be known for
love, love, love
it’s the how and it’s the why
we live and breathe and we die
they’ll know us by reasons we divide
and how we can’t seem to unify
because we’ve gotta sing songs a certain style
or we’ll walk right down that aisle
and just leave ‘em all behind
they’ll know us by the billboards that we make
just turning God’s words to cheap clichés
says “what part of murder don’t you understand?”
but we hate our fellow man
and point a finger at his grave
they’ll know us by the t-shirts that we wear
they’ll know us by the way we point and stare
telling ‘em their sins are worse than ours
thinking we can hide our scars
beneath these t-shirts that we wear
So what do you think about Christian t-shirts? If someone asked you to give a theology of t-shirts, what would you tell them?
I read the first few lines of this post via my bloglines list so the graphics were not available. Would you believe that the “bad t-shirt example” that immediately jumped to MY mind was the very one you featured, “Pick Jesus”–I cracked up when I clicked over to your actual blog to see the whole post!!!
I’ve run hot and cold over the years on Xian t-shirts. My first encounter was at the CBA (Xian Booksellers Assoc.) convention in Atlanta, GA in 1988. The vendor booth next to our vendor booth (my husband worked for a Xian publisher) was a couple of very young hip/cool guys who had come up with some pretty colorful and humorous t-shirts, still I was disturbed by a good number of them–they gave me one which I graciously accepted and wore a few times, mostly over my swimsuit to and from the pool!
In recent years, I’ve been less and less impressed with what is available, cause as you said, much of it is “false advertising”. I can appreciate the solid and accurate ones, but the fluffy and gimmickie far out-number the good. Thankfully, there are a FEW blogs/bloggers I’m familiar with who either sell or link to some quality “Xian” t-shirts.
lol
I still prefer the “get stoned like Paul” T-shirt
http://www.christianshirts.net/designs.php?id=181
Isn’t it ironic that Derek Webb sells ‘Christian t-shirts’ on his website?
Is Monergism going to sell this T-shirt?
Very interesting, stuff. I like the one with Luther, especially.
Connie,
After having perused several websites this morning, I think you are right. There’s a decent one hidden in the midst of a bunch of embarrassing ones, but I still am wary of the whole Christian t-shirt business. It has done much to perpetuate the Christian subculture/ghetto in which our deepest cultural engagement comes with loud and lousily designed apparel. I think we can and must do better than that.
Gavin,
Yes, Monergism is going to see the t-shirt, and they also mentioned that they are thinking about printing some of the other designs and selling them as well (at a later time).
Phillip,
Yeah, that is ironic (although I only found one design). I wonder if that was his idea.
Jeremy,
I must have missed that one! Man, that is really funny.
My impression of the long train of Christian T-shirts I’ve seen in my life? Embarrassing is one word. I’m all for clever, but I’ve rarely seen clever. I have long compared Christian t-shirts to wearable Christian bumper stickers, equally as embarrassing most of the time.
Let me ask this: what can Christians do to promote better artwork that is made by Christians? The area of Christians in the arts has been one that has suffered much neglect and repulsion, but I believe we should rethink this mindset…
I do like the winning design though! Might have to ponder getting one myself! 🙂
*Letitia*
Letitia,
There have been some attention given to the arts of late. There is also a prof here at SBTS writing a book on Christian aesthetics. Here are some that are out there that come to my mind:
Daniel Treier, ed.The Beauty of God: Theology and the Arts
Francis Schaeffer – Art and the Bible
Phil Ryken – Art for God’s Sake
Franky Schaeffer – Addicted to Mediocrity: Contemporary Christians and the Arts
Gene Edward Veith – State of the Arts
Steve Turner – Imagine: A Vision for Christians in the Arts
Nicholas Wolterstorff – Art in Action: Toward a Christian Aesthetic
William Dyrness – Visual Faith: Art, Theology, and Worship in Dialogue
Gesa Elsbeth Thiessen – Theological Aesthetics: A Reader
Frank Burch Brown – Good Taste, Bad Taste, and Christian Taste: Aesthetics in Religious Life
H. R. Rookmaaker – Modern Art and the Death of a Culture
There are some others out there, but if you are wanting to read up on theological aesthetics and relationship of theology and the arts, here’s a good launching point. 😉
there are no “christian t-shirts” on derek’s site.
only a t-shirt with the name of one of his albums.
Stephen,
Here’s the t-shirt I was referring to:
http://derekwebb.musiccitynetworks.com/index.htm?inc=80&prod_id=1184&sid=7015
Did you scroll over the one—“Jesus Christ Son of God”? It says, “…sure to cause controversy.” Great message for our teens. I actually did like the one—-“Don’t force your beliefs on me-unborn child.” Let’s just give kids cheap unbiblical t-shirts, and they’ll never care that we spend no time in our churches today discipling them and teaching them the Word of God.
Dan,
I have thought a lot about the images we are sending in our hyper-visual culture. I plan to write a series on this in a couple of weeks.
There are several dangers to this, not the least of which is that God looks on the heart, not upon the outer appearance of man. We can have the best messages on our t-shirts but the worst messages in our lives, the way we treat people, what we say, how we live, etc. Sometimes I think t-shirts are used to appease the consciences of Christians who know they should be doing more but don’t know how.
Biblical illiteracy and unfulfilled commitments to discipleship are on display in more ways that we realize. I suppose there might be a place for sound-byte theology, but the message and moreover the medium here are quite bad. Sooner or later we will learn that copying the culture does not equal engaging the culture.
Regardless of how the Christian T-shirt debate irons out, C.J. Mahaney is still my homeboy.
timmy,
that is the same t-shirt that i was referencing as well. the 3 cross logo on the front is from the album, “smasgf” as are the words on the back.
my response wasn’t meant to be snippy (though there is no way to discern “tone”, i know), i was just pointing out to the one who found “irony” on derek’s website that the t-shirt available isnt a “christian” t-shirt, it simply has the name and design of an album, like my old nirvana concert t-shirts do.
-stephen
I understand your point, Stephen, and I do think there is a difference, just as I think there is a difference wearing a t-shirt with SBTS’ logo on it.