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As long as we do not treat any of these images as exhaustive representations of God or as objects of spiritual power in themselves, such that we cherish and yearn for them for their own sake, we may receive them with thanksgiving as a gift from the Creator of all creators. Let this be an invitation.

Adrienne Dengerink Chaplin teaches philosophical aesthetics at the Institute for Christian Studies in Toronto.

Copyright © 2006 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Passages mentioned in this article are available on this BibleGateway page.

Other Christianity Today articles on the power of images and worship include:

Reformed Protestants No Longer See Images as Idolatrous | The visual and the word go hand in hand as some pastors see possibility in connecting pictures with worship. (Dec. 6, 2004)

Grave Images | The photos from Abu Ghraib have reopened debate on the power of pictures. (June 21, 2004)

Wholly, Wholly, Wholly | Calvinists and conga drums in Grand Rapids: a report from the seventeenth annual Calvin Symposium on Worship and the Arts. (Feb. 02, 2004)

Image Is Everything | The Taliban's destruction of Buddhist statues is only the latest controversy over the Second Commandment. (April 6, 2001)

Earlier Good Question columns include:

The Gospel of Jesus Christ: An Evangelical Celebration" states that sincere worshipers of other religions will not be saved—does that also refer to Moses and other Old Testament faithful?

Christ commanded us not to judge others, but aren't there times when common sense or prudence requires it?

Why should church buildings get so much of the financial, physical, and social attention that is rightly due to the needs of Christians and others?

Where is heaven, and how will we experience it before the final resurrection?

Can I forgive those who have betrayed me if they are not repentant?

Are all sins weighed equally, or is one more important than another?

Why is the church against euthanasia in instances where people are in terrible pain?

What harm is there in achieving a higher state of consciousness through meditation?

Will we be vegetarians in the new heaven and earth as Adam and Eve were before the Fall?

Why doesn't God cure everyone who prays fervently for healing?

Does God need our help, love, and praise?

Are some people lost "just a little bit" in the same way that others are saved "only as through fire"?

Is Jesus Incarnate Forever?

What does Genesis mean by man being made in the image of God?

What's the difference between Christ's kingdom and paradise?

Is every believer guaranteed at least one spiritual gift?

What role does baptism play in faith and salvation?

How is it that not all prayers for the salvation of others are answered?

If God is in us, shouldn't it be easier to love one another?

What do we gain from a bodily resurrection?

What is the difference between the brain and the soul?

How can I reconcile my belief in the inerrancy of Scripture with comments in Bible translations that state that a particular verse is not 'in better manuscripts'?

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May 2006, Vol. 50, No. 5