A Category for Craftsmanship: Seeing the Good, the True, and the Beautiful
Craftsmanship has fallen on hard times. Prior to the Industrial Revolution in the late 19th century, many in both Europe and the colonies were considered to be craftsmen, those committed to a certain skill or trade that requires precision and specialization. Whether farming, blacksmithing, cobbling, or woodworking, men and women worked hard to develop certain skills that met a community need and provided a living for their families. These were people of craft; people of trade. As I’ll parse out later, my working definition of craftsmanship is working hard to create good things for the glory of God.
Because of the work ethic ingrained in the Protestant Reformation that swept Europe in the 16th century and came to be the dominant worldview of so many in working-class Europe and early America, many craftsman saw their work as a calling, truly a vocation. Work was to be done to the glory of God alone, as all life was to be lived for God’s glory. Even in secular crafts, the Christian worker was thought to be called to a vocation. Martin Luther, that venerable Reformer once quipped: “The Christian shoemaker does his duty not by putting little crosses on the shoes, but by making good shoes, because God is interested in good craftsmanship.” The Reformers had a category for craftsmanship that included working hard to create good things for the glory of God.
Back to my opening statement: craftsmanship had fallen on hard times. As the Industrial Revolution rolled in and with it mass production, assembly lines, and new technologies, the role and prominence of craftsmanship rolled out. Gone were the blacksmiths, cobblers, and masons, alongside the guilds that held them together and the tinkers that helped them out. This short piece is not to be taken as a diatribe against the Industrial Revolution. I am thankful for the advances in technology that have allowed the nation to expand financially, produce more goods, provide more jobs, and become a more attractive land. One negative of the Industrial Revolution, however, is the falling-away of skilled craftsmanship.
The shift away from craftsmanship is one of the great shifts in history. This shift saw work becoming simply that: Work. No longer did people learn a skill or craft because they were called to. Instead, people worked to make money and have a job. And, of course, there is a theological side to all of this.
In Eden, Adam is given a job. Adam’s was called by God to name the animals (Gen 2:19-20). An important note is that God called Adam to work before the Fall. Sin had not yet entered the world when God assigned Adam a vocation. Therefore, be it known that work is not a product of the Fall. Work is significantly harder because of the Fall, but work in and of itself is not sinful. Moving forward to the idea of craftsmanship, more specifically, let us focus for a brief moment on two lesser known Old Testament characters: Bezalel and Oholiab.
“The LORD said to Moses, “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft. And behold, I have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan” (Exodus 31:1-6 ESV).
In the recounting of the design and building of the Tabernacle, Bezalel was called by name by the LORD himself. Bezalel’s job was to design and oversee the building of the Tabernacle, yes, but his vocation was a calling from God. He was subsequently filled with the Holy Spirit, and had gifts that allowed him to complete the task. Even his helper, or apprentice, Oholiab, was divinely appointed in this calling.
The craftsmen of Israel then designed a portable house for the LORD, which he would fill with his glory. The Tabernacle, as well as the subsequent Temple built by Solomon, displayed different imagery that was to remind worshipers of the LORD and his covenant with his people. The buildings were constructed with intricate details and beautiful colors of red, blue, and purple, ornamented with silver, gold, and other precious metals. Even the garments of the High Priest were of the finest quality and craftsmanship. In the example of the Tabernacle, the Temple, and the priestly garments, God’s love for craftsmanship and excellence are on full display.
Even in the New Testament, Jesus worked in his father’s carpentry shop and Paul worked for a time as a tent-maker. Both carpentry and tent-making were crafts that required a specific skill-set to create quality goods.
By examining these examples from the Old and New Testaments, we see that God is concerned with and enjoys craftsmanship. In Ephesians 2:10, even Christians are referred to as “God’s workmanship,” or “God’s craftsmanship.” God is molding and crafting his people into obedient, God-glorifying Christ-followers who embody and do good works.
God is a craftsman, and is the Master Craftsman. He builds sinful, selfish people into those who are concerned with others and the glory of God. God, through the power of the Word and Spirit, is making us into a people who are good, true, and beautiful, because God himself embodies the good, the true, and the beautiful. He shapes us and he fashions us often through the regular means of grace week after week in corporate worship. God’s craftsmanship is rooted in the good, the true, and the beautiful. As the Father of all creativity, and the Proto-Craftsman, all creativity, in a way, points back to God.
As noted several times in this article, craftsmanship is working hard to create good things for the glory of God. Craftsmanship—whether it’s carving chess pieces, hobby farming, baking bread, or embroidery—is a visible expression of the good, the true, and the beautiful. By their creating and craftsmanship, we can have a tangible sense of those three transcendentals.
So take up the hobby. Display what you’ve made, for if what you’ve made was made to glorify God, it is good, true, and beautiful. Work hard for the glory of God, and if God has called you to be a craftsman, pursue it!
Thankfully, in the last few years, we’ve seen a resurgence in craftsmanship. Call millenials what you will—and we’ve been called a lot of things—but they’ve led the way in the craftsmanship comeback. Thanks to popular websites like Etsy and Instagram and a newfound emphasis in “shopping local,” a new wave of craftsmen have a larger stage than ever, even if virtual. We can and should support these different pursuits by encouraging our brothers and sisters in Christ who are creating good things for the glory of God. They are creating the good, the true, and the beautiful in a world that needs all the God-centered goodness, truth, and beauty that it can get.