Theological aesthetics is the interdisciplinary study of

theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing th ...

and

aesthetics Aesthetics, or esthetics, is a branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of beauty and taste, as well as the philosophy of art (its own area of philosophy that comes out of aesthetics). It examines aesthetic values, often expressed t ...

, and has been defined as being "concerned with questions about

God In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...

and issues in theology in the light of and perceived through sense knowledge (

sensation Sensation (psychology) refers to the processing of the senses by the sensory system. Sensation or sensations may also refer to: In arts and entertainment In literature * Sensation (fiction), a fiction writing mode * Sensation novel, a Briti ...

feeling Feelings are subjective self-contained phenomenal experiences. According to the ''APA Dictionary of Psychology'', a feeling is "a self-contained phenomenal experience"; and feelings are "subjective, evaluative, and independent of the sensation ...

imagination Imagination is the production or simulation of novel objects, sensations, and ideas in the mind without any immediate input of the senses. Stefan Szczelkun characterises it as the forming of experiences in one's mind, which can be re-creations ...

), through

beauty Beauty is commonly described as a feature of objects that makes these objects pleasurable to perceive. Such objects include landscapes, sunsets, humans and works of art. Beauty, together with art and taste, is the main subject of aesthetics, o ...

, and

the arts The arts are a very wide range of human practices of creative expression, storytelling and cultural participation. They encompass multiple diverse and plural modes of thinking, doing and being, in an extremely broad range of media. Both ...

". This field of study is broad and includes not only a theology of beauty, but also the dialogue between theology and the arts, such as

dance Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoire ...

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has b ...

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmospher ...

literature Literature is any collection of Writing, written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to ...

music Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspe ...

poetry Poetry (derived from the Greek '' poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meani ...

, and the

visual arts The visual arts are art forms such as painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, photography, video, filmmaking, design, crafts and architecture. Many artistic disciplines such as performing arts, conceptual art, and textile art ...

. Notable theologians and philosophers that have dealt with this subject include

Augustine of Hippo Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Afr ...

Thomas Aquinas Thomas Aquinas, Dominican Order, OP (; it, Tommaso d'Aquino, lit=Thomas of Aquino, Italy, Aquino; 1225 – 7 March 1274) was an Italian Dominican Order, Dominican friar and Catholic priest, priest who was an influential List of Catholic philo ...

Martin Luther Martin Luther (; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, and professor, and Augustinian friar. He is the seminal figure of the Protestant Reformation and the namesake of Lutherani ...

, Jonathan Edwards,

Søren Kierkegaard Søren Aabye Kierkegaard ( , , ; 5 May 1813 – 11 November 1855) was a Danish theologian, philosopher, poet, social critic, and religious author who is widely considered to be the first existentialist philosopher. He wrote critical texts on ...

Karl Barth Karl Barth (; ; – ) was a Swiss Calvinist theologian. Barth is best known for his commentary '' The Epistle to the Romans'', his involvement in the Confessing Church, including his authorship (except for a single phrase) of the Barmen Declar ...

Hans Urs von Balthasar Hans Urs von Balthasar (12 August 1905 – 26 June 1988) was a Swiss theologian and Catholic priest who is considered an important Catholic theologian of the 20th century. He was announced as his choice to become a cardinal by Pope John Paul II, b ...

, and

David Bentley Hart David Bentley Hart (born 1965) is a writer, philosopher, religious studies scholar, critic, and theologian with academic works published on a wide range of topics including Christian metaphysics, philosophy of mind, classics, Asian languages, and ...

among others. Theological aesthetics has recently seen rapid growth as a subject for discussions, publications, and advanced academic studies.

Aesthetics in Christian theology

The early church

Theological writings during the period of the early Christian church which deal with aesthetics span from circa 160 to c. 650 and include writings by

Justin Martyr Justin Martyr ( el, Ἰουστῖνος ὁ μάρτυς, Ioustinos ho martys; c. AD 100 – c. AD 165), also known as Justin the Philosopher, was an early Christian apologist and philosopher. Most of his works are lost, but two apologies and ...

Irenaeus Irenaeus (; grc-gre, Εἰρηναῖος ''Eirēnaios''; c. 130 – c. 202 AD) was a Greek bishop noted for his role in guiding and expanding Christian communities in the southern regions of present-day France and, more widely, for the de ...

Origen Origen of Alexandria, ''Ōrigénēs''; Origen's Greek name ''Ōrigénēs'' () probably means "child of Horus" (from , "Horus", and , "born"). ( 185 – 253), also known as Origen Adamantius, was an early Christian scholar, ascetic, and the ...

Pseudo-Dionysius Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite (or Dionysius the Pseudo-Areopagite) was a Greek author, Christian theologian and Neoplatonic philosopher of the late 5th to early 6th century, who wrote a set of works known as the ''Corpus Areopagiticum' ...

Gregory of Nyssa Gregory of Nyssa, also known as Gregory Nyssen ( grc-gre, Γρηγόριος Νύσσης; c. 335 – c. 395), was Bishop of Nyssa in Cappadocia from 372 to 376 and from 378 until his death in 395. He is venerated as a saint in Catholicis ...

, and

Maximus the Confessor Maximus the Confessor ( el, Μάξιμος ὁ Ὁμολογητής), also spelt Maximos, otherwise known as Maximus the Theologian and Maximus of Constantinople ( – 13 August 662), was a Christian monk, theologian, and scholar. In his ea ...

, among others. Prevalent themes during this period included "the vision of God or of God's glory, the image of God in Christ and in us, and the concern with idol worship".Thiessen, p. 9.

The medieval church

During the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

, Western theologians such as

Anselm of Canterbury Anselm of Canterbury, OSB (; 1033/4–1109), also called ( it, Anselmo d'Aosta, link=no) after his birthplace and (french: Anselme du Bec, link=no) after his monastery, was an Italian Benedictine monk, abbot, philosopher and theologian of th ...

John Scotus Eriugena John Scotus Eriugena, also known as Johannes Scotus Erigena, John the Scot, or John the Irish-born ( – c. 877) was an Irish Neoplatonist philosopher, theologian and poet of the Early Middle Ages. Bertrand Russell dubbed him "the most ...

Bonaventure Bonaventure ( ; it, Bonaventura ; la, Bonaventura de Balneoregio; 1221 – 15 July 1274), born Giovanni di Fidanza, was an Italian Catholic Franciscan, bishop, cardinal, scholastic theologian and philosopher. The seventh Minister G ...

Nicholas of Cusa Nicholas of Cusa (1401 – 11 August 1464), also referred to as Nicholas of Kues and Nicolaus Cusanus (), was a German Catholic cardinal, philosopher, theologian, jurist, mathematician, and astronomer. One of the first German proponents of Re ...

, and

Bernard of Clairvaux Bernard of Clairvaux, O. Cist. ( la, Bernardus Claraevallensis; 109020 August 1153), venerated as Saint Bernard, was an abbot, mystic, co-founder of the Knights Templars, and a major leader in the reformation of the Benedictine Order through t ...

touched upon themes such as "the idea of beauty, the vision of God, the image of Christ, the

iconodule Iconodulism (also iconoduly or iconodulia) designates the religious service to icons (kissing and honourable veneration, incense, and candlelight). The term comes from Neoclassical Greek εἰκονόδουλος (''eikonodoulos'') (from el, ε ...

- iconoclast conflict, and the strong presence of personally grounded and poetic doxologies".Thiessen, p. 59.

The Reformation

Concerning aesthetics, the theologians of the 16th century

Protestant Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and i ...

(

Jean Calvin John Calvin (; frm, Jehan Cauvin; french: link=no, Jean Calvin ; 10 July 150927 May 1564) was a French theologian, pastor and reformer in Geneva during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system ...

, and

Huldrych Zwingli Huldrych or Ulrich Zwingli (1 January 1484 – 11 October 1531) was a leader of the Reformation in Switzerland, born during a time of emerging Swiss patriotism and increasing criticism of the Swiss mercenary system. He attended the Univ ...

) dealt primarily with "the theology of the image, in particular,

idolatry Idolatry is the worship of a cult image or "idol" as though it were God. In Abrahamic religions (namely Judaism, Samaritanism, Christianity, the Baháʼí Faith, and Islam) idolatry connotes the worship of something or someone other than the ...

and

iconoclasm Iconoclasm (from Greek: grc, εἰκών, lit=figure, icon, translit=eikṓn, label=none + grc, κλάω, lit=to break, translit=kláō, label=none)From grc, εἰκών + κλάω, lit=image-breaking. ''Iconoclasm'' may also be consid ...

".Thiessen, p. 125.

The 17th–19th centuries

Theological aesthetics increased in diversity during this period, with activity such as "the composition of

hymns A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' ...

Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

circles,

Edwards Edwards may refer to: People * Edwards (surname) * Edwards family, a prominent family from Chile * Edwards Barham (1937-2014), a former member of the Louisiana State Senate * Edwards Pierrepont (1817–1892), an American attorney, jurist, and or ...

' writing on beauty, the Romantic artists and intellectuals with their panentheist sensibilities,

Schleiermacher Friedrich Daniel Ernst Schleiermacher (; 21 November 1768 – 12 February 1834) was a German Reformed theologian, philosopher, and biblical scholar known for his attempt to reconcile the criticisms of the Enlightenment with traditional ...

's idea of religion as feeling and intuition, the decline of religious art, and the ground-breaking philosophical contributions of thinkers such as

Burke Burke is an Anglo-Normans, Anglo-Norman Monarchy of Ireland, Irish surname, deriving from the ancient Anglo-Normans, Anglo-Norman and Hiberno-Norman noble dynasty, the House of Burgh. In Ireland, the descendants of William de Burgh (–1206) had ...

, Baumgarten,

Kant Immanuel Kant (, , ; 22 April 1724 – 12 February 1804) was a German philosopher and one of the central Enlightenment thinkers. Born in Königsberg, Kant's comprehensive and systematic works in epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, and aest ...

and

Hegel Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (; ; 27 August 1770 – 14 November 1831) was a German philosopher. He is one of the most important figures in German idealism and one of the founding figures of modern Western philosophy. His influence extends a ...

."Thiessen, p. 159.

The 20th century

Some major themes which emerged and developed in the 20th century included the question of "how art can function as a source of and in theology"Thiessen, p. 204. ( Tillich, Rahner, Dillenberger), the question of "the art work as a shaper of meaning in today's culture"Thiessen, p. 205. ( Burch Brown,

Cox Cox may refer to: * Cox (surname), including people with the name Companies * Cox Enterprises, a media and communications company ** Cox Communications, cable provider ** Cox Media Group, a company that owns television and radio stations ** ...

, Küng), "the essential role of imagination in theology"Thiessen, p. 206. (

Lynch Lynch may refer to: Places Australia * Lynch Island, South Orkney Islands, Antarctica * Lynch Point, Marie Byrd Land, Antarctica * Lynch's Crater, Queensland, Australia England * River Lynch, Hertfordshire * The Lynch, an island in the Rive ...

McIntyre McIntyre, McEntire, MacIntyre, McAteer, and McIntire are Scottish and Irish surnames derived from the Gaelic ' literally meaning "Son of the Craftsman or Mason", but more commonly cited as "son of the Carpenter."Scottish Clans: MacIntyre - Origin o ...

Green Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by a combin ...

), and the beauty of God ( van der Leeuw, Barth, von Balthasar). Rookmaaker helpfully sought to provide a reformed Christian critique of art and aesthetics in the cultural and political upheavals of the 1960s in his book 'Modern Art and the Death of a Culture'.

Present day

Academic programs

Graduate studies

Andover Newton Theological School Andover Newton Theological School (ANTS) was a graduate school and seminary in Newton, Massachusetts. Affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA and the United Church of Christ. It was the product of a merger between Andover Theological ...

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Newton Centre Newton Centre is one of the thirteen villages within the city of Newton in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The main commercial center of Newton Centre is a triangular area surrounding the intersections of Beacon Street, Centre St ...

, MA ** Master of Arts in Theology and the Arts *

Dallas Theological Seminary Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS) is an evangelical theological seminary in Dallas, Texas. It is known for popularizing the theological system dispensationalism. DTS has campuses in Dallas, Houston, and Washington, D.C., as well as extension ca ...

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Dallas, TX Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County wi ...

** Master of Arts in Media and Communication ** Master of Theology with ministry track in Media and Communication *

Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology The Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology (DSPT) is a Catholic graduate school in Berkeley, California. It is a member of the interfaith Graduate Theological Union (GTU) and an affiliate of the University of California Berkeley. DSPT ...

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Berkeley, CA Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland and Emery ...

** Master of Arts in Art and Religion *

Duke Divinity School The Divinity School at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, is one of ten graduate or professional schools within Duke University. It is also one of thirteen seminaries founded and supported by the United Methodist Church. It has 39 regular ...

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, USA **Master of Divinity - Theology and the Arts course *

Fuller Theological Seminary Fuller Theological Seminary is an interdenominational Evangelical Christian seminary in Pasadena, California, with regional campuses in the western United States. It is egalitarian in nature. Fuller consistently has a student body that compr ...

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Pasadena, California Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial district. ...

, USA ** Master of Arts in Theology - Theology and the Arts Format ** Master of Arts in Worship, Theology, and the Arts *

Graduate Theological Union The Graduate Theological Union (GTU) is a consortium of eight private independent American theological schools and eleven centers and affiliates. Seven of the theological schools are located in Berkeley, California. The GTU was founded in 1962 ...

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** Master of Arts in Art and Religion *

Huron University College Huron University College is a university college affiliated with the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, Canada. Huron was incorporated on 5 May 1863 and the founding institution of the University of Western Ontario. It was est ...

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London, Ontario London (pronounced ) is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River, approximat ...

, Canada ** Master of Arts in Theology *

King's College London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public research university located in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of King George IV and the Duke of Wellington. In 1836, King's ...

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London, England London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major se ...

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Regent College Regent College is an interdenominational evangelical Christian College of Christian studies, and an affiliated college of the University of British Columbia, located next to the university's campus in the University Endowment Lands west of ...

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, British Columbia, Canada ** Master of Christian Studies (with an option for an arts thesis) *

Southern Baptist Theological Seminary The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS) is a Baptist theological institute in Louisville, Kentucky. It is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. The seminary was founded in 1859 in Greenville, South Carolina, where it was a ...

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Louisville, Kentucky Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...

, USA ** Master of Arts in Theology and Art

* Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York, Union Theological Seminarybr>
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New York, NY New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

** Master of Arts in Theology and the Arts *

United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities (United) is an ecumenical graduate school, historically rooted in the United Church of Christ and located in St. Paul, Minnesota. The school was formed in 1962 with the merger of Mission House Semin ...

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- New Brighton, MN ** Master of Arts in Theology and the Arts * Wesley Theological Seminarybr>
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Washington, DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morg ...

** Master of Divinity, Master of Theological Studies, and Master of Arts with Certificate in Theology and the Arts *

Yale Divinity School Yale Divinity School (YDS) is one of the twelve graduate and professional schools of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. Congregationalist theological education was the motivation at the founding of Yale, and the professional school has ...

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** Master of Arts in Religion concentrated in Religion and the Arts *

Yale Institute of Sacred Music The Yale Institute of Sacred Music (ISM) is a joint venture between the Yale School of Music and Yale Divinity School focused on the study of music, visual arts, literature, liturgy, and other forms of the arts. M.M., M.M.A., or D.MA. students in ...

**Master of Arts in Religion concentrated in Religion and the Arts

Postgraduate studies

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, USA **ThD Concentration in the Arts *

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, USA **PhD in Theology and Culture *

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, USA ** PhD in Art and Religion *

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Louisville, KY Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border. ...

, USA ** PhD in Christianity and the Art

*

University of St. Andrews (Aien aristeuein) , motto_lang = grc , mottoeng = Ever to ExcelorEver to be the Best , established = , type = Public research university Ancient university , endowment ...

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- Institute for Theology, Imagination & the Arts, The Institute of Theology, Imagination, and the Arts,

St. Andrews St Andrews ( la, S. Andrea(s); sco, Saunt Aundraes; gd, Cill Rìmhinn) is a town on the east coast of Fife in Scotland, southeast of Dundee and northeast of Edinburgh. St Andrews had a recorded population of 16,800 , making it Fife's four ...

, Scotland ** PhD research program *

University of Chicago Divinity School The University of Chicago Divinity School is a private graduate institution at the University of Chicago dedicated to the training of academics and clergy across religious boundaries. Formed under Baptist auspices, the school today lacks any s ...

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Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, USA **PhD in Religion and Literature * Wesley Theological Seminarybr>
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, USA **DMin in Religion and the Arts

References

* Begbie, Jeremy. ''Beholding the Glory: Incarnation through the Arts''. London: Darton, Longman, and Todd, 2000. * Begbie, Jeremy. ''Sounding the Depths: Theology through the Arts''. London: SCM Press, 2002. * Begbie, Jeremy. ''Theology, Music, and Time''. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000. * Begbie, Jeremy. ''Voicing Creation’s Praise: Towards a Theology of the Arts''. Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1991. *de Borchgrave, Helen. ''A Journey Into Christian Art.'' Oxford: Lion Publishing, 1999. * Brown, David. ''Divine Generosity and Human Creativity: Theology through Symbol, Painting and Architecture''. Edited by Christopher R. Brewer and Robert MacSwain. London and New York: Routledge, 2017. * Brown, David. ''God and Mystery in Words: Experience through Metaphor and Drama''. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008. * Brown, David. ''God and Grace of Body: Sacrament in Ordinary''. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007. * Brown, David. ''God and Enchantment of Place: Reclaiming Human Experience''. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004. *Burch Brown, Frank. ''Good Taste, Bad Taste, and Christian Taste: Aesthetics in Religious Life''. London, New York: Oxford University Press, 2003. *Burch Brown, Frank. ''Religious Aesthetics: A Theological Study of Making and Meaning''. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1989. *Bustard, Ned. ''It Was Good: Making Art to the Glory of God''. Baltimore, MD: Square Halo Books, 2000. *Cawkwell,Tim. ''The New Filmgoer's Guide to God''. Leicester: Troubador Press 2014 *Corby Finney, Paul, ed.. ''Seeing Beyond the Word: Visual Arts and the Calvinistic Tradition''. Eerdmans, 1999. *Dagget Dillenberger, Jane. ''Style and Content in Christian Art''. New York, Crossroad: 1965 (1986). *Deacy, Christopher. ''Screen Christologies: Redemption and the Medium of Film''. Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 2001. * Dillenberger, John ''A Theology of Artistic Sensibilities: The Visual Arts and the Church''. London: SCM Press, 1987. *Drury, John. ''Painting the Word: Christian Pictures and Their Meanings''. Yale: Yale University Press, 1998. *Duquette, Natasha, Ed. ''Sublimer Aspects: Interfaces between Literature, Aesthetics, and Theology''. Cambridge: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2007. * Dyrness, William. ''Christian Art in Asia''. Amsterdam:Rodopi, 1979. * Dyrness, William. ''Reformed Theology and Visual Culture: The Protestant Imagination from Calvin to Edwards''. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004. * Dyrness, William. ''Roualt: A Vision of Suffering and Salvation''. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1971. * Dyrness, William. ''Senses of the Soul: Art and the Visual in Christian Worship''. Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2008. * Dyrness, William. ''Visual Faith: Art, Theology, and Worship in Dialogue''. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2001. * Dyrness, William. ''Poetic Theology: God and the Poetics of Everyday Life''. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2011. * Evdokimov, Paul E. ''The Art of the Icon: A Theology of Beauty''. Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire & Redondo Beach, California: Anthony Clarke Publishers & Oakwood Publications, 1990, . (French original: ''L'Art de l'Icône: Théologie de la Beauté''. Paris, Desclée De Brouwer, 1972.) * Fiddes, Paul. ''Freedom and limit: a dialogue between literature and Christian doctrine'' (Basingstoke: Macmillan, 1991; Macon, Georgia: Mercer University Press, 1991) * Fiddes, Paul. ''The Novel, Spirituality, and Modern Culture''. Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 2000. * Fiddes, Paul. ''The Promised End: Eschatology in Theology and Literature''. Oxford: Blackwell, 2000. *Forde, Nigel. ''The Lantern and the Looking-Glass: Literature and Christian Belief''. SPCK, 1997. * Gaebelein, Frank E. ''The Christian, the Arts, and Truth: Regaining a Vision of Greatness''. Ed. Bruce Lockerbie. A Critical Concern Book. Portland, OR: Multnomah, 1985. *Garcia-Rivera, Alejandro. ''The Community of the Beautiful: A Theological Aesthetics''. Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 1999. *Garcia-Rivera, Alejandro. ''A Wounded Innocence: Sketches for a Theology of Art''. Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 2003. *Garcia-Rivera, Alejandro and Thomas Scirghi. ''Living Beauty: The Art of Liturgy''. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2008. * Gorringe, Timothy. ''The Education of Desire: Towards a Theology of the Senses''. London: SCM, 2001. * Gorringe, Timothy. ''Furthering Humanity: A Theology of Culture''. London: Ashgate, 2004. * Harries, Richard. ''Art and the Beauty of God: A Christian Understanding''. London: Mowbray, 1993. * Harries, Richard. ''The Passion in Art''. Aldershot: Ashgate, 2004. *Hurley, Neil P. ''Theology Through Film''. New York: Harper & Row, 1970. *Jensen, Robin M. ''The Substance of Things Seen: Art Faith and the Christian Community.'' Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2004. *Jewett, Robert. ''Saint Paul at the Movies: The Apostle’s Dialogue with American Culture''. Louisville: Westminster/John Knox, 1993. *Jewett, Robert. ''Saint Paul Returns to the Movies: Triumph over Shame''. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1999. *Koehrsen, Jens. ''Religious Tastes and Styles as Markers of Class Belonging'', in: Sociology 53(6), 2018, . * Kandinsky, Wassily. ''Concerning the Spiritual in Art.'' New York: Dover Publications, 1977. *Kreitzer, Larry J. ''The New Testament in Fiction and Film: On Reversing the Hermeneutical Flow''. Sheffield: JSOT Press, 1993. *Kreitzer, Larry J. ''The Old Testament in Fiction and Film: On Reversing the Hermeneutical Flow''. Sheffield: JSOT Press, 1994. *Marsh, Clive, and Gae Ortiz, eds. ''Explorations in Theology and Film: Movies and Meaning''. Oxford: Blackwell, 1997. *May, John R. ''Nourishing Faith through Fiction: Reflections on the Apostles’ Creed in Literature and Film''. Franklin, Wisconsin: Sheed and Ward, 2001. * Murphy, Michael P. ''A Theology of Criticism: Balthasar, Postmodernism, and the Catholic Imagination''. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008. * Niebuhr, H. Richard. ''Christ and Culture''. New York: Harper & Row, 1951. *Power Erikson, Kathleen. ''At Eternity’s Gate: The Spiritual Vision of Vincent van Gogh''. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1999. * Rookmaaker, Hans R. ''Art Needs No Justification''. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1978. * Rookmaaker, Hans R. ''The Creative Gift''. Leicester: InterVarsity, 1981. * Rookmaaker, Hans R. ''Modern Art and the Death of A Culture''. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1970. *Ryken, Leland. ''The Christian Imagination: Essays on Literature and the Arts''. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1981. *Ryken, Leland. ''The Liberated Imagination: Thinking Christianly about the Arts''. The Wheaton Literary Series. Wheaton, IL: Harold Shaw, 1989. * Sayers, Dorothy L. ''The Mind of the Maker''. Cleveland: World, 1956. * Schaeffer, Francis A. ''Art and the Bible''. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1973. * Schaeffer, Franky. ''Addicted to Mediocrity: 20th Century Christians and the Arts''. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 1985. *Seerveld, Calvin. ''Bearing Fresh Olive Leaves: Alternative Steps in Understanding Art''. Carlisle, UK: Piquant Press, 2000. *Seerveld, Calvin. ''Rainbows for the Fallen World: Aesthetic Life and Artistic Task''. Toronto, ON: Toronto Tuppence Press, 1980. * Soldini, Jean. ''Saggio sulla discesa della bellezza. Linee per un'estetica''. Milan: Jaca Book, 1995. * Tillich, Paul. ''On Art and Architecture''. Ed.

John Dillenberger John Dillenberger (1918–2008) was professor of historical theology at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California. He was instrumental in forming the Graduate Theological Union which he headed during its first decade, first as dean f ...

and Jane Dillenberger. New York: Crossroad, 1987. *Treier, Daniel J., Mark Husbands, and Roger Lundin. ''The Beauty of God: Theology and the Arts''. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2007. *Veith, Gene Edward. ''State of the Arts: From Bezalel to Mapplethorpe''. Turning Point Christian Worldview Series. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 1991. *Viladesau, Richard. ''Theological Aesthetics: God in Imagination, Beauty, and Art''. New York, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999. *Viladesau, Richard. ''Theology and the Arts: Encountering God through Music, Art, and Rhetoric''. New York, Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2000. * Von Balthasar, Hans Urs. ''The Glory of the Lord: A Theological Aesthetics, vol. 1, Seeing the Form''. Trans. Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis. Ed. Joseph Fessio, SJ and John Riches. Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1982. *Wolfe, Gregory. ''Intruding Upon the Timeless: Meditations on Art, Faith, and Mystery''. Baltimore: Square Halo Books, 2003. * Wolterstorff, Nicholas. ''Art in Action: Toward a Christian Aesthetic''. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1980. *Wood, Robert E. ''Placing aesthetics: Reflections on the philosophical tradition''. Athens, Ohio: Ohio University Press, 1999. {{ISBN, 0-8214-1280-9. (Subject Index entries "God" and "Religion".)

External links

Brehm Center for Worship, Theology, and the Arts
- at

Center for the Arts, Religion, and Education
- at th
Graduate Theological UnionCenter for Christian Study of CharlottesvilleChristian Study Center of GainesvilleDamah Film FestivalDominican School of Philosophy & Theology, Berkeley, CAMars Hill Audio
-

NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...

-like audio journal
Society for the Arts in Religious and Theological Studies
- a professional academic society
Theology Through the Arts project
- Directed by

Jeremy Begbie Jeremy Sutherland Begbie, BA, BD, PhD, LRAM, ARCM, (born 1957) is Thomas A. Langford Distinguished Research Professor of Theology at Duke Divinity School, Duke University, where he directs Duke Initiatives in Theology and the Arts. He is a systema ...

Theology and the Arts reading list
- By Jeremy Begbie
Transforming Culture: A Vision for the Church and the Arts
- A symposium for pastors, church leaders, and artists (April 1–3. 2008)
Veritasse Arts Society, OxfordHoly Icons: Theology in Color

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Theology">Aesthetics Aesthetics, or esthetics, is a branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of beauty and taste, as well as the philosophy of art (its own area of philosophy that comes out of aesthetics). It examines aesthetic values, often expressed t ...

Aesthetics

Aesthetics in Christian theology

The early church

The medieval church

The Reformation

The 17th–19th centuries

The 20th century

Present day

Academic programs

Graduate studies

Postgraduate studies

See also

References

Further reading

External links