Religious Aesthetics

Rating:
Summary: More than for art's sake...
Review: Before he found his way to my seminary, Frank Burch Brown was professor of religion and humanities at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; while there, he did this interesting text on the theological ideas involving religious aesthetics. This text in some ways served as a foundation for his later award-winning work, 'Good Taste, Bad Taste, Christian Taste.' In this work, Brown even has a chapter dealing with Sin and Bad Taste, so the connections are readily apparent.

It may seem somewhat strange, but aesthetics is not widely discussed among theologians and religious studies scholars; indeed, if one investigates, one finds that even artists themselves tend to shy away from the subject. I say it is strange given the vital importance that aesthetic ideas play in the practical situation of worship and religious expression (almost always regardless of the denomination or faith). One has but to suggest changes in singing style or selection, redecorating the worship space, designing or redesigning facilities, placing artwork and other pieces around to see how strong emotions can become involving the debate. Rarely do people bother to go into great depth to understand the underlying ideas that motivate such responses.

One reason for the relegation of aesthetics to minor consideration is the continuing duality in many traditions, not least the Christian one, of the mind/body split. Quite often, in varying ways, those things that are material, or bodily, or sensory tend to be suspect. Even those things considered proper and beautiful expressions in religion edge toward this difficulty; the controversy with the icons in early Christian history is but one example - in high church traditions, there is the tendency to make the liturgy an idol; in other traditions, the hymnody might serve this purpose.

Brown looks at both historical and current situations, exploring the ideas of theologians and philosophers past and present, drawing out common strands and points of divergence from the varied background of aesthetic considerations. Brown shows how culture and theology will shape aesthetic sensibilities which in turn have their own influence back round again. Brown points out that much confusion comes from the way the words words 'religious', 'artistic', and 'aesthetic' tend to be used without proper care and consistency. However, rather than setting forth a philosophy or theology of definitions, Brown instead provides guidance in a more phenomenological way, looking at those things that gain the labels, and then looks for further insight from that study.

Brown's style is interesting and engaging. While writing an academic text, it is also accessible to those who have an interest in religious art for practical reasons. There are notes (not unwieldy) and a good basic index, and suggestions for further readings, including both introductory and advanced material.

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