Sparking Theological Imagination Through Art
Photo by Juan Di Nella on Unsplash
Since the opening ceremonies of the summer Olympics in Paris, the relationship between art and Christianity has become a hot topic of debate. How can one tell if a work of art is mocking a particular worldview, or even referencing one? How should one interpret art? How should Christian themes be depicted?
Art and Christian Imagination
My purpose here is not to solve the debate over the strange tableau presented at the Paris Olympics, but instead to suggest the importance of viewing works of art to spark one’s theological imagination. Questionable artistic productions do not negate the need for beautiful renderings that draw humanity into deeper worship of the God of all creation.
Protestantism has long emphasized Scripture as the word of God, explaining everything a person needs for salvation. Rightly so. Nonetheless, Scripture itself points to the importance of aesthetic beauty for helping people to fully engage with God. When God commanded Moses to build a tabernacle, God described in great detail the manner and materials that should be used to construct the place of worship and its furnishings. Acacia wood, various gemstones, vibrant colors, and images of flowers, angels, and other displays adorned the tabernacle (see Exodus 25-28, 30, 35-39). God appointed Bezalel and Oholiab, skilled artisans, to oversee the craftsmanship (Exod. 31:1-11). The tabernacle wasn’t simply a utilitarian place to offer sacrifices; the tabernacle (and later, the Temple) was a place of beauty meant both to honor God and to inspire awe, drawing supplicants closer to God.
The great medieval cathedrals of Europe similarly sought to draw worshippers into contemplation of God through awe-inspiring architecture and furnishings, sacred geometry, and stained-glass windows that helped the illiterate masses to envision the stories of the mighty acts of God.
Not only do these great masterpieces point to God’s work, but the very act of creating reminds us that humanity is stamped with the image of God—we are to reflect a God who imagines and creates. Francis Schaeffer has described the importance that art should have in a believer’s life:
For a Christian, redeemed by the work of Christ and living within the norms of Scripture and under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, the lordship of Christ should include an interest in the arts. A Christian should use these arts to the glory of God, not just as tracts, mind, you, but as things of beauty to the praise of God. An art work can be a doxology in itself (Art and the Bible, rev. ed., InterVarsity Press, 2006, p. 18).
One does not have to produce art to provide such a doxology. When we reflect upon works of art, they engage the imagination, potentially leading us into deeper contemplation of the divine. Art presents the believer with an opportunity to see new facets of biblical truth and draw nearer to God.
Saint Michael Triumphs Over the Devil by Bermejo (Source: WikiCommons)
Bermejo’s Saint Michael Triumphs Over the Devil
Last month, for example, I visited the National Gallery of Art in London. One of my favorite sections in any art museum is Renaissance art, because so many of the paintings focus on Christian themes and biblical stories. I am always curious to explore how the artists depict the biblical stories, filling in details or creatively rearranging them. This time, I was captivated by Spanish artist Bartolomé Bermejo’s painting, Saint Michael Triumphs Over the Devil. Likely inspired by Rev. 12:7-12, he depicts the archangel Michael—dressed in battle armor and a luxurious cape—wielding a large sword as he prepares to deal a definitive blow to the devil, depicted as a hideous monster who has fallen to the ground in fear. It was common at the time for the patron who paid for the painting to be depicted in the piece, and this work is no different. What struck me, however, was Bermejo’s depiction of the patron, who is kneeling and holding a prayer book. The placard next to the painting notes that the prayer book is open to two penitential psalms: 51 and 130. This is what sparked my imagination. Was Bermejo suggesting the importance of repentance in our battle with Satan? Is this the reason that Michael was able to triumph? Had the patron’s prayers of confession and commitment to realign his life with God given Michael power to defeat the one who tries to lead believers astray? What spiritual battles occur behind the scenes when I confess my own sins to God? I doubt I would have asked these same questions had I merely read the passage in Revelation, which does not directly mention repentance. By subtly intertwining the biblical theme, Bermejo provided an interpretation that led my mind in new (and yet, still biblical) directions.
The Temptation of Christ by Titian (Source: WikiCommons)
Titian’s The Temptation of Christ
A piece I regularly use in my introduction to the New Testament class is Titian’s The Temptation of Christ. I ran across this gem years ago when I visited the Minneapolis Institute of Arts as a college student. When I glanced at the painting, I thought, “Oh, yet another bland picture of Christ that looks like so many others,” and walked past, unimpressed. Then I stopped dead in my tracks as my brain processed more fully what I had just seen. I turned around and looked again, astonished at the profound theology depicted. A simple painting, Titian imagined what the first temptation—turning stone into bread—might have looked like (Matt. 4:1-4; Luke 4:1-4). But he did not portray the devil as a terrifying figure in red with a goatee, horns, pitchfork, and malicious grin—which, to be honest, would more likely chase a person away than lure someone close. Rather, Titian brilliantly captured the deceptive nature of temptation. This was a child offering the stone to Jesus. What could be more harmless? More innocent? What could it hurt to put food in your stomach, Jesus—surely your loving Father doesn’t want you to go hungry! The reason sin is so tempting is that we tend not to see the consequences of our rebellion. Sin is tempting because it often looks innocent. Jesus had been called to fast and pray in the desert to prepare himself to take on the selfless mantle of the Messiah; he was not called to a self-indulgent rejection of his Father’s calling.
Titian’s surprising interpretation of the Tempter led me to consider the nature of sin in my own life—what do I brush off as innocent, when in reality evil lurks behind the façade? This painting opened new doors in my theological thinking.
Secular Art
Christians do not have to engage solely art with Christian themes, however, in order to spark their theological imaginations. Viewing a nature scene (such as one of Claude Monet’s many Water Lilies) can lead one to contemplate the glory of God’s creation; portraits (such as Frans Hals’s The Laughing Cavalier) can help one consider human nature; even horrific scenes (such as Ilya Repin’s Ivan the Terrible and His Son Ivan on November 16, 1581) can engender thoughts of sin and its consequences. Regardless of the subject matter or style, art can lead one into deeper contemplation of God, if one is willing to closely observe details, contexts, and themes and consider how they interact with the story of God revealed in Scripture.
Asking Questions of Art
So how should a Christian evaluate works of art? I must leave the analysis of line, form, shape, color, unity, balance, and other such elements to the art professors. (For an introduction to these principles, see Elissa Yukiko Weichbrodt’s Redeeming Vision: A Christian Guide to Looking at and Learning from Art, Baker Academic, 2023.) Analysis of any work of art, however, begins with carefully observing the scene portrayed. What details did the artist include? What might have been left out? What story is being told? What symbolism might be present? How do the artist’s historical and cultural contexts shed light on the work? Even secular works of art can lead one closer to God as believers consider how the piece touches on the great themes woven through the story of Scripture: creation, fall, redemption, and restoration.
For sacred works of art, consider the biblical text addressed. Look at the details of Scripture and compare the wording with the artist’s depiction. Are all the details included? Why or why not? Did the artist add details? Where did the artist rearrange a narrative or put a new spin on it? Where does the focus of the painting lie? A story can be told across many pages, but a painting takes a snapshot of a moment in time. Which moment did the artist choose to highlight, and why? What emotions are captured in the story? How does the work of art make you feel? Why?
You may find yourself strongly disagreeing with certain aspects of a painting while wholeheartedly embracing other aspects in the same work. As a biblical scholar, I don’t always approve of the license some artists take in portraying biblical scenes, but I appreciate the way the artist makes me evaluate what I am seeing. Looking through the artist’s eyes often reveals new theological emphases I had not considered for myself. And anything that makes me meditate more fully about who God is and my own place in God’s world should be encouraged.
Suzanne Nicholson is Professor of New Testament at Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky. She is an Elder in the Global Methodist Church and serves as Assistant Lead Editor of Firebrand.