Posted on: September 17th, 2011 Tourist or Participant? (Religious Art & the Church)
At the gracious invitation of the Tyler Museum of Art, I recently gave a lecture there entitled “Christians Then & Now: Religious Art and the Christian Church.” This event was held in conjunction with the exhibit, “Object of Devotion: Medieval English Alabaster Sculpture from the Victoria and Albert Museum.”
Abstract: “When it comes to approaching Christian art, there are really two different approaches. The first is the approach of the spectator, the tourist, someone viewing the art from the outside, as if the art were an object, an inert item. That is one approach, and it is an approach which I am going to suggest is connected with what one thinker calls ‘the disenchantment of the modern world.’ The other approach is that of the participant, the member, the one who belongs. What I suggest is that that approach … might have something to do with the ‘re-enchantment’ of the postmodern world.”
You can podcast the talk here.
(Note: the audio quality on the first couple of minutes is not great. My apologies.)
3 Responses to “Tourist or Participant? (Religious Art & the Church)”
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Libby Says:
September 18th, 2011 at 9:33 pmI just listened. I’m so proud of your ability and I loved your talk. You put your finger on the two greatest desires of my life: belonging and enchantment. Is there any reading to help me with that that jumps out at you?
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matt Says:
September 18th, 2011 at 10:27 pmLib,
Have you read “Membership” and “The Inner Ring” by CS Lewis? Both are in the little book of essays _The Weight of Glory_.
I love you!
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Collins aka Boo Says:
October 25th, 2011 at 4:56 pmNice, Matt. I can dig it.