Mosor

I came across an interesting article by a Dr. Kessler about the role the artist played in biblical interpretation in ancient times.

He writes that:

http://www.bu.edu/mzank/STR/tr-archi...1/Kessler.html

My knowledge of biblical studies is very limited so I was hoping some of our experts here could give me their opinion.

How much influence did the artist have on the development of Christianity and Judaism? Did art lead the story on some occassions as Kessler suggests?

I know the eastern and catholic churches for centuries used art to teach the biblical stories the vast majority who were illiterate. But I'm not sure if religious leaders would let an artist get away depicting something false if they didn't believe it to be true themselves.

Chili

They still do and they still do not promote bible study to avoid rational literalism which is 'the enemy' that got us banned from Eden to start with. Jesus spoke in parables to avoid literalism and in this sense are parables like paintings with words but much more deceptive if we are literate.

My father once told me that studying the bible towards understanding is equal to the yeast of the pharisees and in direct conflict with the concept behind unleavened bread.

epepke

I don't know a lot about this, but I know one thing. Early depictions of the cricifixion involved four nails, one for each limb. Later depictions had one nail for both legs. Which is a bit silly, if you think about it. What are you going to do, stack the ankles on each other and try to get it just right between the tibia and fibula of both legs? The top leg would just bounce around, until you got the nail through. And the heels would get in the way. Or did they drive a nail through one leg into a piece of wood and then pull it out of the wood and put it over the other leg? It seems a lot of work, just to save one nail. Which you get back eventually anyway.

But three seemed to them a meaningful number.

Chili

Good point, it would make you think that it is a metaphor.

Mosor

No one has answered my question though. Is there any validity to his claim that art influenced biblical interpretation?

Toto

His claim seems to be that art is a form of interpretation, which seems not very controversial.

Mosor

But did artistic interpretation have a major influence on the development of Christianity and Judaism? I'm most interested in his claim that there are instances where "art clearly led the story".

Clivedurdle

Superb Chilli!

How do we tell the fundies they are repeating the sin of Adam and Eve?

In Europe, the Puritans went around white washing the Church walls and destroying the multi media experiences many people were having in the late medieval period in the West. A bi product of this is possibly "white goods" in our kitchens - they might all have been intricately decorated - much like trucks still are in Pakistan.

A further bi product of the Western destruction of art is possibly the industrial revolution and the way we damage the planet.

This depends on having a religion that has a concept of doctrine and heresy. If artists are allowed to express their understandings authentically, how can that expression be false? When is a musical note false?

Most definitely, but for various reasons the Church has kept very strong controls on the artists, the mystics, the St Francis's, the Da Vincis, the Holman Hunts and the Dalis who have wreaked havoc!

Clivedurdle

From Umberto Eco Baudolino

Baidarka

Mosor

Of course religion is dependant on Art and poetry to create it's paradigm.
Most modern people have an image of Jesus which comes from painting since Jesus is not described in the text.
The book of acts doesn't say how Paul traveled to Damascus yet most Christian's think that he traveled on horse back, this comes from paintings.
If Chagal's or even Nolde's image of a Jewish Jesus was popularized perhaps Christian anti-semitism would end.
Mel Gibson's depiction of the crucifixion threatens to revive the old German passion play's deicidal Jew image.

http://www.freunde-der-nationalgalerie.de/nolde.html

http://holylandnetwork.com/jesus/jesus_art.htm

http://www.abcgallery.com/A/angelico/angelico59.html

http://www.abcgallery.com/B/bosch/bosch70.html

http://www.abcgallery.com/G/giotto/giotto21.html

http://www.abcgallery.com/G/giotto/giotto116.html

http://www.abcgallery.com/G/giotto/giotto5.html

http://www.abcgallery.com/D/duccio/duccio71.html

http://www.abcgallery.com/G/grunewald/grunewald1.html