Art and the Visual in Christian Worship
William A. Dyrness
CASCADE Books • Eugene, Oregon
Art and the Visual in Christian Worship
Art for Faith’s Sake 1
Copyright © 2008 William A. Dyrness. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical publications or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publisher. Write: Permissions, Wipf and Stock Publishers, 199 W. 8th Ave., Suite 3, Eugene, OR 97401.
Cascade Books
A Division of Wipf and Stock Publishers
199 W. 8th Ave., Suite 3
Eugene, OR 97401
isbn 13: 978-1-55635-864-7
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Photography by Kim Daus.
Cataloging-in-Publication data:
Dyrness, William A.
Senses of the soul: art and the visual in christian worship / William A. Dyrness.
Art For Faith’s Sake 1
xvi + 182 p.; 23 cm.
isbn 13: 978-1-55635-864-7
1. Christianity and the arts. 2. Christian art and symbolism. 3. Christian worship. 4. Protestant Churches—California—Los Angeles. 5. Catholic Church—California—Los Angeles. 6. Orthodox Eastern Church—California—Los Angeles. I. Title II. Series
br115. a8 d97 2008
art for faith’s sake series
series editors:
Clayton J. Schmit
J. Frederick Davison
This series of publications is designed to promote the creation of resources for the church at worship. It promotes the creation of two types of material, what we are calling primary and secondary liturgical art.
Like primary liturgical theology, classically understood as the actual prayer and practice of people at worship, primary liturgical art is that which is produced to give voice to God’s people in public prayer or private devotion and art that is created as the expression of prayerful people. Secondary art, like secondary theology, is written reflection on material that is created for the sake of the prayer, praise, and meditation of God’s people.
The series presents both worship art and theological and pedagogical reflection on the arts of worship. The series title, Art for Faith’s Sake,* indicates that while some art may be created for its own sake, a higher purpose exists for arts that are created for use in prayer and praise.
Virgin Mary figure, Holy Family Catholic Community, Glendale
Recent Scholarship on the Use of the Visual in Religious Traditions
Theological Perspectives on Art and the Traditions of Worship
A Personal Event, Under the Right Conditions
Engaging the Arts, at a Distance
Exploring the Visual in Worship
Protestants Connecting with the Tradition
Protestants and Art: Still an Uneasy Alliance?
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About Senses of the Soul: Art and the Visual in Christian WorshipSenses of the Soul explores the way art and visual elements are incorporated into Christian worship. It incorporates research conducted in Los Angeles congregations. Through extensive interviews in a sample of Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox congregations, it looks into the way visual elements actually become part of the experience of worship. By looking at attitudes and experiences of beauty, art, and memories, it suggests that believers appropriate images and aesthetic encounters in terms of imaginative structures that have been formed through worship practices over time. By comparing responses across denominations, the book proposes that people receive visual elements in ways that have been shaped by long traditions and specific background beliefs. In addition to discussions of the differences between the major Christian traditions, the book also examines the relation of art and beauty to worship, the role of memories and everyday life, and the power of images in spirituality and worship. By its focus on the worshiper, the book seeks to make a contribution to the growing conversation between the arts and Christian worship and to the process of worship renewal. |
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