Christian Art then and Now
Pretending you are writing an editorial piece for a Christian magazine, write a 3 page essay discussing the evolution of Christian art and artists from the early church to the 21st century.
While this will be a broad approach to this subject – select 2-3 important ideas that you think best communicate these shifts. You may use first person narrative voice in this paper, however, this paper is not to be based on opinion – but on well researched ideas, themes, and data. Use examples wherever you can and be sure you consider the “why” and the “how,” of these issues.
Is Christian art today in a “good” place? Why or why not?
This paper will require you to put your Critical Thinking cap on!
Use what you have learned from class about Christian art throughout history: from the early church, the Renaissance, the Baroque and the Modern Era. Here are a few articles about art in the early church:
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/medieval-world/early-christian1/a/early-christian-art
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/dec/11/the-bibles-influence-influence-of-the-bible-in-art/
Here are several articles and websites on contemporary Christian art to help you on your way:
Our Own Worst (Art) Critics : see attachment.
civa.org
christianart.today
international arts movement.org
Are there any cultural shifts that have contributed to how we view Christian art differently today? Here are a few ideas:
Important Historical events: think big — the Enlightenment, the Reformation, World War, 9/11, etc.
Technology
Psychology (a reflecting on the inner world)
Patronage and the decline of the power of the Church as a cultural entity.
Keep in mind:
Be sure to use a broad range of historical artifacts and artwork as examples. This means including images with proper citations in your paper. You may place images either in the body of your text or in an image supplement at the end.
Cite any research in footnotes and a work cited section.
Use either MLA or APA style guides.
Proofread!
