Winter 2004/Pasadena
ST543
Dyrness
ST543: THEOLOGY AND ART. William Dyrness.
DESCRIPTION:
- This course is an introduction to Christian reflection on the
visual arts. Emphasis will be on developing a Christian perspective on the arts
and aesthetics, that is informed by biblical, historical and theological
resources and that is familiar with ways the major Christian traditions have
made use of the arts. By slides, museum and church trips students will be
exposed to significant examples of western art as a way of developing a
critical appreciation and a Christian appropriation of this dimension of
life--both as spirituality and as witness.
RELEVANCE FOR MINISTRY:
- It is becoming increasingly obvious that a relevant witness to the
gospel demands a cultural literacy. This is important for Christians to
understand their own faith, and the cultural influences on it, but also for
them to understand the world of others. Since the visual arts inform (and are
informed by) the dominant values of a culture, they provide essential
components in developing the theory and practice of ministry.
COURSE FORMAT:
- The course will include lecture and discussion that will seek to
give students a basic understanding of biblical, historical and theological
issues. Through slides and visits students will be exposed to examples of great
Christian art in order to develop skills of visual literacy. Class meetings
will be held weekly for three-hour sessions.
REQUIRED READING:
- Begbie, Jeremy. Voicing Creation's Praise: Toward a Theology of
the Arts. Blackwell, 1991 (2001).
- Dyrness, William. Visual Faith: Art, Theology and Worship in
Dialogue. Baker, 2001.
- Rookmaaker, H. R. Modern Art and the Death of a Culture. Apollos,
1994 [orig. 1971].
- Course reader on sale in bookstore.
RECOMMENDED READING:
- Bouchard, Margaret. A Journey Toward Christian Art.
Fortress, 1999.
- Evdokimov, Paul. The Art of the Icon: A Theology of Beauty. Oakwood
Publ., 1986.
- Dyrness, William. Rouault: A Vision of Suffering and Salvation.
Eerdmans, 1971.
- Hofstadter, Albert and Richard Kuhns, eds. Philosophies of Art and
Beauty: Selected Readings in Aesthetics from Plato to Heidegger. University
of Chicago, 1976.
- Rookmaaker, H. R. The Creative Gift: Essays on Art and the Christian
Life. Crossways, 1981.
- Scarry, Elaine. On Beauty and Being Just. Princeton, 1999.
- Seerveld, Calvin. Rainbows for the Fallen World. Tuppence, 1980.
- Viladescau, Richard. Theology and the Arts: Encountering God through
Music, Art and Rhetoric. Paulist, 2000.
- Walford, E. John. Great Themes in Art. Prentice-Hall, 2000.
- Wolterstorff, Nicholas. Art in Action. Eerdmans, 1980.
ASSIGNMENTS:
- The course grade will be dependent on three elements. First, the
student will be required to write a 4-5 page review of a work of art (or
comparison of 2 works) either from an art book (see recommended reading) or an
art exhibition or museum, interacting with the work from the Christian
perspective developed in the first part of the course. Two longer papers (8-10
pp.) will focus on (1) the art of a particular religious tradition and (2) a
particular artist or art movement. The longer papers will each be worth 40%;
the review 20%.
PREREQUISITES: None.
RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM:
- M.Div. and M.A. in Theology elective; meets the M.A.C.L. in
Integrative Studies requirement for an interdisciplinary course (IDPL).
FINAL EXAMINATION: None.