Art & Religion
For centuries, societies have blended artistic expression with the practice of their own religions. One may easily see that most of what we now call “art” were religious objects or depicted religious themes. Art and religion, indeed, has gone a long way in history and is observed to have been combined in many aspects holding a value for satisfying humanity’s emotional, sensual, and spiritual yearnings for awe and beauty through the various types of art.
Art supersedes all fences; art is universal and it is a language understood by all of humanity. Every culture and religion makes use of art to glorify, honor, protest, and articulate their ideals. Monumental paintings and famous works of art in history and of various mediums, too, have observed its strong roots in religion; they were made to inspire and express the divine. What people come to believe, they tend to create or manifest. In this context, art is human’s understanding and way of honoring his deepest thoughts, feelings, or emotions to the world.
In another context, some philosophers believe art to be a survival mechanism for the human species as it opens our eyes to realities of life. The idea of this is that art is anchored in the Triune Truth- which for religionists is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, for psychiatrists: the superconscious, conscious, and subconscious, and for the spiritualists: the mind, body, and spirit, in the context of time: the past, present, and future. Some people believe that perhaps our very own truths have already been revealed to us through art. The idea of that which the past repeats itself supports this. Many historic events that have plagued societies from a thousand years ago, repeats itself in more complex ways in the modern world. So art helps us understand that experiences can be viewed from several points of view. Therefore, when we come across a similar experience, we come to resonate and understand in a deeper level the artist’s truth and the purpose for his art.