ABSTRACT
There is, the critic argued, a general tendency within the art world to see art that invokes religion in any but a critical or derisive way as retrograde and reactionary; that is to say, religion could not be treated in the academic world unless couched in recrimination, ironic distance, or scandal. Meanwhile, art historian Linda Stratford takes a broader, more historical and theoretical perspective on interpretive frameworks, reviewing, with optimism, the recent work of art historians and critics that suggests a rich and growing field of interest in the intersections of art and religion. The theme of Endtimes resurfaces in art critic Eleanor Heartney’s contribution, “Back to the Garden.” The scholars, critics, and artists gathered propose an alternative perspective on the human condition, one that speculates on the place of numinous and the life of faith in contemporary art, and opens up the field of art historical-critical and museological inquiry to include appreciation of the affective nuances of lived encounter.
