In order to understand the choices of religious media by the Catholic Church, it is important to recognize their interaction with sacred texts and how that manifests itself within the religion and its practices. It is common to assume that visual arts including murals, paintings and architecture have always been a major medium of communicating religious beliefs within the Catholic Church, however, controversy surrounds the topic dating back to biblical times. By observing the history of visual arts within the Catholic Church, this blog will highlight Catholics engagement with, and understanding of the Bible as well as how visual art hinders or aids to their interpretation of the Word.
Visual images have served an imperative role in preserving and spreading the Catholic faith and narrative. Despite the early Christian rejection of images, religious art functioned as a sacral role, a commemoration of important religious figureheads, and an aid to storytelling. It wasn’t until missionaries in the Mediterranean world recognized the importance of visual images as a mean to communicate the Catholic beliefs, as well as a way to convert people to Christianity. In the late 6th century, Gregory the Great highlighted the narrative role that visual art had on religious communication, however, emphasized the distinction between learning from the art and worshipping it. Visual art illustrates the narratives derived from the Bible and served as a crucial tool for reaching an uneducated, illiterate audience. Although many historic religious members argue that visual images hinder and distract members from the truth in scripture, Suger, the Abbot of St. Denis, believed that “images can initiate and inspire reflections on God’s glory in ways that words cannot” (Goethals 1990) in addition to sharing the Catholic story. Engaging and interpreting Scripture through visual images allows an alternative method to better understand and retain the information.
Many years of debate circulated around the purpose of visual media within the Catholic Church, however, since the Middle Ages, religious art serves as a functional tool in sharing the Catholic beliefs. Seen inside churches, on the streets, and in our everyday media, religious communication through visual images remain an important part of Catholic conversation. However, it is important to distinguish the difference between utilizing art as an aid to understanding religious beliefs, and idolizing materialistic work and artists. Visual religious communication allows Catholics to engage with and understand the Bible in a more tangible, creative way.
Citation:
Goethals, Gregor. (1990). The Electronic Golden Calf: Images, Religioni, and the Making of Meaning. “Visible Image and Invisible Faith” (37-54). Cambridge, MA: Crowley Publications.
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