Kristine Penningroth-- Religious Art (outside reading)

"What do we mean when we speak of religious art? Do we mean that religious themes are depicted in the art? Do we mean that religious persons were the artists? Do we mean that some special religious group or church has decided that the art is orthodox and therefore official?"-F. Thomas Trotter

When I first signed up for the class I had that question myself, but as we went through the semester I came to understand that art is a term that can be seen in many different ways. There are so many different ways to see religious art and so many different classifications of what art actually is. The bible depicts art in different ways by being very direct and depicting what the written word says. There is other religious art that reflects the ideas of the painters of the time. Art, like we always hear, is in the eye of the beholder and therefore can be interpreted in so many different ways. Religious art is the same way yet it hold a very different meaning because it is spiritual and can mean so many different things for different people. The above quote just states questions that no one can really answer correctly. Religious art was created for a reason, and most of the time it is supposed to depict a feeling that otherwise cannot be explained. The art, whether depiction of a time, a person, or a scene is what religious art is. It is what you want it to be, or what you interpret from what you hear in church. There is no right or wrong answer, it's what you believe it to be.