THE FINE ARTS AND THE STUDY OF THEOLOGY

THE FINE ARTS AND THE STUDY OF THEOLOGY

Every Field Of Research has its array of subfields which are in constant flux due to the

hermeneutical character of the fields themselves. These subfields are identified not because of

intrinsic qualities but rather values adopted by scholars and their related communities. The

array of fields or subfields is often referred to as the “encyclopedia,” what Muller defined for

theology as “the complete circle of theological knowing, organized not alphabetically but in

terms of the interrelationships of the several subject areas of theology.”2 The history of the

development of the theological encyclopedia throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth

centuries reveals competing views on the subdivision of the discipline.3 Jacob Paul von

subfields of theology identified by the early nineteenth-century Halle faculty in Germany

were exemplary, dividing theology into the disciplines of exegetical, dogmatic, historical, and

practical theology.

Within theology these disciplines could be plotted on a continuum between the two horizons

of protestant hermeneutics, with its emphasis on Sola Scriptura. On the one side lies the

horizon of Scripture and on the other the horizon of culture.5 Thus exegetical theology with

its program of explicating the meaning of the biblical text in its original contexts (historical,

literary, linguistic) is placed closest to the horizon of Scripture, while practical theology with

its agenda of exploring the implications of the faith for ministry and life within contemporary

contexts is placed closest to the horizon of culture. The discipline of systematic theology is

and so in some ways serves as a meta-discipline, even though it too is obviously influenced

by the cultural and scriptural horizons.6

Since the Reformation at least the priority and direction of order among these disciplines has

been clear within the Protestant church. The concern for Sola Scriptura placed emphasis on

the scriptural horizon. The direction of influence and authority was to proceed from the

scriptural horizon even if the issues of focus were obviously arising from the cultural horizon.

In this environment exegetical theology was given priority and there arose a sense that the

biblical text gave rise to theology. In reality though while Scripture was indeed the key

authority for the Protestant church, the interpretation of the text was still driven by the

concerns of exegetical theologians and the faith communities in which they lived. Greater

historical method” that dominated much of the modern era. The control of historical and

linguistic approaches to exegesis, however, was loosened in the second half of the twentieth

century, first with the shift from historical to literary and sociological approaches, and then

from literary and sociological approaches to ideological approaches. Methodologies for

reading the biblical text have increased considerably in the past few decades, showing the

interdisciplinary nature of biblical studies. It may be questioned whether all these forms of

biblical studies should still be considered exegetical theology, since the theological enterprise

does not always appear to be the goal of such methods, but in general those using these

methods have found ways to connect the results to theological reflection or at least to the

cultural horizon. This shift in biblical studies reveals that the direction of influence is not

In this context I have been prompted to ask: what does this artistic expression have to do with

theology? Or what does Marc Chagall have to do with Brevard Childs?

In the traditional approach to the theological encyclopedia, the cultural horizon has largely

been dominated by the discipline of practical theology, with its sub disciplines of missiology,

ethics, pastoral studies, homiletics, liturgics, etc. But the present conference which showcases

the fine arts and their contribution to faith reveals the need for space within the theological

encyclopedia for the fine arts as a reflection of and on the horizon of culture.

The fine arts have traditionally been incorporated into theological studies as part of

worldview studies which provides opportunities to reflect “Christianly” upon all of culture

and creation.7 In this approach theology creates a framework for how to engage the fine arts,

the biblical text, and this work seeks to trace some of the key contributions of the fine arts

and provide reflection on the enduring legacy of these contributions.

Just as theology, so the fine arts as an academic discipline has its own encyclopedia. It

appears that the sub-fields of literary, visual, musical, and dramatic arts have had the most

impact on the discipline of theology and so these sub-fields will be our focus as a way to

showcase the impact of the fine arts on disciplines of theology.

LITERARY ARTS

The literary arts have impacted the field of theology most likely due to the dominance of

textual forms (Bible, theological treatises) in the theological disciplines. The narrative

approach to systematic theology was fostered especially through the work of the Yale School,

This narrative approach is part of a broader trend of poetics within practical theology. Poetics

not only includes narrative elements (narrative structure, genre, plot, and characterization),

but also “the dynamics of image, metaphor, and symbols in the creation of art.”11 Donald

Capps’s intriguing volume The Poet’s Gift: Toward the Renewal of Pastoral Care, highlights

the resources available in poetry that move the theological discipline from abstract discourse

to immediate experience.12 Our own poetic practical theologian at McMaster Divinity

College, Phil Zylla, a disciple of Capps, showcases how poetry offers new ways to engage the

discipline of practical theology.13 So also narrative has influenced the field of homiletics,

leading to the narrative style of preaching.14

Methods related to the literary arts have exerted considerable influence upon the study of the

Mikhail Bakhtin,17 and other streams influenced by narrative study such as Autobiographical

and Perspective Criticism.18 The study of poetry has also impacted research on the Bible,

especially as seen in the work of Robert Alter, Adele Berlin, James Kugel, Wilfred Watson, as

well as the more recent work of F. W. Dobbs-Allsopp.19

Influence from the literary arts on the field of theology was natural due to the emphasis

within theology on text, whether the biblical text or the rich tradition of written theological

treatises throughout the two millennia of the church. But other forms of art have also

contributed to the study of theology and increasingly so in recent decades.

VISUAL ARTS

A relationship between theology and the visual arts is not difficult to trace since the visual

doctrine and instead in terms “of a picture, less a photograph than an impressionistic

painting.” Furthermore:

necessarily one of maturation. Further, the focus of the portrait is not on essence, a kernel in a

husk. Yet the portrait does try to capture the unity, the interrelation of features. The result, if

successful—the face staring out of the portrait—is ecclesiality.23

Citing the address of Langdon Gilkey to the Art Institute of Chicago, John Dillenberger

reminds us that art’s contribution to theology lies not merely in illustration of attained

knowledge, but in their approach to their craft since art “makes us see in new and different

ways, below the surface and beyond the obvious.”24 Dillenberger continues by highlighting

the key role that visual arts have played in the prolegomena and analysis of systematic

theologians ranging from Hans Urs von Balthasar and Paul Tillich to John Cobb and Mark C.

Taylor.

MUSICAL ARTS

Wendy Porter has provided a helpful overview of the close relationship between music and

theology, highlighting particularly “composers in the role of interpreter of the Bible,” since

the “composer, in writing sacred music, has had the unique opportunity of engaging

music enrich Christian thinking? How can it help us explore, discover, and understand more

approached their discipline.

individuals like Philip Stoltzfus who notes the role of music in the hermeneutical framework

of Schleiermacher, Karl Barth, and Ludwig Wittgenstein, and one can see a similar trend in

von Balthasar who draws on Mozart and the image of the symphony to describe theology.33

For Stoltzfus musical performance is akin to theology in that it “resists satisfactory

expression in propositional form.”34 Maeve Louise Heaney has leveraged the aesthetic

within the epistemological framework of Bernard Lonergan as the basis for drawing on

insights in music studies for theological method.35 The musical arts have also impacted the

sub discipline of exegetical theology. This impact is seen in the use of musical compositions

when tracing the reception history of biblical texts, for instance, the use of biblical texts and

themes in Handel’s Messiah.36 It is also seen in the rise of the field of archaeomusicology

DRAMATIC ARTS

As seen in the previous section on musical arts, the dynamics of performance have played a

role in shaping theological method and discovery and this extends as well to the dramatic

arts.38 The impact of dramatic performance is exemplified within practical and systematic

theology in von Balthasar’s five volume Theo-drama: Theological Drama Theory.39 In drama

he finds the dynamics that help capture the relationship within the Trinity as well as between

God and creation, using plot, characters, and dialogue. Interestingly, von Balthasar traces his

interest in the intersection between the arts and theology to his Jesuit training which he

considered “the desert of neo-scholasticism.”40 Kevin Vanhoozer is another who has

employed a dramatic model for understanding the role of doctrine within the church which

invites individuals and communities to participate in the drama of God’s renewal through

Jesus Christ.41

The impact of the dramatic arts, however, is also evident in exegetical theologians both on the

synthetic level of biblical theology and on the analytical level of biblical exegesis. N. T.

Wright uses the image of a Shakespearean drama to set the agenda for theological application

of the Scriptures. For Wright the Scriptures are the initial acts of a play lacking its final

Old Testament acts (creation, fall, redemption initiated), through an interlude (the

Intertestamental Period), and finally through three New Testament acts (redemption

accomplished, the mission of the church, and redemption completed).43 Many biblical

scholars have experimented with what has come to be known as Performance Criticism,

biblical traditions, is exemplified in a variety of exegetical works, whether on individual

pericopae,46 whole books,47 or canonical sections.48 This approach has highlighted

theatrical qualities within these texts.49

discipline of theology, from practical to systematic to biblical to exegetical theology. There

are several implications for the role of the arts in theology. First of all, the arts provide

models for understanding the task of theology, whether practical, systematic, biblical, or

exegetical theology. One can discern consistent influence from the arts on theological

prolegomena and biblical hermeneutics, which provide heuristic frameworks and

sensibilities, as well as methods and procedures for producing theology and interpretation.

Second, the arts also provide models for understanding the shape of theology so that the

actual content of theology can be described through artistic forms. Third, artistic expressions

of theology, canonical and otherwise, provide new interpretations of texts and theology that

can prompt further reflection on these theological sources and also encourage their

application within specific cultural contexts. Finally, participation in and enjoyment of the

arts have the potential to open up the minds and hearts of theologians for reading and

performing the foundational texts of the Christian tradition.

tracing the influence of the cultural disciplines of the arts, it is apparent that there is a need

for expansion of the disciplines of theology as well as the direction of influence which need

not be unidirectional. There is a role for the arts in the fusion of the cultural and scriptural

horizons.

Begbie, Jeremy. Resounding Truth: Christian Wisdom in the World of Music. EC. Grand

———. Voicing Creation’s Praise: Towards a Theology of the Arts. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark,