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Writer's pictureAhmed Kheder

Art and Religion... What We Need to Know!

Updated: Oct 2

As a visible religion, Art communicates religious beliefs, morals, and values through iconography and depictions of human existence. The significance of art is in its ability to reflect the contemporary projection of emerging cultural attitudes in connection with cultural and religious values.


An Exploration of the intersection between Art and Religion



The partnership of Art and Religion remains a complex enigma

Religion and Art are similar in terms of the utilization of an emotional approach to appeal the public attention.

The partnership of Art and religion remains a complex enigma. Religion and art stand for empowering the artist and the viewer in transcending the rational existential.


Art which favors the primacy of the image is differentiated as sacramental, creative, and intuitive, while religion which prefers the primacy of the word, and labeled as legalistic, pragmatic, and rational in language and cultural reception.


While Religion represents a stimulus for the emotional nature of human beings toward understanding the origin of existence, Art connection with feelings is privileged by the naming of the philosophy of beauty as "aesthetics." The English word aesthetic is derived from the Greek root aisthetikos, meaning "to be sensitive" in the etymological context of "coming to know through the senses." Conversely, the term "anaesthetic" numbs the human ability to have feelings.

Art and religion, in coordination with the fundamental reality, challenge the centricity of traditional cultural values.


The deciphering and evaluation of art and religion encourage the innocent eye to be open to the multivalent meanings and influences of art upon religion and of religion on art.


This article signifies investigations into the role, and place of art in religion(s).

As a mode of creative expression and emotional communication, art is an emotional philosophy and a message intended for public guidance.


Impossible regularization or definition of art and religion in a static form.

Enigmatically, art can recognize and project the essence and significance of a spiritual experience through form, thereby engendering a tangible record that informs the initiation or repetition of the original spiritual moment.


The intimacy between art and religion has prevailed beyond humanitarian illumination, transformations, and mutations, also, the intercommunion between art and religion has endured individual diversification.


Nonetheless, this impossible regularization or definition of art and religion in a static form may be interpreted as an inappropriate movement towards an amorphous entity.


From their inexplicable differences within individual cultures to their inherent and unconscious manifestations in the human psyche, the numerous definitions of art and religion exist unrevivably in the secular societies of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.


Art is a timeless message from the artist to his viewers, a true artist actually uses an emotional approach to define or redefine what is moral and what is not, the artist also practices art as a religion, an illuminating ritual to visualize the path of humanity towards a brighter future.


Art as a visible Religion...

While it may be obvious that Art impacts you emotionally, understanding that humanity's Belief in religious metaphysical matters was established by triggering auditory or visual emotional pathways would change the way we see Art.


Yes, Arts and Religion target affecting Humanity's emotions to enhance delivering their message to the hearts. For example, Psalms are sacred songs or hymns, in particular any of those contained in the biblical Book of Psalms and used in Jewish worship.


The reading of psalms is viewed in Jewish tradition as a vehicle for gaining God's favor. They are thus often specially recited in times of trouble, such as poverty, disease, or physical danger, Psalms actually trigger auditory sensory stimulation of human emotions.


Also, recitation of the Holy Quran, via auditory emotional effect, contributes to the release of endorphins by stimulating alpha brain waves. Therefore, it enhances the stress threshold, removes negative emotions, and creates a sense of relaxation.


Christianity not only utilized the Psalms for emotional stimulation, but Christianity also triggered visionary emotional stimulation, we see extensive utilization of painting and sculpting in Christianity's approach to its followers' feelings. Images of Jesus and narrative scenes from the Life of Christ, the Virgin Mary, and saints are the most common subjects. Christianity makes far wider use of images than related religions, in which figurative representations of the Prophets are forbidden, such as Islam and Judaism.



Abstract Artists' Theosophical Doctrine...

The Theosophical Society, founded in 1875, is a worldwide body to advance the ideas of Theosophy in continuation of previous Theosophists, especially the Greek and Alexandrian Neo-Platonic philosophers dating back to the 3rd century CE. It also encompasses wider religious philosophies like Vedānta, Mahāyāna, Qabbalah, and Sufism.



 the Theosophical Society in 1875. Helena Blavatsky
the Theosophical Society in 1875.


The theosophical society did not find better than abstract art to get represented to the public, via Hilma Af Klint's abstract paintings, the so-called "high masters" of theosophy were trying to send a message to humanity, as Hilma believed.


Furthermore, Wassily Kandinsky openly acknowledges that his art theories are based on the occult teachings of Helena Blavatsky, the founder of Theosophy, and author of The Secret Doctrine. he wrote in 1918 “I got everything from the Secret Doctrine of Blavatsky. Now we can see, even the Luciferian "daemonic" secret doctrine is targeting via abstract art the human visionary-related emotions.


When we look closely at metaphysical attempts to affect humanity via the emotional auditory and visionary pathways, we understand how critical the rule of emotions on a human being is, and we understand why art in all its forms a great matter is.


From now on, when you stand in front of an artwork, remember, that the artist may be an amateur, a professional, or furthermore a believer.


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