Is „ecclesiastical art“ possible?

In this paper, we deal with the problem of the possibility of the existence of ecclesiastical art. We are investigating whether it is possible for a single work to be an integral part of the Church at the same time, in these terms we are talking about a living organism, the Church as a community of Christians whose head is Jesus Christ, and a work of art, and as such to be artistically and aesthetically observed and evaluated by the criteria of the secular world. We deal exclusively with the Christian Church and the so-called Christian ecclesiastical art, mainly on the example of icons. We take the position that the existence of ?ecclesiastical art? is impossible because it negates the very meaning of the work, its function, origin and everything that determines it. We show how the experience and naming of parts of the Church as ecclesiastical art leads to various paradoxes that clearly indicate the wrong essence of this term.

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Publication Details

Journal
Theoria Beograd
Published
2025-01-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.2298/theo2501195j
Primary Topic
Religious Tourism and Spaces
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

Is „ecclesiastical art“ possible?

Predrag Jaksic
Theoria Beograd
Religious Tourism and Spaces
article

Is „ecclesiastical art“ possible?

Predrag Jaksic
article en

Abstract

In this paper, we deal with the problem of the possibility of the existence of ecclesiastical art. We are investigating whether it is possible for a single work to be an integral part of the Church at the same time, in these terms we are talking about a living organism, the Church as a community of Christians whose head is Jesus Christ, and a work of art, and as such to be artistically and aesthetically observed and evaluated by the criteria of the secular world. We deal exclusively with the Christian Church and the so-called Christian ecclesiastical art, mainly on the example of icons. We take the position that the existence of ?ecclesiastical art? is impossible because it negates the very meaning of the work, its function, origin and everything that determines it. We show how the experience and naming of parts of the Church as ecclesiastical art leads to various paradoxes that clearly indicate the wrong essence of this term.

Theoria BeogradVol. 68(1)
Openalex Percentile: Top 93%
Religious Tourism and Spaces
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