Augustine, in his Confessions exhorted, “If I find Thee without memory, then am I unmindful of Thee. And how now shall I find Thee, if I do not remember Thee?” (10.17.26). He believed that God could not be sought or attained without memory. It is here, for me, where the true nature and function of art intersects with theology. Beyond pleasure, pedagogical function, and political statement, art functions first and foremost as an expression and embodiment of human memory and drawing upon that memory, conveys an infinitely larger and greater reality.
On Wed., Jan. 20, 2010, Candler Office of Student Programming hosted a guided tour and lunch discussion around the “Scripture for the Eyes” exhibit at the Michael C. Carlos Museum. The exhibit, on display since October, featured sixteenth century Bible illustrations from Old and New Testaments. The exhibit ended on January 24.
During our lunch discussion after the guided tour, we were able to discuss those pieces within the exhibit that caused us pause, confusion, or interest. In particular, we discussed an illustration housed within the Worship section of the exhibit, Circumcision Enframed by the Text of Psalm 6 (Hieronymus Wierix after Melchior Model, before 1604). The text of the Psalm was written in a continuous scroll of letters in a labyrinth pattern around a scene from the Passion – the circumcision of Christ. One had to draw in close to the illustration to see that the labyrinth pattern within the art was created by the actual words of the psalmist. Dr. Joel LeMon, Assistant Professor of Old Testament, guided our discussion and reminded us that Psalm 6 is one of the seven Penitential Psalms. These psalms were recited to express sorrow for one’s sin. Here, the engraver cleverly plays off Augustine’s idea of a circumcision of the heart by juxtaposing the Psalm with the image of Christ’s circumcision. The illustration serves to guide the reader through the words of the prayer with the form of the labyrinth, thereby turning the soul away from sin and toward God. This piece, in particular, made me realize that some art is not only Scripture for the eyes, but also the heart.
Robin Jensen, historian of Christian art, in her book, The Substance of Things Unseen says, “We need to become visually literate as much as we are verbally literate if we are to become more fully aware, insightful, and receptive to messages from both the secular and the sacred realms.” As someone very interested in a critical engagement of the arts, this type of extra-curricular experience, along with coursework like ST618 Theology of Art and Architecture taught by Dr Steffen Lösel, Associate Professor in the Practice of Systematic Theology, and a possible MDiv concentration in Theology and the Arts has affirmed my decision to study at Candler School of Theology and to continue my personal investigation into why humans endeavor to give visual, musical and literary expression to the nature of God.
Post contributed by Kim Jenne, 1st year MDiv
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