St. Augustine on the Visual Arts

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Hi,

St. Augustine's writings distiguish in detail what things are superstitious and which are not. He seems to allow all types of science and arts as long as there is no intention of communication to false gods. However in the area of the visual arts, in the writing cited below, Augustine seems to denounce the visual arts as "superfluous". An exception being perhaps, a technical reason to have a likeness made. But visual art for purposes of beauty, merely hanging a picture on the wall, this he seems to oppose. He calls visual art "superfluous" even though it is not superstitious, thus it is not either done out of "convenience" or "necessity" (words in the Chapter's title), and therefore to be avoided. Am I misreading his book? Does he retract this later? What does the Church say about his view on this if anything? I know pope John Paul II has written on the importance of the visual arts in Christianity.

QUOTE

"On Christian Doctrine, in Four Books, by St. Augustine.

BOOK 2 CHAP. 25.--IN HUMAN INSTITUTIONS WHICH ARE NOT SUPERSTITIOUS, THERE ARE SOME THINGS SUPERFLUOUS AND SOME CONVENIENT AND NECESSARY.

(Paragraph 38 omitted)

39. But in regard to pictures and statues, and other works of this kind, which are intended as representations of things, nobody makes a mistake, especially if they are executed by skilled artists, but every one, as soon as he sees the likenesses, recognizes the things they are likenesses of. And this whole class are to be reckoned among the superfluous devices of men, unless when it is a matter of importance to inquire in regard to any of them, for what reason, where, when, and by whose authority it was made. Finally, the thousands of fables and fictions, in whose lies men take delight, are human devices, and nothing is to be considered more peculiarly man's own and derived from himself than anything that is false and lying. Among the convenient and necessary arrangements of men with men are to be reckoned whatever differences they choose to make in bodily dress and ornament for the purpose of distinguishing sex or rank; and the countless varieties of signs without which human intercourse either could not be carried on at all, or would be carried on at great inconvenience; and the arrangements as to weights and measures, and the stamping and weighing of coins, which are peculiar to each state and people, and other things of the same kind. Now these, if they were not devices of men, would not be different in different nations, and could not be changed among particular nations at the discretion of their respective sovereigns.

40. This whole class of human arrangements, which are of convenience for the necessary intercourse of life, the Christian is not by any means to neglect, but on the contrary should pay a sufficient degree of attention to them, and keep them in memory."

UNQUOTE

Link to the full text:

http://www.leaderu.com/cyber/books/augocd/ocdb2c23-28.html

-- Mike H (michael.hitzelberger@vscc.cc.tn.us), February 28, 2003

Answers

Bump

-- Mike H (michael.hitzelberger@vscc.cc.tn.us), February 28, 2003.

I'm sure you're not misreading it. But remember that St. Augustine was not a Pope, and therefore his views and opinions are not (and never have been) to be considered infallible, or the only possible way of looking at things.

St. Thomas Aquinas did not accept the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception. But the Church later decided, well, whether St. Thomas liked it or not, it's true.

So we revere all of our great saints, but the Church always gets the "Final Answer"! :-)

-- Christine L. :-) (christine_lehman@hotmail.com), February 28, 2003.


Just for starters, let's look at the dictionary definition of superfluous:

Superfluous - Being beyond what is required or sufficient.

If we use this meaning when reading the text, I see no problem reconciling an appreciation for art (even believing that it can inspire greater faith) and believing that art is superfluous (not required) in our spiritual journey.

I don't think the statement should be read as an admonishment against religious art.

God bless you,

Mateo

-- (MattElFeo@netscape.net), February 28, 2003.


Mateo and Christine,

Thanks for your replies. I take Augustine's remarks as warnings that we can easily misuse the visual arts and ought to strive make their purpose one with Christ's purpose. I agree also that Augustine is not the final answer anymore than he is a Church unto himself. Although he is one of the best or the best reasoning and analytical Christian mind of his era. He may be somewhat biased by his love for words which he uses so well.

A similar mind spoke similar to Augustine in the Middle Ages:

QUOTE

"It is to this ignorance of the true God, coupled with an inordinate veneration for human excellence and the love of artistic representations appealing to the senses, that St. Thomas ascribes the origin of idolatry. While these are dispositive causes, the consummative cause, he adds, was the influence of demons who offered themselves as objects of worship to erring men, giving answers through idols and doing things which to men seemed marvellous (II- II:94:4)."

UNQUOTE

From the Catholic Encyclopedia under the heading " Superstition ".

I took issue with their apparent attack on visual arts as the "origin of idolotry" when one can easily use anything of God's creation to practise idolotry or superstition, including their beloved use of words. Perhaps both doctors of the Church had great sequential memories and perhaps were both devoid in spatial memory and so were biased. Or perhaps it is a fear of offending God in the First Commandment: "You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth"

Sincerely

-- Mike H (michael.hitzelberger@vscc.cc.tn.us), March 03, 2003.


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