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Final Paper Assignment prompt. Creativity Mixed with Holiness

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Final Paper Assignment prompt
An essay on the visual depiction of the deity
In this class we have considered the various ways in which the deity was depicted visually (or not) in Christianity, Islam and Judaism. What I would like you to do in this paper is to write about this issue from any point of view that you want and with any examples you would like to speak about (from the periods and cultures we have considered in this course). The overarching question is the following: why was it important to religion (any religion) to render God, the uncircumscribable, in material form? The mosaics in San Vitale in Ravenna provide a good example to consider this question from the point of view of Christianity: what were the visual forms in which God was depicted and why do you think they were chosen? Where were the images placed in the overall decorative scheme and what does their placement say about their meaning and function? The case of the Mosque would involve thinking about the word of God and how it is visualized in the building. Judaism was averse to the direct and literal depiction of the deity but are there any body parts (think hands) which are shown in the Dura Synagogue, for instance, with the implication that they belong to God? Why was the hand a denominator of the deity? You can concentrate on one confessional group or another or write about two or all three.
You may want to consider some of the following questions. These are suggestions for you to stimulate your thinking. It is not required that you answer any of them, but of course you can if you want to:
God is uncircumscribable and so isn’t a material rendering of God a contradiction in terms?
What is a portrait?
What role do God’s words play in religious art?
What is the relationship between the Holy Image and Holy Scripture?
What about the pagan practices of classical antiquity with regard to visualizing the gods: were any of these influential?

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Creativity Mixed with Holiness
Various religions have different unique ways of portraying their deity. Initially, the words of their gods or goddesses were only passed through verbalization. Hence, it was challenging to convey their messages to the public. However, when creativity was mixed with religion, the result was inevitable. People adore what they can envision, leading to the notion that people worship and believe what they can concretely see because these images give a mental stimulation (Morgenthaler). This paper discusses the function of visual arts and its impact on religion, especially in Catholicism.
History reveals that theologians are fearful of these mental images allowing them to manipulate the members of the church. Their fear comes from the idea that the mental images or the concrete images may overpower the belief of the people to the Word of God. In fact, some images became sacred as the members of the church blessed them with Holy Water and the Word of the Lord. This is especially true in Christianity (or even Judaism), making them prone to accusations such as idolatry. As soon as the mental images gain power over the mind of the members of the church, these images become unattractive and worse, detrimental.
Art, especially visual art, remains conspicuous even within the synagogues. This can be observed in all parts of their institution, from the stained-glass windows to the decorations that are meant to praise the Torah. Catholicism and Judaism diverge from the practice that the former acknowledges the concrete images and sculptures of the saints and Jesus Christ. This is due to the claims that it is vital in Catholicism to prompt their faith. Catholics argue that the second commandment that God gave Moses forbids humans to worship false idols using the graven images. Moreover, Catholics emphasize the power of images to drive people towards God. Artistic principles were used to convey the message of the Bible through stories since many people do not have the luxury to read or are illiterate CITATION Pas16 \l 1033 (Passey).
A mutual connection has been found between the Holy Scripture and the Holy Image. Visual images are recognized by Catholicism as “theology in color” parallel to the “theology in words.” This can be observed in the Book of Revelation and John that utilized literary devices and language to convey the message of the Lord. Thus, religious art is deeply guided by Biblical principles. Religious art is not limited to these books of the Bible. It has also been depicted from the beginning, which talks about the Tree of Life, to the motifs of Exodus, and other symbols of the Scriptures. These pieces of evidence serve as proof that the Scripture holds the truth through religious art, and sacred texts were a...
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