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Kenyatta University *
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7030
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Medicine
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Nov 24, 2024
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Uploaded by mercy4321
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How do classical themes and symbols continue to be incorporated into Christian art and
architecture?
Student’s Name
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How do classical themes and symbols continue to be incorporated into Christian art and
architecture?
Classical themes and symbols in art and architecture refer to the arts and architecture with
a Classical influence. In religious art and architecture, the Roman and Ancient Greek temple architecture and the municipal, military, and religious buildings of the Roman Empire served as the origins of classicism. A variety of traditional forms, including columns with definite proportions and ornamentation, are included in the style. Classicism is also characterized by symmetry, proportion, and the link between the parts and the whole. This paper discusses how classical themes and symbols continue to be incorporated into Christian art and architecture.
Christianity was a mysterious developing religion in the Roman cities at the start of the fourth century. It was converting people from various social classes. Cultural exchange with the world of the Greco-Roman benefited Christian theology and art (Stockstad., 2018). But Constantine, who brought art and symbolism into the church, would play a pivotal role in the drastic transformation of Christianity.
Symbolism predominated in the earliest Christian artwork.
It was enough to depict a fish to make a Christ-related allusion merely. The Eucharist was symbolized by bread and wine.
Christian artists have continued to use symbolism and artworks to express their beliefs or represent Biblical events and Christian philosophies over the years. Their artwork frequently aims to leave an impression on the audience. Some art pieces serve as devotionals, inspiring viewers to reflect profoundly on their faith and values. Other pieces aim to instruct the viewer. Some artworks use drama and emotion to evoke feelings of love, dread, or respect in the audience for Christianity (Pieter., 2019). And certain pieces of art are employed in Christian rites. An example of art used in the contemporary church is baptism using water. In Christianity,
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water symbolizes a new beginning. As a result, religious authorities continue to employ water as a symbol of new life in Christianity during baptism. Water serves as a powerful representation of
innocence and the start of life. Those who believe and accept Jesus are baptized in his name, just as John the Baptist baptized Jesus in water. The church also has different arts and architectures, such as the cross, which depicts the story of Jesus’s crucifixion for our sins; the alpha and omega; ichthys, among many others.
Conclusion
Generally, Christians tend to feel comfortable and at peace when engaging with Christian
works of art, symbolism, and architecture. The encounter that art calls us to is a spiritual gift that may help us develop a closer relationship with God. Because of this, despite the world upheaval, Christian themes and symbols have stayed timeless.
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References
Pieter Bruegel the elder: Religious art for the urban community. Barbara A. Kaminska. Art and material culture in medieval and Renaissance Europe 15. Leiden: Brill, 2019. xiv + 242 pp. €121.
Stokstad,
M. (2018). An introduction to medieval art.
Medieval Art
, 1-
12.
https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429495038-1