God In The Gallery

Unfortunately, within certain Christian communities, art is often viewed with skepticism, if not disdain. Art historian, critic, and curator Daniel Siedell presents a different perspective in God in the Gallery: A Christian Embrace of Modern Art. The latest book in the Cultural Exegesis series, God in the Gallery is a welcome addition to the scant volumes that cover an evangelical reflection on the arts and the aesthetic life. Siedell ultimately contends that art is not antithetical or hostile to Christianity. Instead, it's in dialogue with it as well as a gift as opposed to a threat to faith. The author extracts insights about worldviews from thinkers ranging from Francis Schaeffer to David Naugle. Furthermore, he constructs a framework for interpreting modern art "in Christ." Siedell also examines the role of visual art in worship and Christian experience. The book is enhanced with images from such artists as Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock, Enrique Martinez Celaya, and others.

God in the Gallery will serve as an essential text for Christian colleges that emphasize worldview thinking and integration of faith and learning; in addition, it will play a helpful role in curriculum development and will reshape the direction of campus art departments and galleries. In sum, professors and students of art, aesthetics, theology, and the intersection of faith and culture will appreciate this dialogue.

"Dan Siedell is an exceptionally thoughtful and articulate observer of the very difficult intersection of religious belief and contemporary art. The book is full of unexpected and promising confluences. This is a tremendous book, a genuine effort at dialogue in an arena marked by the near-complete absence of open exchange."--James Elkins, School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Daniel Siedell (PhD, University of Iowa) formerly curator of the Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln), is assistant professor of modern and contemporary art history at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He has published numerous articles in Books & Culture, Christian Scholar’s Review, Studies in Religious Perspectives and various art journals.