Crucifixions and Resurrections of the Image: Christian Reflections on Art and Modernity - Softcover

George Pattison offers theological reflections on a range of works of art and films which have attracted wide discussion such as Anthony Gormley's 'Angel of the North'. Pattison takes seriously the modernist movement in art and constitutes an argument for its continuing relevance. The book centres on artists active in the mid- to late twentieth century, whose work reflects both the cultural and social crises of that era - Beuys, Rothko, Kiefer, Natkin and film directors such as Bergman and Tarkovksy. The studies are contextualized in broader reflections on modern art that suggest 'the death of God' as a motif that links theology and modern art itself. This enables a Christian theological engagement with works that often appear alien or even hostile to Christian faith. George Pattison takes the secular seriously in its own right, arguing that both secular art and theological reflection are often different but related responses to a common existential situation.

The Revd Prof. George Pattison is the Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity at the University of Oxford and a canon of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford. He has spoken on theology and the arts in many public as well as academic contexts (e.g., The National Gallery, the Tate Gallery, Tate Modern) and has given a number of broadcast talks on the arts on the BBC.