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Religion and the Arts in the Theology Of

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Abraham Joshua Heschel's theological vision reveals a profound yet overlooked understanding of how art and religion intertwine as complementary channels of sacred experience. Through systematic analysis of his writings on poetry, music, and plastic arts, clear patterns emerge showing how Heschel positioned artistic expression not as mere aesthetic pursuit but as instrumental to authentic religious life. Poetry, in his framework, provides the essential linguistic foundation for religious discourse - with indicative rather than descriptive language serving as the vehicle for transcendent meaning. His treatment of music acknowledges its unique resonance with existential mystery while cautioning against its potential spiritual hollowness when separated from religious context. The methodology encompasses comprehensive survey of Heschel's direct discussions of art forms alongside analysis of his broader theories on linguistic expression and religious-artistic interconnection. Notably, Heschel rejected both social need theories of artistic creation and purely symbolic interpretations of religious practice, instead grounding both artistic and religious experience in human encounter with the sublime. This responsive engagement, he argued, must be integrated with sacred obligation rather than pursued as autonomous aesthetic experience. His framework ultimately offers a distinctive theological perspective on how artistic sensibility can serve religious consciousness while maintaining divine revelation's primacy over human creativity.

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    Published 1973

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  • Publication Credits

    Avraham Holtz