Early Christian Art in Texas

No, this is not about an archaeological find in Texas, but readers in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area will be interested in this exhibit of early Christian art at the Kimbell Art Museum in Ft. Worth. Judy Warner sent me the link, plus another to this article in the National Review On-Line about the exhibit. An excerpt:

One of the things that makes this exhibit so intellectually complex and theologically rewarding is the inclusion of a section on Jewish art. The exhibit contains both artifacts and photographic displays from Jewish synagogues, in which one can see depictions of menorahs, the ark of the Torah, and scenes from the Jewish scriptures, especially the stories of Daniel, Noah, and the sacrifice of Isaac. The evidence indicates that not all Jewish communities in the Hellenized, Roman world were averse to images and thus refutes the common assumption that the Decalogue’s prohibition of “graven images” led to a total Jewish ban on the crafting of images. That assumption in turn has influenced a host of scholars of early Christianity who have insisted that the late development of Christian art indicates that artistic representation was foreign to the theology of the early church and that it involves a paganization of Christianity.

There is, alas, one grave limitation to the exhibit; it is exclusive to the Kimbell. So, if you want to see this remarkable collection, you will have to make your way to the DFW area sometime between now and March 30, 2008.

It would certainly be worth the trip to encounter a display of such staggering scope, beauty, and theological significance. One can only hope that this art exhibit will have ramifying implications in other parts of the academic world. Instead of now tired debates about the paganization of the early church, this exhibit attends to the way in which early Christian art drew upon late Roman art and the Jewish repertory of Old Testament subjects seen as foreshadowing the life of Christ.

Comments

[Beth]

We are hoping to visit this exhibit when we go see my mother-in-law in a couple of weeks, after finals. If others attend before then, I'd love to hear about particular items of interest to be sure to see.

[Joseph]

I live a whopping 1/2 mile away. Guess I should go.

[Isamashii Yuubi (Courageous Grace)]

hmmm...maybe hubby and I aught to go by at some point after baby's born....only about an hour away...

[Nick Milne]

hmmm...maybe hubby and I aught to go by at some point after baby's born....only about an hour away...

You're reading Mere Comments in the delivery room? That's heroic.

;)

[Isamashii Yuubi (Courageous Grace)]

Hmm...I realize now that comment made no sense...I claim "baby ate my brain syndrome"

I meant that the Kimball is only about an hour's drive away from my Dallas apartment...lol.

I'm not due for another 5 weeks or so.

[cynthia curran]

Well, i think there is Jewish art back to the first century, but the Herodians were iduemnians, and while practicing the Jewish religions also respect greek and roman art. I also seen paintings of Jewish syongogues in a late period-6th century. Also, Christ in early christian art has no beard and is usually the good shepard and sometimes pictures as Orephus. What is interesting is that Euesbius mentions about a statue made of Christ and the women he healed of her blood infirmaity. However, while he isn't against images of Christ per say, he thought the sister of Constantine should not seek to have a certain image of Christ because it would lead to Idoality. Maybe, it was too close to the real Christ and usually even in the 4th century Jesus Christ still looked more Roman than Jewish.