Crossroads: Art and Religion in American Life

Seven leading scholars and experts reveal the close ties between art and religion in American culture. From church-sponsored arts festivals to religious protests outside museums, religion and art often interact as dynamic forces in American life. Now, following up on a fascinating series of dialogues among artists, religious leaders, journalists, and scholars, an interdisciplinary group of distinguished thinkers investigates this complex relationship, looking for common ground and opportunities for cooperation between the arts and religion in America. Crossroads goes beyond media hype to explain both the historical roots and current realities of the ways people understand art and religion in their daily lives, and it places the sensational controversies into context, from an examination of the Brooklyn Museum protest to a conversation with leading artists about spirituality in their work. Featuring a preface by Garry Wills, Crossroads brings art and religion in American life—past, present, and future—into sharper focus. Black-and-white illustrations and figures throughout.

Contributors:
Paul DiMaggio, Princeton University
David Halle, University of California, Los Angeles
Neil Harris, University of Chicago
Peter Marsden, Harvard University
Sally Promey, University of Maryland
Amei Wallach, International Association of Art Critics
Robert Wuthnow, Princeton University

"Religious protest against grants awarded by the National Endowment for the Arts, or against exhibits that show radical or unconventional artifacts, prompt questions like this: Is there some longstanding antagonism between art and religion in America?" This question, posed by Garry Wills in his preface to Crossroads: Art and Religion in American Life, begins an insightful anthology of seven essays by prominent artists, art historians, and religious scholars. Their perspectives range from the empirical (David Halle's analysis of the controversial Sensation exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum of Art, including surveys showing that a controversial painting of the Virgin Mary was not, for most museumgoers, the most disturbing work in the show) to introspective (Amei Wallach's essay, based on a roundtable conversation with prominent artists, revealing spiritual concerns that the group holds in common, and expressing hope for richer public dialogue regarding the religious dimensions of their work). Crossroads is a valuable contribution to America's ongoing project of navigating the complex relationship between its aesthetic and spiritual ideals. --Michael Joseph Gross