Art, Desire, and God - (Expanding Philosophy of Religion) by Kevin G Grove & Christopher C Rios & Taylor J Nutter (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Bringing together thinkers from philosophy of religion, religious studies, music, art, and film, while drawing on a wealth of phenomenological resources and methods, a team of renowned scholars provide new vantages on the question of how art is an expression of the human desire for God.

In three interrelated parts, chapters employ phenomenological tools to propose new ways for speaking of the desire for God. Scholars first draw upon music, sculpture, film, and painting to develop ways of expressing diverse philosophical and religious aspects characteristic of aesthetic experience. The discussion then opens up to examine the mystical and wounded aspects of embodied interface with God. The final part investigates embodied aesthetic praxis in philosophy of religion and religious studies.

With several contributions engaging with the embodied, aesthetic experience of underrepresented voices, Art, Desire, and God offers constructive phenomenological bridges across divides of disciplines, aesthetic experiences, and embodied actions.

Review Quotes

Art and art practice necessarily involve the phenomenological. However, scholarly introductions to this inherent aspect (or requirement) of the arts rarely engage this reality with sufficient depth, let alone creativity and attention. Art, Desire, and God sets a high standard for studies in aesthetics, showing how art, phenomenology, and theology are mutually donative, helping us become better at seeing things in and of themselves.
Rebekah Lamb, Lecturer, Theology and the Arts, University of St Andrews, UK

About the Author

Kevin G. Grove is Assistant Professor of Systematic (Philosophical) Theology at the University of Notre Dame, USA.

Christopher Rios-Sueverkruebbe holds a Ph.D. in theology from the University of Notre Dame, USA.

Taylor J. Nutter holds a Ph.D. in theology from the University of Notre Dame, USA.