Customer Reviews for Baker Academic God in the Gallery: A Christian Embrace of Modern Art

Within the evangelical community and circles of Christian faith, art is often viewed with skepticism, if not disdain. Art historian and former art gallery curator David Siedell presents a different perspective in this book. The latest book in the Cultural Exegesis series, God in the Gallery is a welcome addition to the scant volumes that cover an evangelical reflection on the arts and the aesthetic life. Siedell ultimately contends that art is not antithetical or hostile to Christianity. Instead, it's in dialogue with it as well as a gift as opposed to a threat to faith. The author extracts insights about worldviews from heavyweight thinkers such as philosopher David Naugle as well as Christian apologist Francis Schaeffer. Furthermore, he constructs a framework for interpreting modern art "in Christ." Siedell also examines the role of visual art in worship and Christian experience. The book is enhanced with images from such artists as Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock, Enrique Martmnez Celeya, and others.

God in the Gallery will serve as an essential text for Christian colleges that emphasize worldview thinking and integration of faith and learning and it will play a helpful role in curriculum development and will reshape the direction of campus art departments and galleries.

Daniel A. Siedell (Ph.D., University of Iowa), formerly curator of the Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, is assistant professor of modern and contemporary history, theory, and criticism at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He has published numerous articles in Books & Culture, Christian Scholar's Review, Studies in Religious Perspectives,and various other journals.