The Meaning of Art

"Many people say that while religions may differ in their outward forms, they are identical in their essential content. As Chesterton has observed, this view is precisely backward. The forms of religion often are the same--patterns of worship and sacrifice, shared symbols such as blood and serpents. The difference is the content, what these forms mean. A statue of a woman with a child might represent an actual family, a fertility goddess, or the Virgin Mary, who, in turn might be thought of as a heavenly intercessor or simply as a biblical example of faith. Problems generally inhere not in the work of art--Jeremiah says of the physical objects that had been turned into idols, 'Do not fear them; they can do no harm nor can they do any good' (Jer. 10:5). Interpretation is always necessary, as is careful theological reflection."

Gene Edward Veith, State of the Artss