Representing the gods: the role of art and feeling
MARK WYNN a1 a1 School of Philosophy, Australian Catholic University, PO Box 247, Everton Park, QLD 4053, Australia
Abstract
This paper argues that we can fruitfully consider some central issues in
philosophy of religion through the lens provided by the literature in aesthetics.
Specifically, I argue that Mikel Dufrenne's theory of representation in the arts can
be usefully applied to representations of the sacred. The paper seeks to trace some
of the implications of this view for our understanding of religious language and the
epistemology of religious belief. It also aims to throw light on the religious power of
art, including art which lacks any explicitly religious content.
