3 August 2026

There has always been an ambivalence to art within the church. But the opening chapter of the Bible encourages us not only to see that God is the Creator but we are all made in the image of God.

As such, we participate in the creativity of God. We do this in all sorts of different ways - art, music, dance and drama. These are human activities which stretch back to pre-historic  times.

Historically, the Church has had two problems with art. At various times in its history it has taken a dislike to religious art and art of any form within the worship space.  

Hence the two great iconoclasms. In the eighth century, the Eastern  Church was split over the issue of icons in the worship space. In the sixteenth century, the Western Church was split at the Reformation over the use of images.

Objections to religious art all stem from the prohibition enshrined in the Ten Commandments. The first four are about God and the second reads, ‘You shall not make for yourself any idol, nor bow down to it or worship it.’

This commandment has encouraged people to think that they shouldn’t make any representation of God nor Jesus but the point of the commandment is not to prohibit  a celebration of God and his works in art but the displacement of God by works of art!