Transformationen der antiken Ästhetik im frühen Christentum
Book Description
This scholarly exploration reveals how early Christianity fundamentally transformed ancient aesthetic concepts rather than simply rejecting visual art outright. Contrary to widespread assumptions about early Christian iconoclasm, author Kunibert Bering demonstrates that the first centuries of Christianity witnessed a profound reshaping of pagan artistic traditions that would establish the foundation for European art concepts in subsequent eras.
The study examines how Church Fathers navigated complex questions surrounding imperial portraits, pagan statuary, and the broader evaluation of contemporary and historical art. These early Christian thinkers grappled with essential theological questions about humanity as the image of God while seeking to understand the origins of art and visual representation itself.
Bering's research encompasses the practical challenges faced by early Christians, from ancestral portraits and saint veneration to church decoration and the broader art world of their time. The investigation draws upon the rich visual culture of late antiquity, including architectural sources, to illuminate how two pivotal controversies in early Church history - the Trinitarian debates and Iconoclasm - were fundamentally conducted through imagery and visual metaphor.
Spanning from Middle Platonic concepts of art and image through the Iconoclastic period to the Libri Carolini and medieval visual traditions, this work offers fresh insights into how spiritual communities negotiate the relationship between sacred belief and artistic expression across cultural transformation.
Who Is This For?
📖 Reading Level: Short (< 200 pages) (~5 hours)
📄 Length: 197 pages
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore History
- ✓ Explore Ästhetik
- ✓ Explore Christian art and symbolism
- ✓ Explore Christianity
- ✓ Explore Kunst
- ✓ Explore Medieval
- ✓ Explore Christianity and art
- ✓ Explore Frühchristentum
