Imagining the Divine: Exploring Art in Religions of Late Antiquity across Eurasia ed. by Jaś Elsner and Rachel Wood

A comparative analysis of religious art from late antiquity reveals that material objects played a pivotal role in shaping religious experiences, challenging traditional text-based theological interpretations. The study, spanning from Ireland to India, examines how diverse religions—including Christianity and Islam—employed imagery, parerga (frames and attributes), and codices to mediate encounters with the divine. It highlights inconsistencies in scholarly approaches, such as the dichotomy between affective and intellectual responses to scripture, while emphasizing the need for interdisciplinary collaboration to fully grasp the religio-historical significance of material culture.

Anderson, B. (2022). Imagining the Divine: Exploring Art in Religions of Late Antiquity across Eurasia ed. by Jaś Elsner and Rachel Wood. Journal of Late Antiquity, 15(1), 310–312. https://doi.org/10.1353/jla.2022.0012