Divine Generosity and Human Creativity: Theology through Symbol, Painting and Architecture

by David Brown

Nonetheless, I would suggest that the challenges continue, sometimes to ourselves as Christians to take a second look at Scripture and sometimes to the wider culture itself. So let me end with a few brief examples from contemporary British art: Tracey Emin on the horrors of abortion and Paula Rego on horrors resulting from its being banned;35 Douglas Gordon on Christian misuse of the Hebrew Scriptures;36 Marc Quinn’s celebration of the disabled in the heart of London;37 Chris Ofili on the potential for violence inherent in the story of the annunciation;38 Paula Rego on the difference between spiritual and physical beauty;39 environmental artists such as Andy Goldsworthy and Richard Long on the value of transient beauty, and so on.40 Not one of the artists is a practising Christian, yet all have important things to say to the Church. This all seems to raise in acute form that lack of constructive dialogue.41