Contexts of Altar Flowers: A Contribution to a Theology in Construction
Flowers are placed on the altar in many Christian churches. However, while many other items on the altar have given rise to a vast body of theological research, this is not the case with altar flowers. In this article the author makes a constructive contribution to the theology of altar flowers and...
| Subtitles: | "Polin Issue: Religion - Memory and Innovation" |
|---|---|
| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
|
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2024
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| In: |
Approaching religion
Year: 2024, Volume: 14, Issue: 1, Pages: 55-70 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Flower
/ Altars
/ Theology
/ Liturgy
/ Visual imagination
/ Spirituality
|
| IxTheo Classification: | CB Christian life; spirituality CE Christian art NAA Systematic theology RA Practical theology RC Liturgy |
| Further subjects: | B
visual images
B Altar flowers B Liturgy B Ecospirituality B culture theology |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | Flowers are placed on the altar in many Christian churches. However, while many other items on the altar have given rise to a vast body of theological research, this is not the case with altar flowers. In this article the author makes a constructive contribution to the theology of altar flowers and looks at the contexts in which altar flowers are imagined and how these can help to illustrate theological elements. Two initial contexts for altar flowers are assumed: the liturgical and the extra-liturgical, suggesting that altar flowers hold particular meanings both for those who know the Christian story, and equally for those who do not. It is suggested that a role which seems merely decorative is not that after all, as deeper Christian meanings can be offered in both contexts. Moreover, altar flowers as objects of nature have the capacity to speak to new groups of people on urgent contemporary themes. Finally, it is suggested that altar flowers may also bridge a divide between the secular and sacred. Apart from contributing to the construction of a theology of altar flowers, a deeper understanding of the intersections of aesthetics, faith and reason is sought. |
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| ISSN: | 1799-3121 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Approaching religion
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.30664/ar.132078 |