Connection Between Religion And Art

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The fact that we have the ability to conceive of the "as if' is a central fea¬ ture of human consciousness. Imagining, and being able to think of what is not the case, are clear instances of how fundamental this ability is to human thought. We can make it as though things are impinging upon consciousness when they are not, and this ability is one we put to use in a variety of ways. One of the possibilities for us, in this respect, is the creation of "as if' worlds that there is the possibility of us entering for their own sake. We can create situations and objects that are not the same as other situations and objects but which are like them. Moreover, we can see and respond to the likenesses we create although knowing they are only likenesses (1981, 177). …show more content…
The products of imagination are differentiated from the products of the secular artistic imagination by their special psychological status of holiness and are proclaimed to be true, while art is always recognized as illusion. Thus, religion can be defined as that form of art which is claimed to be not just beautiful, but also true. What may be unique in the artistic process through which religion is created is that the creators of religion ascribe their artistic achievements to divine sources. The question of "truth" is central to both religion and art, though in different ways. Adherents of a religion believe in the literal truth of its claims. Art audiences are likely to speak of "artistic truth," which is quite different. Following Freud ([1927, 1961) we may suggest that whatever truth there is in religion and art must be psychological