Aesthetics of recognition in contemporary religious art

Abstract This paper presents the aesthetics of recognition as the most appropriate approach for discerning the religious potentiality (of a Christian nature) in a significant part of contemporary art. To do so, it is necessary to understand the mechanisms, functions, and forms of recognition, to distinguish between profane, sacred, and religious art, to critically analyze the aesthetic model of the Catholic Church rooted in the concept of Neoplatonic beauty, and to propose an alternative procedure. The alternative procedure serves two purposes: first, to reveal the religious aspect of a substantial segment of contemporary culture that has been largely overlooked; and second, to prevent the confusion that arises from the inclusion of religious works in churches and liturgies, giving the impression that they are sacred. Such confusion is widespread and detrimental to the sacramental experience of faith.