The Christian Imagination and the Question of Autonomous Art

Join Theopolis for the inaugural Gaudí Lecture , featuring renowned liturgical artist, writer, and public speaker Jonathan Pageau . In The Christian Imagination and the Question of Autonomous Art , Pageau will examine how the modern ideal of “art for art’s sake” has separated art from worship, culture, morality, truth, and beauty—or reduced it to a commodity valued chiefly for price and prestige. He will propose a deeper Christian vision in which liturgy and sacramentality shape the purpose, form, and practice of art. Through The Symbolic World , Pageau has helped a wide audience recover a symbolic vision of reality through conversations on religion, literature, art, culture, and the patterns that shape the common imagination. Inspired by the life and legacy of Venerable Antoni Gaudí, the Gaudí Lecture is a new annual series exploring the importance and enduring relevance of the Christian imagination and its role in shaping artistic practice, culture, and daily life.