Which itineraries in Europe?

“In the path towards modernity, the traditional relationship between modern art and Church ecclesiology was most affected by the claims and the ideology of contraposition”, declared Marcello Neri, Systematic Theology Professor at the Theological Faculty in Emilia Romagna (Italy). The review “Il Regno” published the scholar’s overview of the theological reality in Europe with a map of the paths followed by artistic expressions “within the challenge” of modern Catholicism. These relationships between theology and art appear to be bound to personal rather than institutional itineraries. Italy. To this regard Professor Neri recalls the work of Pierangelo Sequeri, who holds a chair in Fundamental Theology Theological Faculty in Northern Italy, and in theological aesthetics at the Academy of Fine Arts in Brera. “Indeed, the purpose of the literary series Aesthetica is to subsume and encompass the different cultural proposals”. The Theological Faculty in Central Italy ought to be taken into due consideration to this regard, as it offers the possibility of addressing the cultural and artistic heritage of Florence from a “theological perspective”, thanks to Timothy Verdon and Severino Dianich in particular, (deans of the master program in Church Theology and Architecture of the Atheneum).Austria. “The research projects developed by Gerhard Larcher and by his assistants at the Institute of Fundamental Theology in Graz largely mirrors the above-mentioned academic proposal, which in this case is more bound to the academic structure”, Neri declared. In this case, modern figurative art, filmography and the new forms of artistic expression are the main themes. Germany. Within the German language environment, “the path that most resembles classical dogmatic theology”, aimed at “triggering the aesthetic-artistic paradigm from inside”, is constituted by the volume Poetische Dogmatik (1995-2007) by Alex Stock, Professor Emeritus of theology and didactics at the University of Cologne. Of equal worth are the researches regarding the relationship between religion, new media and cinema, carried out by Joachim Valentin, adjunct Professor of Christian Religious and Cultural thought at the University of Frankfurt and director of the Haus am Dom academy of the diocese of Limburg (marked by in-depth examination of apocalyptics iconography). “The Haus am Dom in Frankfurt – Neri affirmed -is intended as place for public display of and debate on contemporary art, recovering one of the major roles played by Catholic academies within the cultural arena in a propositional key”.France. The Sèvres Jesuit centre in Paris activated an aesthetics Department chaired by Philippe Charru, that proposes academic specialization in various subjects, notably literature and music “highlighting the spiritual angle of artistic phenomenon set against the theological background”. “The Paris department, located in one of the most appealing artistic crossroads, probably represents one of the most advanced academic configurations of the relationship between faith and art in the European realm of Catholic theology”.Spain. Neri recalled the Benedictine monastery of Montserrat and the commitment of father Jordi-Augustí Piqué. “The monastic tradition – he said – has the remarkable potential to weave the fabric of artistic sensitivity into the realm of faith, putting together the elements conveyed by the great Christian tradition and the spiritual quality of contemporary and modern artistic production”.Conclusions. While “the relationship with the artistic dimension is given increasing relevance also by the authoritative word of the Church, that views it as a question pertaining to the realm of faith, theology still considers it as an occasional element” Neri remarked. Indeed, the ongoing “remarkable commitments for the preservation of artistic heritage” ought to be carried out “in conjunction with the acquisition of theological and aestetic knowledge enabling a serious and scholarly confrontation with contemporary artistic creation”. However, Professor Neri underlined, “the theological approach of the artistic phenomenon extends beyond a mere simplification of the faith itinerary” in contemporary society, with the purpose of occasioning dialogue “between human fundamentals and Christianity”.