Representing the gods: The role of art and feeling (Understanding religious language and the epistemology of religious belief through artistic representation)

This paper argues that we can fruitfully consider some central issues in ph ilosophy of religion through the lens provided by the literature in aesthet ics. Specifically, I argue that Mikel Dufrenne's theory of representation i n the arts can be usefully applied to representations of the sacred. The pa per seeks to trace some of the implications of this view for our understand ing of religious language and the epistemology of religious belief. It also aims to throw light on the religious power of art, including art which lac ks any explicitly religious content.