A Wounded Innocence

What is the theological significance of art? Why has the Church always encouraged the arts? What is so profoundly human about the arts? In A Wounded Innocence Alejandro R. García-Rivera answers these questions in a series of "sketches" that are mixed spiritual and theological reflections on various works of art written in a poetic style. These reflections explore the relationship between the multi-dimensional spiritual and the arts.

The first “sketch,” “The Beginning of Art,” introduces the rest that go on to explore further the human, artistic, and theological implications of a wounded innocence. Each “sketch” reflects on a particular human work of art. Some are conventional works of art. Others may never find their way into a museum but, then, that is one of the implications coming out of this book. A museum does not define what a work of art is, its human depth does. In these deeply studied yet spiritually written reflections on each work of art, it is hoped that the reader will find his and her own creative depth described, perhaps even revealed.

A Wounded Innocence is both inspiring and informative. Readers will learn about art, spirituality, and theology, and will find themselves inspired to look at works of art, and even to produce a work of art. It sets a new way of doing theology that is at the same time spiritual. More importantly, García-Rivera describes a theology of art.

Chapters are “The Beginning of Art,” “The End of Art,” “Human Freedom and Artistic Creativity,” “Heaven-with-Us,” “The Human Aspect of Atonement,” “The Tyger and the Lamb,” and “A Wounded Innocence.” Includes black and white art.

Alejandro R. García-Rivera, PhD, is associate professor of systematic theology at the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley. The author of numerous articles, he also wrote a Catholic Press Association award-winning book on theology and aesthetics titled The Community of the Beautiful (The Liturgical Press).