Abstract
This article draws attention to the need for a theological approach to
sentimentality in the arts that is informed by context. During the Covid
pandemic, the value of sentimental artworks that afford respite and
distraction from the grim realities of death and disease has been
evident. To illustrate the dangers of absolutist, anti-sentimentalist
theological arguments that overlook the significance of context in such
circumstances, this article presents a challenge to the theological
‘countersentimentality’ set out by Jeremy Begbie. I argue that
condemning all sentimentality in contemporary culture as a ‘disease of
the feelings’ manifested in people and the arts, without paying
attention to the context in which people seek out sentimental artworks,
is inadvisable. Then, through analysis of two examples from literary
fiction, I illustrate the weaknesses of a theological
countersentimentality that evaluates artworks without reference to the
situation in which they were created and received.
Original language | English |
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Number of pages | 13 |
Journal | International Journal for the Study of the Christian Church |
Volume | Latest Articles |
Early online date | 2 Jun 2022 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 2 Jun 2022 |
Keywords
- Sentimentality
- Theological aesthetics
- Begbie
- Popular culture
- Literature
- Dostoevsky
- Escapism
- Emily in Paris
- Pandemic
- Dickens