Art-Making as Spiritual Practice: Rituals of Embodied Understanding

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Dr Lexi Eikelboom (Australian Catholic University, Australia) Dr David Newheiser (Florida State University, Florida, US)

Art-Making as Spiritual Practice

Rituals of Embodied Understanding

Dr Lexi Eikelboom (Australian Catholic University, Australia), Dr David Newheiser (Florida State University, Florida, US)

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English

Bloomsbury Academic
18 September 2025

Religious subjects depicted in art; Philosophy of religion; Theology; Spirituality & religious experience

Series: Expanding Philosophy of Religion

Is it possible to consider art-making as a spiritual practice independent of explicit religious belief or content? This open access collection establishes a new paradigm that changes the conversation surrounding the spiritual significance of art.

Where earlier research has focused on the religious significance of secular artworks, this innovative volume turns its attention to the role of the artist, and to specific examples of art practices, putting them into conversation with particular ritual practices.

By creating a web of connections that emerge across multiple disciplines and practices, a team of scholars and artist shed new light on the way art-making and ritual embody non-discursive forms of understanding. Drawing on the work of scholars who argue that ritual practice is central to religious identities, they use close analysis of specific examples to address philosophical issues about the nature of knowledge and spirituality and the relationship between them.

Bringing a practice-centered approach to the study of religion and the arts, this is a rich and in-depth examination of the possibility that art has spiritual meanings that are endemic to the practice of art-making itself.

The ebook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com. Open access was funded by the Templeton Religious Trust.

Edited by: Dr Lexi Eikelboom (Australian Catholic University Australia), Dr David Newheiser (Florida State University, Florida, US)
Imprint: Bloomsbury Academic
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm,
ISBN: 9781350474185
ISBN 10: 1350474185
Series: Expanding Philosophy of Religion
Pages: 328
Publication Date: 18 September 2025
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Lexi Eikelboom is a Senior Research Fellow in Religion and Theology at the Institute for Religion and Critical Inquiry at Australian Catholic University, Australia. David Newheiser is Associate Professor of Religion at Florida State University.

Reviews for Art-Making as Spiritual Practice: Rituals of Embodied Understanding

Art Making as Spiritual Practice offers a unique approach to the study of religion and the arts. By pairing theorists with practitioners, readers are able to peer into the ritualistic qualities of art making. -- S.B. Rodriguez-Plate, Professor of Religious Studies, Hamilton College, USA