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What Is Beauty?

An Introduction to Art and Aesthetics

Dennis P Bray James K. Dew Jr. W. Paul Franks James K. Dew

$57.95   $48.95

Paperback

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English
IVP Academic
09 June 2026
Does beauty really exist? What is the nature and value of art? What makes someone an artist? What is the artist's place in the church?

Dennis Bray explores these questions and more in What Is Beauty?, an introductory textbook on art and aesthetics from a Christian perspective. This volume of the Questions in Christian Philosophy series provides one of the only inviting and accessible introductions to the basic questions surrounding aesthetics and philosophy of art without sacrificing academic rigor.

What you'll find in What Is Beauty?:

an introductory-level textbook perfect for undergraduates or anyone new to aesthetics and Christian philosophy

examination centered around three major questions: How is God beautiful? What is art? Who is the artist?

additional resources for readers who want to go deeper into aesthetics and philosophy

tools to evaluate and cultivate your aesthetic taste from a Christian perspective

Written with clarity and accessibility, What Is Beauty? offers students and educators a thought-provoking exploration of key themes in the philosophy of art. Perfect forclassrooms and Christian artists alike, this book invites readers to reflect deeply on the relationship between beauty, art, and faith.

This book offers invaluable insights for undergraduate philosophy students, professors, and those exploring the intersection of faith and the arts. Readers will gain a deep understanding of how beauty reflects God’s character, why art holds significance, and how artists are called to serve both the church and the world.

About the Series

The Questions in Christian Philosophy series features introductory textbooks that offer students a Christian perspective on the various branches of philosophy, enabling them as they seek to understand all facets of life including existence, knowledge, ethics, art, and more.
By:  
Series edited by:   , ,
Imprint:   IVP Academic
Country of Publication:   United States
Dimensions:   Height: 229mm,  Width: 152mm,  Spine: 15mm
Weight:   21g
ISBN:   9781514002360
ISBN 10:   1514002361
Series:   Questions in Christian Philosophy
Pages:   232
Publication Date:  
Audience:   General/trade ,  ELT Advanced
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active

James K. Dew Jr. (PhD, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary; PhD, University of Birmingham) is president and professor of Christian philosophy at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the coauthor of Philosophy: A Christian Introduction and Understanding Postmodernism: A Christian Perspective and the coeditor of God and Evil: The Case for God in a World Filled with Pain and God and the Problem of Evil: Five Views. Dennis Bray (PhD, University of St Andrews) is a philosophical theologian who integrates insights from philosophy, biblical and systematic theology, history, and the empirical sciences. He is assistant professor of theology at Taylor University.

Reviews for What Is Beauty?: An Introduction to Art and Aesthetics

""This book is full of insights. Written by a trained philosopher, it mounts a thoughtful defense of the link between beauty and the divine. There are many vehicles facilitating this connection. One of them is imagination. Art can illuminate our world, and the best artists do this remarkably. Drawing from ancient philosophy, modern fantasy, and especially the Bible, Dennis Bray introduces the reader to the way 'beauty will save the world' (Dostoevsky)."" William Edgar, professor emeritus at Westminster Theological Seminary ""When most people use the word 'beautiful,' they’re expressing a feeling. Do we ever think clearly about what we mean—and how our feeling is related to the art we encounter—especially current day artworks? What do we think and feel about works of art that confuse or frustrate our longing for beauty? These and other questions are handled exceptionally well in Dennis Bray's new book, What Is Beauty? This book goes far beyond simply attempting to answer the question in its title—it givesthe reader a foothold in a virtual landslide of contemporary ideas and issues surrounding art and the problematic status of the beautiful over the past hundred years or more. Bray's fresh take on ancient questions surrounding beauty is instructive not only for undergraduates but for any thinker who has ever questioned their own or another's evaluation of a work of art. This book will do for the careful reader what genuine education always seeks. It will enable you to think well and clearly—a skill badly needed in a muddled world in which truth and beauty are seemingly AWOL."" Bruce Herman, painter, professor of art emeritus at Gordon College, and author of Makers by Nature ""What do we mean when we say that humans crave beauty? What makes a work of art worthy of our attention? Are all of us meant to be artists, or is this a particular vocation? Dennis P. Bray guides readers through complex terrain without unnecessarydetours, engaging aesthetic questions with charity and clarity. Drawing on biblical theology, philosophy, and real-life examples, he invites readers not only to appreciate beauty but to shape a beautiful life. This volume is accessible and illuminating, and for many readers, liberating."" Justin Ariel Bailey, dean of chapel and professor of theology at Dordt University and author of Discipling the Diseased Imagination


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