Research & Article

Religious Art: Basic Concepts and Research Approaches

By Thepporn Mungtanee

Published on 27 May 2024

Religious Art
Location of original sources

Journal of Philosophy and Religion, Khon Kaen University, Vol. 5 No. 1 (2020): (January-June 2020)


The relationship of art and religion has long been through art creation in the long history of world civilization. Religious art is an important cultural heritage of mankind. This article aims to illustrate fundamental philosophical problems of art and religion. This article also describes development of beliefs and rituals that set the stage for religious art, religion and sacred art organizing, the creation of complex religious art mixing with local belief, the interdependence between art and religion, the conflict between art and religion, the philosophical standpoint of religious art creation, and the limitations of religious art. The also discusses guidelines for the study of religious art, to understand the meaning of religious art, to understand society and culture through art using an interdisciplinary approach, to create a new knowledge in religious arts in an integrated form.