GOD IN GRANITE? AESTHETIC-THEOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES ON THE MONUMENTALISATION OF RELIGION

Abstract

In this article an introductory look is taken at the phenomenon of the monumentalisation of religion, particularly in view of its imperial expressions. The history and religious meaning of the Voortrekker Monument, situated outside Pretoria in South Africa, is outlined briefly as a case in point, followed by a number of aesthetic-theological perspectives on the notion of the monumentalisation of religion, using the keywords as lenses. The article concludes with a reflection on an art work by Argentinian born artist/architect Tomás Saraceno, entitled: ‘On Space Time Foam’.