Sacro e religioso: una dicotomia artistica post-cristiana

Abstract

This article investigates the current state of contemporary sacred art, which has alighted in the third millennium notwithstanding some evident difficulties, in light of the specifically post-conciliar interest in the sacred. By analyzing the new meanings this term has taken on, natural consequences of the gradual shift from a purely religious dimension to a pan-spiritual one, indeed, it is possible to demonstrate the plausibility of an art that is both sentimentally sacred and effectively modern. The highly complicated and precarious relations between art and the Church should not mislead us: a reconciliation is still possible. The solutions previously proposed by the more zealous factions of the Catholic establishment have not proven effective in bringing about this longed-for substantive reintegration into the present, but some real possibilities for success do exist; the task lies in understanding the best way forward.