Art and Prayer The Beauty of Turning to God

In this eloquent, accessible, and gorgeously illustrated volume, Timothy Verdon unites his multiple vocations as art historian, theologian, and priest. With the ease of a master teacher who has lived with his material for years, he shows us not only how the faithful have been depicted in prayer, but how such depictions can inspire our own praying. Verdon should be required reading for anyone who wants to know how theology can animate art and in turn by animated by it. Above all, Art and Prayer is a call to worship.

While Timothy Verdon’s immense erudition in the European tradition of sacred art is everywhere apparent, this book is written for non-specialist readers willing to allow their practice of Christian prayer—both in liturgy and in personal devotion—to be enriched and given theological precision through art once intended for such work. My hope is surely that of Mons. Verdon himself: that this book may help to inspire both artists and their communities to create new art that is answerable to the various modes of prayer and worship, so that a book such as Verdon’s could be written a generation hence with examples drawn from artworks newly commissioned for the contemporary church.

At first glance a glossy gift book of religious art, this inspired—and inspiring—title from the publisher's new imprint explores prayer. The author, who specializes in art and spirituality, skillfully leads the reader through astute analyses of paintings and other art objects, each a puzzle to be investigated and a mystery to be pondered. Verdon's key themes unfurl through chapters on liturgical prayer, lectio divina, intercession, and the like, concluding with a tender reflection on prayer in the face of death. His discussions of prayer space and the dimension of time as it is experienced in prayer are illuminating. The author's analysis of art is grounded in the words of the Bible and early Christian writers such as Tertullian, Jerome, Augustine, and others in the Catholic tradition; his style is clear and engaging, accessible to the general reader. While Verdon, a long-time resident of Florence, focuses on Italian art of the Renaissance, he also considers works from other European countries and eras. Throughout he demonstrates not only mastery of his topics but also a love of great art and deep faith. The result is a visual and verbal feast for contemplation and study.