Theologians Recommend Sacred Art Destinations

DALLAS NEWS
By William McKenzie

TEXAS - Where would you take a visitor today to see a modern connection between religion and art? If you have an idea in mind, please explain why you would take a visitor there. If nothing jumps to mind, what do you think that says about the modern relationship between religion and art? [14 suggestions below]

1. DEAL HUDSON, President, Catholic Advocate, Washington, D.C. - Terrence Malik's "Tree of Life" on the big screen.
2. MATTHEW WILSON, Associate Professor of Political Science, Southern Methodist University -  Cowboys Stadium, opened in 2009. 
3. JIM DENISON, Theologian-in-Residence, Texas Baptist Convention, President, Denison Forum in Truth and Culture - The Rothko Chapel in Houston
4. AMY MARTIN, Executive Director, Earth Rhythms; Writer/Editor, Moonlady Media - In my house and yard there are no less than a dozen art-altars of spiritual symbols and statuary, meaningful objects and whatever else it takes to coax the sacred into my life.
5. NITYANDANDA CHANDRA DAS, Minister, ISKCON Kalachandji's Hare Krishna Temple Dallas - Vrindavan would be my first choice.
6. JOE CLIFFORD, Head of Staff and Senior Pastor, First Presbyterian Church, Dallas -  I would encourage them to go to the Vatican.  
7. DANIEL KANTER, Senior Minister, First Unitarian Church of Dallas - I would take people to see the images by the artist Banksy on the walls of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
8. GEOFFREY DENNIS, Rabbi, Congregation Kol Ami in Flower Mound; Faculty Member, University of North Texas Jewish Studies Program - No contest. I'd take them to the Smithsonian American Art Museum to view James Hampton's "Throne Of The Third Heaven Of The Nations Millennium General Assembly," or more commonly, "Hampton's Throne."
9. GEORGE MASON, Senior Pastor, Wilshire Baptist Church, Dallas - Barcelona.  Gaudi's yet unfinished masterpiece - "The Temple of the Sagrada Familia" - in Barcelona is unmatched for its matching of religion and art.
10. LARRY BETHUNE, Senior Pastor, University Baptist Church, Austin -  I would advise an inquirer to visit any local museum or attend any local congregation to see a connection between religion and art.
11. WILLIAM LAWRENCE, Dean and Professor of American Church History, Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University -  The Cathedral Church of Sts. Peter and Paul in Washington, known as the National Cathedral, is a must.
12. CYNTHIA RIGBY, W.C. Brown Professor of Theology, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary -While the Reformed theological tradition is still new at reflecting on the relationship between theology and the visual arts, it has always been adept at making connections between God-talk and poetry.
13. DARRELL BOCK, Research Professor of New Testament Studies, Dallas Theological Seminary - Museums in Europe are really something.
14. MIKE GHOUSE, President, Foundation for Pluralism, Dallas - The Interfaith Peace Chapel on Cedar Springs in Dallas jumps to my mind.

Where would you take a visitor today to see a modern connection between religion and art? If you have an idea in mind, please explain why you would take a visitor there. [link]