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Theology and Art in Scotland

This chapter argues that the change in attitude to art from Reformation times to today was undergirded by theological argument: first among Enlightenment philosophers such as Alison, Hutcheson, Reid, Turnbull, and Stewart; then by the more practically orientated reflections of artists such as Sir David Wilkie. The aim of art should be more than simply representational: it should elicit some sense of the divine, a view endorsed by the most important Scottish theologian to discuss the issue, P. T. Forsyth. Two of the most interesting artists in this respect are identified as Robert Scott Lauder and William Dyce. The discussion ends with an exploration of the possibilities for creative engagement today, particularly with apparently hostile initiatives.