Illuminating Luke, Volume 2: The Public Ministry of Christ in Italian Renaissance and Baroque Painting

This book examines visual representations of the public ministry of Christ in scenes unique to the Gospel of Luke. Scenes depicting the birth and suffering of Christ no doubt dominated the visual repertoire of medieval and renaissance artists. Nonetheless, the miracles and teachings of Jesus also inspired numerous depictions, not only during the period of the earliest Christian art but continuing throughout the Italian Renaissance and Baroque periods. The book demonstrates how this 'visual exegesis' might enrich our understanding of Luke's Gospel and at the same time inform the contemporary faith community's interpretation of Scripture. Each of these chapters begins with an overview of the biblical passage and its subsequent interpretation, noting significant rhetorical features and the overarching theological argument of the text, as well as outlining a brief summary of its subsequent interpretation in the ecclesiastical literature. Next, the selected work of art is lent context by a brief biography of the artist, placing the work within the artist's own oeuvre, discussing what is known of the patronage of the specific image, and exploring important social, political and religious factors which may facilitate our understanding of the painting. A stylistic and iconographic analysis is followed by brief hermeneutical reflections about how this visual interpretation might inform the church's reading of Scripture. Illuminating Luke will appeal broadly to students of the Bible and the history of Christian art. Scholars and students interested in the history of biblical interpretation will benefit from this book. Likewise, educated laypersons and pastors will find in its pages rich resources for theological reflection.

About the Author :
Heidi J. Hornik is Professor of Italian Renaissance and Baroque Art History at Baylor University in Waco, Texas,author of Michele Tosini and the Ghirlandaio Workshop in Cinquecento Florence, co-author with Mikeal Parsons of Illuminating Luke: The Infancy Narrative in Italian Renaissance Painting (vol.1) and The Public Ministry of Christ in Italian Renaissance and Baroque Painting (vol.2) and co-editor of Interpreting Christian Art.  Mikeal C. Parsons is Macon Chair and Professor of Religion at Baylor University. In addition to the works co-authored with Heidi J. Hornik, he is the author of (with Martin Culy), A Greek Handbook on the Acts of the Apostles, Body and Character in Luke and Acts, and Luke. Storyteller, Evangelist, and Interpreter.

Review :
"This stunningly presented volume results from the cooperation between a well-respected art historian (Hornik) and a well-respected New Testament scholar (Parsons)...                 This approach is a change of pace for those of us who have devoted our academic careers to exploring the New Testament in its first-century context. Hornik and Parsons demonstrate that an exploration of how people have responded to biblical texts over the centuries can be interesting, illuminating, and historically important. This exploration reveals the polyvalency and power of these texts, illuminates their diverse interpretations, and produces hermeneutical insights from various historical and contemporary contexts. ...                 The time that Hornik and Parsons spent in Florence researching and writing this volume was well-spent. The scholarship is impeccable, the discussions enlightening, and the disparate sections of each chapter are necessarily selective so that those sections can be integrated into a coherent whole. Their explorations of the dynamics of text, context, and reception are fascinating. This book is a model of an interdisciplinary approach that provides significant insights as well as posing important questions...                This book provides an excellent example of how the "meaning" of a biblical text does not reside alone in the creative genius of its creator(s). There is a complex, creation and contemplation: We, knowingly or not, stand on the shoulders of centuries of conversations; our own interpretations are never independent of the reception history of these texts, and this volume helps to explain how our understanding of Luke have been influenced by those voices."- David B. Gowler, Biblical Theology Bulletin, Volume 37 "This is the second volume in a projected three-volume work that brings together the breathtaking beauty of Italian Renaissance and baroque art with the equally compelling beauty of Luke's gospel. The beautiful color plates and the rich commentary of the authors make this an inspiring study of the Gospel of Luke." - The Bible Today, Nov/Dec 2005 "Hornick and Parsons rightly discern that biblical texts cannot be segregated from their 'afterlife,' and that the interpretive tradition cannot be limited to the linear words of the treatise or commentary. Bycontextualizing key exemplars of the "visual exegesis" of selected scenes from Jesus' public ministry unique to Luke, they draw us into the history of Luke's reception in ways that are equally elegant and engaging. Here is a book that both excites critical reflection and invites joyful participation. Joel B. Green, Professor of New Testament Interpretation, Vice President of Academic Affairs & Provost, Asbury Theological Seminary "One of the endlessly-interesting things about studying works of art is that so many different approaches are possible. The series entitled 'Illuminating Luke' chooses to examine a few works in exaustive but enlightening detail. One comes away from each example with a greater understanding not only of some of the meanings the work conveyed at the moment of its creation, but also of an increased awareness into how it can be understood in our modern world." -David G. Wilkins, Professor Emeritus of the History of Art and Architecture, University of Pittsburgh "This book is an eye-opener! Fascinating discussion of five stunning Italian paintings opens up intriguing vistas on key passages in Luke's Gospel. A wide readership will appreciate the authors' clarity and rigour, and will look forward eagerly to the final volume in a trilogy which will be a landmark in our appreciation of the 'visual exegesis' of Luke's Gospel." -Graham Stanton, Lady Margaret's Professor of Divinity, University of Cambridge