Art as Food for the Human Soul

Abstract

There are spiritual, ethical, and societal benefits that art may provide. The sum of these functions is the spiritual function of art. Art's ultimate calling is to elevate the human spirit and enrich the human experience. Art that serves this function is informed by the worldview presented in divine Revelation, is consistent with the core tenets of the world's main religions, and works to support the primary goal of these institutions, which is to promote spiritual development and communal peace. Art uses beauty to fulfill a spiritual function; beauty's mission, in both the natural and creative worlds, is to pull the soul closer to God and propel it forward on a path of spiritual development. Art also uses emotion, which may bolster its many elements of service.