Experimental Theological Aesthetics

Dear Colleagues,

We engage with numerous practical, aesthetic, and religious objects daily, yet architecture arguably has the most profound impact on our lives among all human-made artifacts (Altman, 1975; Evans & McCoy, 1998; Rapoport, 1990). Given this significance, it is unsurprising that since prehistoric times, societies have relied on sacred architecture to preserve, convey, and advance spiritual knowledge and experiences (Barrie, 1996; Eliade, 1959; Mann, 1993). Historically, this has often resulted in the construction of strikingly beautiful structures—a well-documented phenomenon. Long ago, we learned that we are naturally drawn to beauty, pay attention to it, share it, and develop deep emotional connections with it (Nehamas, 2007). This aesthetic appeal, in turn, facilitates religious instruction and ensures the longevity of faith traditions.

The symbolic and experiential power of the sacred arts is well explained within Western theological aesthetics (Seasoltz, 2005; Thiessen, 2004; von Balthasar, 1983-1988), with references often made to architecture, as the arguments of Abbot Suger (1140s), Thomas Aquinas (1260s), Rudolf Otto (1970), John Paul II (1999), and Ratzinger (2019) attest. In recent decades, growing interest in the relationship between the built environment, religion, and spirituality has further enriched this discourse (Bergmann, 2012; Bermudez, 2015; Jaeger, 2010). However, much of the prevailing scholarship relies on rhetorical arguments, scriptural interpretations, and theoretical models rather than empirical validation. While some architectural studies have identified aesthetic elements that may facilitate religious experience and communication (Lawlor, 1994; Mann, 1993; Schwarz, 1958; Stegers, 2008), a systematic verification of these claims remains lacking. Empirical research on how sacred buildings influence spiritual experiences is scarce, with most existing studies relying on indirect methods such as general surveys or small-scale behavioral observations (Bermudez, 2009, 2011; Levi & Kocher, 2012; Ouellette et al., 2005).

As a result, current explanations of how aesthetic experience mediates religious understanding remain speculative and unverifiable, relying on further theoretical reasoning rather than direct empirical testing. This cyclical approach has led to a longstanding scholarly impasse. However, recent advancements in 21st century science, including its methodologies and technologies, now offer us the tools needed to elucidate and advance such seemingly intractable theological and aesthetic issues.

This is where experimental theological aesthetics (XTA) emerges.

Experimental theological aesthetics is the interconnected project of empirically testing, theologically interpreting, and creatively generating aesthetic experiences to (i) identify how such experiences cognitively and affectively contribute to our understanding of and relationship to God and/or (ii) create refined aesthetic experiences to promote spiritual flourishing.

By integrating theological and aesthetic inquiry with empirical research and innovative theoretical frameworks—such as aesthetic cognitivism, neurophenomenology, evidence-based design, and experimental philosophy—XTA has the potential to deepen our understanding of how sacred architecture, religious art, and aesthetic experiences connect individuals to the Divine, faith, and theology.

In this Special Issue, we welcome original research and empirical investigations into ongoing questions within theological aesthetics, with a particular focus on sacred buildings, religious environments, and liturgical arts. Additionally, we welcome theoretical explorations of the theological, philosophical, or experimental foundations of XTA. Suggested topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Experimental approaches to studying aesthetics within theology;
• Reviews of contemporary research and trends in disciplines such as theology, architecture, psychology, philosophy, etc., in relation to XTA;
• Controlled experiments on the cognitive and emotional impact of liturgical spaces and forms;
• Empirical semiotic analyses of religious architecture and aesthetic experiences;
• Neuroscientific and physiological methods for studying responses to spiritually significant environments;
• Systematic studies on how religious, cultural, or social backgrounds shape responses to sacred architecture and art;
• New interdisciplinary frameworks (conceptual or experimental) for scientifically examining theological aesthetics;
• Empirically based architectural typological analyses, historical data, or case studies of religious buildings and art;
• Comparative religious or interdenominational Christian perspectives on XTA;
• Critical evaluations of advanced measurement tools (e.g., ambulatory EEG, fMRI, mobile eye-tracking, biosensors) and analytical techniques (e.g., machine learning, AI-based scene analysis) used for studying religious environments and aesthetic experiences;
• Theoretical connections between XTA and evidence-based design, environmental psychology, or experimental philosophy;
• The ethical and methodological challenges in conducting empirical research on religious aesthetic experiences.

This Special Issue seeks to advance our scholarly understanding of how aesthetic experiences contribute to spiritual meaning, religious devotion, and encounters with the Divine. We invite contributions from diverse fields—including theology, architecture, the visual and performing arts, religious studies, cognitive science, neuroscience, environmental psychology, material anthropology, and philosophy—provided they emphasize empirical inquiry, hypothesis-driven research, or methodological and theoretical innovations relevant to XTA. The publication of this Special Issue of Religions is made possible in part by Templeton Religion Trust grant TRT-2023-31928 “Spiritual Understanding and Architecture: A Multi-method, Empirical Investigation Across Religious and Non-religious Populations.”

We request that prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 200-300 words that summarizes their intended contribution. Please send it to the Guest Editors, Dr. Julio Bermudez (bermudez@acsforum.org), and Dr. Matthew Niermann (mniermann@calbaptist.edu), or to the Assistant Editor of Religions Mrs. Kiki Zhang (kiki.zhang@mdpi.com). Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editors for the purposes of ensuring a proper fit within the scope of the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

References

Altman, I. (1975). Environment and Social Behavior. Monterey, CA: Brooks/Cole Publishing.

Aquinas, T. (c.1260s). Summa Theologiae. URL: https://aquinas101.thomisticinstitute.org/summa (accessed March 2, 2025).

Barrie, T. (1996). Spiritual Path, Sacred Place: Myth, Ritual, and Meaning in Architecture. Boston, MA: Shambhala.

Bergmann, S. (2012). Theology in Built Environments. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers.

Bermudez, J. (2009). Amazing Grace. New Research into 'Extraordinary Architectural Experiences' Reveals the Central Role of Sacred Places. Faith & Form, 42(3), 8-13.

Bermudez, J. (2011). Empirical Aesthetics: The Body and Emotion in Extraordinary Architectural Experiences. In P. Plowright & B. Gamper (Eds.), Proceedings of the 2011 Architectural Research Centers Consortium Conference. Lawrence Tech University, Detroit, MI, USA; pp. 369-380.

Bermudez, J. (2015). Transcending Architecture. Contemporary Views of Sacred Space. Washington, DC: CUA Press.

Eliade, M. (1959). The Sacred and The Profane- The Nature of Religion. New York: Harcourt, Brace and World.

Evans, G. W., & McCoy, J. M. (1998). When Buildings Don't Work: The Role of Architecture in Human Health. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 18(1), 85-94.

Jaeger, S. (Ed.) (2010). Magnificence and the Sublime in Medieval Aesthetics: Art, Architecture, Literature, Music. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

John Paul II. (1999). Letter of his Holiness Pope John Paul II to Artists. URL: https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/letters/1999/documents/hf_jp-ii_let_23041999_artists.html (accessed March 2, 2025).

Lawlor, A. (1994). The Temple in the House. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons.

Levi, D. & Kocher, S. (2012). Perception of Sacredness at Heritage Religious Sites. Environment and Behavior, 45(7),912–930; DOI: 10.1177/0013916512445803.

Mann, A. T. (1993). Sacred Architecture. Element Books.

Nehamas, A. (2007). Only a Promise of Happiness. Princeton, New Jersey, USA: Princeton University Press.

Otto, R. (1970). The Idea of the Holy. New York: Oxford University Press.

Ouellette, P., Kaplan, R., & Kaplan, S. (2005). The Monastery as a Restorative Environment. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 25, 175–188.

Rapoport, A. (1990). The Meaning of the Built Environment: A Nonverbal Communication Approach. Tucson, Arizona: The University of Arizona Press.

Ratzinger, J. (2019). Quotes on Architecture by Pope Benedict XVI. Sacred Architecture Journal. URL: http://www.sacredarchitecture.org/features/quotes_on_architecture_by_pope_benedict_xvi (accessed March 2, 2025).

Schwarz, R. (1958). The Church Incarnate. The Sacred Function of Christian Architecture. Chicago: Henry Regnery Company.

Seasoltz, R. K. (2005). A Sense of the Sacred: Theological Foundations of Christian Architecture and Art. New York: Continuum.

Stegers, R. (2008). Sacred Buildings: A Design Manual. Basel, Switzerland: Birkhauser.

Suger, Abbot. (c.1140s). Liber de Rebus in Administratione Sua Gestis. URL: https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/source/sugar.asp (accessed March 2, 2025).

Thiessen, G. E. (Ed.). (2004). Theological Aesthetics, A Reader. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

von Balthasar, H. U. (1983-1989). The Glory of the Lord: A Theological Aesthetics, trans. by E. Leiva-Merikakis and edited by J. Fessio & J. Riches. San Francisco, CA: Ignatius Press, 7 vols.

Prof. Dr. Julio Bermudez
Prof. Dr. Matthew Niermann
Guest Editors

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• theological aesthetics
• experimental theology
• experimental philosophy
• empirical methods
• aesthetic experiences
• sacred space
• architecture
• liturgical arts
• beauty
• phenomenology
• semiotics