Religion from the Outside:

Christian Symbolism in Non-Christian Art

Saturday 13 June 2026

Christian symbolism gains its primary meaning within the theological and liturgical grammar of Christian faith. Yet many of its images, narratives, and visual motifs circulate widely beyond explicitly Christian contexts. This conference explores how Christian symbols are reinterpreted, reframed, and redeployed in non-Christian settings across literature, music, visual art, film, television, and digital media. Papers may examine cases ranging from nineteenth-century opera and modernist literature to contemporary animation, gaming, and popular culture.

We invite contributions that investigate how Christian imagery functions when detached from Christian confession: as aesthetic resource, cultural memory, critique of Christianity, vehicle for other spiritualities, or simply as widely understood symbolic vocabulary. We are particularly interested in a) the use of Christian symbolism to offer alternatives to Christianity, and b) its use in contexts so far from its origins that it develops an alternative system of reference.  Our preference is to focus on central cases of work by artists not professing Christianity, leaving edge cases for another time.

Please direct any questions about the event to [email protected]

Confirmed Speakers

Hosting and Registration

The conference is organized by Dr Brendan Wolfe and sponsored by the Art as Revelation Project, the St Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology, and the Culture and Conscience Initiative. 

Registration costs £45 and will include lunch, tea, and a drinks reception. Inexpensive accommodation options will be available from the University’s Accommodation, Conference, and Events service. Scholarships may also be available to those in need. Registration ends on 6 June.

Scottish Dogmatics Conference 2026

We encourage those planning on participating in Religion from the Outside to consider attending the Scottish Dogmatics Conference 2026, taking place in St. Andrews from 10 to 12 June. This year’s theme is ‘The God Who Speaks’. Those interested can find more information and register their attendance here.

Draft Schedule