The visual principle and the correlation between teaching of the Catholic religion and art education in Polish school

Abstract

Contemporary culture – as already noted – is becoming more and more visual. Contemporary catechesis, referring to its rich, centuries-long experience, should also use different types of images. The first part of this article presents the visual principle as one of basic educating principles, and the second part presents the correlation between the teaching of Catholic religion, and art education in Polish schools. One specific example of using religious painting are in textbooks.
Masterpieces of painting, created during centuries and expressing particular desires of their creators, still remain an important inspiration, among others, to the religious search. Faith, though strongly anchored in words, needs representations, specific references, which allow receiving, understanding, and experiencing it. Paintings give this possibility, and even – taking into consideration the contemporary civilization – impose the necessity to use them, in order to effectively reach the contemporary receiver.
Using images in education is not only the achievement of specific objectives in catechesis, but also gives an opportunity to creatively engage students and shape their aesthetic sensibility. Working with the image creates the possibility of discovering the beauty, to see it in reality and “keeping the heart”, that is the enrichment of the beauty of one’s humanity.