Ed Knippers was Washington's home-grown Michelangelo — a painter of larger-than-life biblical scenes known for their physicality and passion.

But his nude Davids, Bathshebas, Mary Magdalenes, Samsons and Delilahs have gotten limited acceptance in conservative circles. When he exhibited his work at Huntington College, an evangelical school in Indiana, there were so many complaints from students and the outside community that the college closed the exhibit after five days.

"Some Christians tend to be orthodox in their theology but emotionally they are gnostics," he told me last week. "They do not like that physical stuff. But we have an incarnational religion and you have to get past that. In art, we can come to grips with our physicality and human possibilities in our body. That's all we have here."

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Filed under: * Culture-Watch • Art • Religion & Culture • * Religion News & Commentary • Other Churches • Evangelicals

1. Marion R. wrote: Apparently, Knippers’ works are so controversial that even the Washington Times dares not include a picture of one with the article. October 12, 5:39 pm | [comment link]

2. Katherine wrote: I wondered if this might be the late Diane Knippers’ husband, and it is.  You can see his paintings here. October 13, 12:53 am | [comment link]

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