Originating in the author's experience as a practicing artist and scholar, this book is a thoroughly postmodern enterprise that draws from a wide range of historical and theoretical resources in cultural history, especially art history/theory and the study of religion. It discusses historical roles of the artist, and also presents a particular perspective on the contemporary function of the artist as prophetic critic and visionary. Using specific interpretations of the words "vocation," "prophetic," and "visionary," the author brings attention to the need for artists to assess critically the relationship of the past and present to the future. This book is addressed to those interested in the interdisciplinary dialogue of the visual arts, religion, and ethics.