In a well-lit corner of St. Peter's Basilica, sitting behind a transparent glass panel, is Michelangelo's Pietà. A white marble sculpture of Mother Mary, with downcast eyes, gazes at her dead Son on her knees. She seems both devastated and deep in thought. She is young and beautiful, in keeping with the old belief that a perfect soul means a perfect outward appearance (Smart 122). It is famous and celebrated and is visited by Christians from all nations. In another part of the world, Chris Ofili's Blessed Virgin Mary resides at the Brooklyn Art Museum. It is a painting of Mary atop a pile of elephant dung, the Virgin herself made with the same substance, surrounded by clippings from pornographic magazines. The work has caused much controversy, but it is still on display at the public museum (Saltz np). Since the Middle Ages, Mother Mary has been considered one of the most revered and beloved figures in Christianity. Paintings adoring him are as numerous as that of Jesus Christ (Sturgis and Clayson, ed. 38). Why then is it tolerable for a museum to exhibit a painting of her made with animal droppings, as if it were the equivalent? It is clear from these two contrasting works of art that the relationship between religion and art has evolved significantly over the past thousand years and has significantly influenced society. Art, once used only to praise God, is now more independent. It seems that the world is also more independent of religion. The relationship between religion and art continues to impact society today by changing people's perceptions of religion. The Church was the highest authority in medieval times. He could collect taxes, create laws, own land and decide everything that happens... middle of paper......can. Italy: Ats Italia Editrice Srl, 1998. Rookmaaker, HR Modern art and the death of a culture. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1994. Saltz, Jerry. “The Blessed Virgin Mary by Chris Ofili.” Artnet - The word for online art. Artnet Worldwide Corporation, August 10, 1999. October 18, 2011. .Sewall, John Ives. A History of Western Art. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1953. Smart, Alastair. The Renaissance and Mannerism in Italy. London: Thames and Hudson, 1971. Sturgis, Alexander and Hollis Clayson, eds. Understanding Paintings: Art Themes Explored and Explained. New York: Octopus Publishing Group Ltd, 2000.Tiglao, Rigoberto. “God and the Pope Under Attack (Part 1).” Philippine Daily Inquirer July 8, 2010: A13.Zu Eltz, Dr. Johannes et al. YOUCAT. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2011.