Elon professor publishes book on virtues and vices

Associate Professor Shawn Tucker in the Department of Art and Art History had an anthology of source documents on the virtues and vices in the arts published by Cascade Press.

Associate Professor Shawn Tucker’s anthology of documents dealing with the virtues and vices has been published by Cascade press.

Tucker, a faculty member in the Department of Art and Art History, compiled the first comprehensive source for anyone interested in the virtues and vices, including the seven deadly sins. The anthology includes excerpts from philosophers like Plato, Aristotle and Nietzsche as well as writers like Dante, Chaucer, Langland and C.S. Lewis.

“The Virtues and Vices in the Arts: A Sourcebook” features images from medieval manuscripts and cathedrals as well as works by artists like Mantegna and Paul Cadmus. While Tucker has provided engaging and insightful introductions for each element in the book, he also clusters the items into logical, chronological sections with introductions that provide context and continuity.

Prior to joining the Elon faculty in 2000, Tucker taught at Northeastern State University and, before that, at Florida State University, where he earned his doctorate in the humanities with coursework in art history, contemporary critical theory and modern British literature. Tucker earned his master’s degree from Florida State University and his bachelor’s degree at Brigham Young University.

At Elon he has taught several fine arts courses, as well as upper level Elon Core Curriculum courses that include “Pride, Humility, and the Good Life” and “Aspects of Laughter.” The development of Tucker’s course on “the good life” was supported through a $25,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.