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Why did church authorities dismiss Vincent van Gogh from his missionary work?
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Vincent van Gogh
Self-Portrait, oil on artist's board on cradled panel by Vincent van Gogh, 1887; in the Art Institute of Chicago.
Church authorities dismissed Vincent van Gogh from his missionary work in the Borinage because they believed he held a "too-literal interpretation of Christian teaching."1
While working among the impoverished coal-mining population, van Gogh’s commitment to his faith led him to give away all of his worldly possessions in an impassioned act of devotion. Church officials viewed this extreme behavior as a scandal, leading them to turn him out and characterize him as a "madman" for his attempt to live as a "true Christian." This rejection marked a profound spiritual crisis for van Gogh, ultimately serving as the catalyst for him to abandon his religious pursuits and dedicate his life to art as a means of bringing consolation to humanity.1