Christian themes and imagery are so pervasive in the history of art that any trip to an art museum can feel like taking a theology class. In recent months I’ve perused galleries in Paris (Musée d’Orsay), Kansas City (Nelson-Atkins), and Los Angeles (LACMA), finding in each many treasures for theological reflection. It makes me wonder why more churches and seminaries don’t organize outings to art museums; these spaces so easily spark fruitful dialogue about God, beauty, and religious meaning over time.

The theological riches of visual art are largely untapped by evangelicals today, partly because we have little patience for beauty’s complexity and superfluity. Taking time to slowly enjoy paintings just seems so unnecessary in our every-moment-optimized, insta-everything world. But it also feels overwhelming. Where do you start? This is why I enlisted a dozen Christian art experts recently to help me curate a list of “18 Paintings Christians Should See.” It’s a fun and diverse list (featuring everyone from Caravaggio to Warhol) and one that just scratches the surface, but I hope it sparks more Christians to pick up an art history book or visit an art museum—perhaps even this summer.