The Essence of Beauty in Art

Prof. Patrick Callahan explores how art, through beauty and the sublime, can lead the soul toward God, drawing on insights from Joseph Pieper, Aristotle, and Christian philosophy to reveal the contemplative power of poetry, music, and the fine arts.

This lecture was given on November 19th, 2024, at East Carolina University.

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About the Speaker:

Patrick Callahan is director of the Newman Institute for Catholic Thought & Culture as well as Assistant Professor of English and Humanities at St. Gregory the Great Seminary. There he directs and teaches in a Great Books Catholic program for students at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and other regional colleges. He did his undergraduate work at the University of Dallas and his graduate work at Fordham University in Classics. He lives in Lincoln, NE with his wife and 5 children.

Keywords: Aristotelianism, Beauty, Christian Philosophy, Contemplation, Ethics, Incarnation, Joseph Pieper, Poetry, Simone Weil, Summa Theologiae