The Thomistic Institute Only the Lover Sings: Poetry, Mimesis, and the Christian Life | Prof. Patrick Callahan
May 1, 2025
In this engaging discussion, Patrick Callahan, Director of the Newman Institute and Assistant Professor at St. Gregory the Great Seminary, illuminates the essential role of poetry in the Christian life. He explores how poetry reflects Christ-like speech and fosters deeper contemplation. Callahan delves into the intersection of art, love, and philosophy, drawing insights from thinkers like Joseph Pieper and St. Augustine. He emphasizes the transformative power of language and the integration of poetry in liturgy, highlighting its ability to connect individuals to the divine and to community.
44:44
Hopkins' Ode to Varied Beauty
- Gerard Manley Hopkins praises the beauty in the variety of creation.
- His poem celebrates paradoxical and fleeting natural patterns as signs of divine beauty.
Poetry as Christ-like Speech
- Poetry uniquely combines music and language, bridging arts and intellect.
- It offers a deeper mode of speech, reflecting the divine Logos in measured words.
Read Pieper's Key Works
- Read Joseph Pieper's Only the Lover Sings to explore art and contemplation.
- Follow it with his Leisure, the Basis of Culture for a richer understanding of leisure's role in culture.
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Intro
00:00 • 2min
Exploring the Paradox of Beauty and Variety
02:15 • 3min
Exploring the Intersection of Art, Love, and Philosophy
04:49 • 2min
The Poetic Soul: Language, Community, and Divine Connection
07:04 • 32min
The Integration of Poetry and Liturgy in Christian Worship
38:41 • 6min
Poetics
Poetics
Aristotle
In 'Poetics,' Aristotle discusses the different kinds and forms of poetry, including epic, tragedy, comedy, and dithyrambic poetry.
He defines poetry as a form of imitation that seeks to represent life through character, emotion, or action.
The work is primarily focused on tragedy, where Aristotle analyzes the elements of plot, character, thought, diction, song, and spectacle.
He also introduces key concepts such as 'mimêsis' (imitation) and 'katharsis' (the purging of emotions), and defends the art of poetry as a natural human instinct that provides pleasure and understanding through artistic representation.
Hymns
Hymns
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Thomas Aquinas
St.
Thomas Aquinas's hymns are a collection of beautiful and profound liturgical poems that express the faith and devotion of the Catholic Church.
These hymns are characterized by their theological depth, poetic beauty, and musicality.
They have been sung in churches for centuries, enriching the liturgical experience and inspiring generations of believers.
Aquinas's hymns are a testament to his profound understanding of Christian doctrine and his ability to express it in a way that is both intellectually stimulating and spiritually uplifting.
They remain a valuable part of the Catholic liturgical tradition.
D.A. Carson's commentary on the Gospel of John
D.A. Carson's commentary on the Gospel of John
D. A. Carson
The quest for community
Robert A. Nisbet
Robert Nisbet's "The Quest for Community" is a sociological study exploring the historical and social forces that have shaped the concept and experience of community in the West.
Nisbet argues that the decline of traditional mediating institutions, such as the family, church, and local guilds, has contributed to a sense of alienation and anomie in modern society.
He examines the rise of the nation-state and its impact on community life, highlighting the tension between individual autonomy and social cohesion.
Nisbet's work offers a critical analysis of modern social structures and their consequences, advocating for a renewed emphasis on local communities and traditional institutions.
His insights remain relevant in understanding contemporary social issues.
Democracy in America
Alexis de Tocqueville
Written after his travels in the United States, 'Democracy in America' is a comprehensive study of American society and government.
Tocqueville examines the democratic revolution and its impact on American life, discussing topics such as the sovereignty of the people, the role of civil society, the dangers of the tyranny of the majority, and the influence of religion and individualism.
The book is a philosophical and political analysis that aims to understand why republican representative democracy succeeded in the United States while failing in other places, and it offers insights into the future of democracy both in America and globally.
Summa theologica
Thomas Aquinas
The Summa Theologica is a comprehensive work divided into three parts.
The first part deals with God, the creation of the world, angels, and the nature of man.
The second part is subdivided into two sections: the first part of the second part discusses general principles of morality and law, while the second part of the second part addresses morality in particular, including individual virtues and vices.
The third part, left unfinished by Aquinas, focuses on the person and work of Christ and the sacraments.
The work also includes a posthumous supplement that concludes the third part and discusses Christian eschatology.
Aquinas drew on Aristotelian and Augustinian influences and aimed to integrate faith and reason in his theological arguments.
A Shropshire lad
A. E. Housman
Published in 1896, *A Shropshire Lad* is a cycle of poems written by A. E. Housman.
The collection is characterized by its clear, direct style and its exploration of themes such as the transience of life, unrequited love, and the inevitability of death.
Although Housman never spent much time in Shropshire, he used the county as a setting to create a half-imaginary pastoral landscape.
The poems gained widespread popularity during the Boer War and World War I, resonating particularly with young men facing the realities of war.
Housman's work was influenced by the poems of Heinrich Heine, Shakespeare's songs, and Scottish border ballads.
Summa Contra Gentiles
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St. Thomas Aquinas
St.
Thomas Aquinas's Summa Contra Gentiles is a comprehensive work aiming to refute errors of non-Christians using reason and revelation.
It systematically addresses philosophical and theological issues, demonstrating the compatibility of faith and reason.
The work is divided into four parts, covering God, creation, the human person, and Christ.
It's a cornerstone of Thomistic thought, influencing generations of theologians and philosophers.
Its impact on Christian apologetics and intellectual history is undeniable.
The Summa Contra Gentiles remains a significant resource for understanding Aquinas's approach to philosophical and theological inquiry.
Confessions
Augustine
Written in Latin between AD 397 and 400, 'Confessions' is a blend of autobiography, philosophy, theology, and critical exegesis of the Christian Bible.
The first nine books are autobiographical, tracing Augustine's life from his birth to his conversion to Catholicism.
He recounts his sinful youth, his involvement with Manicheism and Neoplatonism, and his eventual conversion in a Milanese garden.
The last four books focus on philosophical and theological issues, including memory, time, eternity, and the interpretation of the Book of Genesis.
The work is structured as a series of prayers to God, reflecting Augustine's journey of redemption and his understanding of God's grace and providence.
Only the Lover Sings
Josef Pieper
Josef Pieper's "Only the Lover Sings" delves into the relationship between art, contemplation, and the experience of love.
Pieper explores how artistic creation and appreciation can lead to a deeper understanding of the world and our place within it.
He emphasizes the importance of receptivity and openness in engaging with art, arguing that true artistic experience involves a kind of contemplation that transcends mere intellectual understanding.
The book draws on classical and Christian traditions to illuminate the nature of artistic creation and the role of art in human life.
Pieper's work offers a profound reflection on the nature of beauty, truth, and the human capacity for wonder.
It remains a significant contribution to philosophical aesthetics and theological reflection on art.
In Memory of W. B. Yeats
In Memory of W. B. Yeats
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W.H. Auden
W.
H. Auden's "In Memory of W. B. Yeats" is a moving elegy for the Irish poet William Butler Yeats.
The poem reflects on Yeats's life and work, exploring themes of mortality, art, and the relationship between the poet and society.
Auden uses a complex structure and imagery to convey his grief and admiration for Yeats.
The poem's famous line, "poetry makes nothing happen," is often misinterpreted, but in context, it emphasizes the intrinsic value of poetry as a form of expression and contemplation, rather than a tool for political or social change.
Auden's elegy is a powerful testament to the enduring power of art and the importance of remembering those who have shaped our cultural landscape.
Prof. Patrick Callahan reveals how poetry, as the most Christ-like form of speech and a reflection of human mimesis, plays a vital role in the Christian life by fostering conformity to Christ and deepening the contemplative experience.
This lecture was given on October 26th, 2024, at Dominican House of Studies.
For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events.
About the Speaker:
Prof. 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, Christian Life, Contemplation, Joseph Pieper, Mimesis, Poetry, Saint Augustine, Spiritual Formation, Only the Lover Sings, W. H. Auden