The Thomistic Institute Aesthetics, Mozart, and the Pathways of Beauty | Prof. George Corbett
Jul 10, 2025
Prof. George Corbett, a Theology Professor at the University of St Andrews and Director of Cephas, dives into the relationship between beauty, faith, and culture. He discusses Pope Benedict XVI's insights on art's role in fostering connections to Christ. The discussion covers Mozart's music as a pathway to the divine, alongside his intricate ties to Catholicism and Freemasonry. Corbett emphasizes the importance of reclaiming art's spiritual significance over its commercialization, encouraging listeners to engage deeply with aesthetics for enlightenment.
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Aquinas' Classical Beauty Definition
- Thomas Aquinas defined beauty as that which brings delight upon perception, not for pleasure but for intellectual and spiritual joy.
- Beauty involves integrity, proportion, and clarity, combining to reveal the depth of reality and attract us beyond sensory pleasure.
Beauty Points to Divine Reality
- True beauty reveals deeper reality and leads us toward God, as natural beauty provokes longing for the Creator.
- Christian beauty is experienced especially in Christ and the saints, whose lives share divine holiness and grace.
Christ Transforms Beauty from Within
- Christ's passion transforms classical beauty by revealing love's true beauty in his disfigured face on the cross.
- Christian beauty embraces suffering and sacrifice, offering a profound spiritual realism beyond natural aesthetics.
