The Beautiful and the Sublime: How to Make Art that Leads to God | Professor Patrick Callahan
Jan 31, 2024
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Professor Patrick Callahan, Director of the Newman Institute for Catholic Thought & Culture at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, discusses Thomas Aquinas' principles on beauty and the human person, explores the concept of beauty in relation to God and the natural world, and delves into the qualities of the sublime in art, highlighting the distinction between commercialized and selfless art.
Beauty and goodness are connected, based on form and proportion.
Metaphor can awaken wonder and contemplation of spiritual realities in literature.
Deep dives
The Nature of Beauty and the Sublime
The lecture explores the concepts of beauty and the sublime in art, focusing on the ideas of St. Thomas Aquinas. The speaker discusses how beauty and goodness are intimately connected, both being based on form and proportion. He also explores the understanding of beauty in the human soul, which manifests through virtues like honesty. The sublime, on the other hand, refers to greatness that transports the viewer or reader beyond themselves. The speaker delves into the sublime in literature and identifies five means of achieving it, including great thoughts, passionate presence, lofty figures of thought and speech, and arranging words in a sublime manner. The lecture emphasizes the importance of cultivating wonder and the pursuit of wisdom through the appreciation of the beautiful and the sublime.
Metaphors and the Sublime in Dante's Paradiso
The speaker analyzes Dante's use of metaphor in his Paradiso to evoke the sublime and transport the audience into the realm of heavenly beatitude. The example of Apollo flaying Marsyas alive is explored to illustrate the power of metaphor in awakening wonder and prompting contemplation of spiritual realities. The lecture highlights the distinction between the beautiful and the sublime in literature and how the sublime, when used skillfully, can elicit a sense of greatness that transcends the ordinary. The speaker also touches on the principles of the sublime according to pseudo-Longinus and the potential pitfalls of excessive or deficient approaches to the sublime in art.
The Role of Art in Awakening Desire for the Beautiful and Sublime
The lecture delves into the role of art in awakening desire for the beautiful and the sublime. The speaker asserts that in a world of mass-produced art that caters to utilitarian purposes and immediate desires, true art has the power to awaken higher desires related to the cognitive faculty and appreciation of beauty. The speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding the proper nature of desire and its connection to the pursuit of wisdom. The lecture examines the sublime in syntax, discussing the balance between puerility and pomposity. It also touches on the controversy surrounding contemporary art and emphasizes the enduring greatness found in poetic works like Chaucer's Troylus and Criseyde and Dante's Paradiso.
Closing Thoughts on Beauty and the Sublime
In the final part of the lecture, the speaker offers closing thoughts on the concepts of beauty and the sublime. Drawing from Chaucer and Dante, he suggests that while there are great and beautiful works being created today, it is challenging to match the greatness of the classics. The lecture concludes with an invitation to seek and appreciate the beautiful and the sublime in life and art, keeping in mind the love that moves the sun and all the other stars. The speaker expresses gratitude for the opportunity to discuss these philosophical and artistic ideas and inspires the audience to explore these concepts further.
This lecture was given on October 10th, 2023, at The Ohio State University.
For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events
About the Speaker:
Patrick Callahan is director of the Newman Institute for Catholic Thought & Culture at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln as well as Assistant Professor of English & Humanities at St. Gregory the Great Seminary. While his doctoral work focused on ancient Greek commentaries to the lyric poet Pindar, his recent work focuses on early Jesuit Latin texts.
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