A Piercing Light: Beauty, Faith, and Human Transcendence

Beauty, Faith, and Human Transcendence

Author: James M. Jacobs Series: American Maritain Association Publications

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The meeting of Jacques Maritain and the avant-garde artist Jean Cocteauin the summer of 1925 produced two significant results: Cocteaureturned to his Catholic faith, and it led the poet and the philosopherto exchange letters reflecting on the relationship between art and faith.While Cocteau proclaimed that the spiritual nature of art orders man toGod, Maritain tempers his new friend's enthusiasm in asserting, "Betweenthe world of poetry and that of sainthood there exists an analogicalrelation...All errors come from the fact that people misreadthis analogy: some swell the similarity, mixing poetry and mysticism;others weaken it, making poetry out to be a craft, a mechanical art." The essays in this volume further this discussion by examining howthe practice of both art and faith necessarily order man to transcendentfulfillment, yet do so in very different ways. The first section of the bookexamines the analogical nature of art and faith, illustrating how artforeshadows, but cannot replace, the supernatural perfection offeredby faith.The second section reflects on the nature of art as a virtue perfectinghuman creativity, and how art is more than mere craftsmanshipowing to the transformative role of inspiration. The third section contemplatesthe purpose of the work of art as revelatory of truth. The finalsection explores how the arts become debased when their practice rejectsthe goal of beauty. Art, when so separated from the transcendentends of man, tragically corrupts both itself and society. Contributors include: James Brent, OP, Stephen Chamberlain, JohnConley, SJ, Catherine Deavel, John Marson Dunaway, Daniel B. Gallagher,Marie George, Curtis L. Hancock, James G. Hanink, Andrew Jaspers,Gregory Kerr, Anne Frances Ai Le, OP, Bernadette E. O'Connor, MichaelRaiger, Alice Ramos, Michael R. Spicher, Federico Tedesco, and NikolajZunic. ABOUT THE EDITOR James M. Jacobs is Assistant Academic Dean and Professor of Philosophy atNotre Dame Seminary School of Theology in New Orleans, Louisiana.