This book anchors its account of the beauty of Jesus Christ to a
scheme found in St Augustine of Hippo's Expositions of the Psalms.
There Augustine recognized the beauty of Christ at every stage-from
his pre-existence ('beautiful in heaven'), through his incarnation,
the public ministry ('beautiful in his miracles, beautiful in calling
to life'), passion, crucifixion, burial, resurrection ('beautiful in
taking up his life again'), and glorious life 'in heaven'. Augustine
never filled out this laconic summary by writing a work on Christ and
his beauty. The Beauty of Jesus Christ seems to be the first attempt
in Christian history to write a comprehensive account of the beauty of
Christ in the light of Augustine's list. The work begins by offering a
working description of what it understands by beauty as being perfect,
harmonious, and radiant. Beauty, above all the divine beauty, enjoys
inexhaustible meaning and overlaps with 'the holy' or the awesome and
fascinating mystery of God. Loving beauty opens the way to truth and
helps us grasp and practise virtue. The books needs to add some items
to Augustine's list by recognizing Christ's beauty in his baptism,
transfiguration, and post-resurrection sending of the Holy Spirit. It
also goes beyond Augustine by showing how the imagery and language
Jesus prepared in his hidden life and then used in his ministry
witness to the beautiful sensibility that developed during his years
at home in Nazareth. Throughout, this book draws on the Scriptures to
illustrate and justify Augustine's brief claims about the beauty
revealed in the whole story of Christ, from his pre-existence to his
risen 'post-existence'. Where appropriate, it also cites the witness
to Christ's beauty that has come from artists, composers of sacred
music, the creators of icons, and writers.
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Filling out a Scheme of St Augustine
Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9780192595256
Publisert
2020
Utgiver
Oxford University Press Academic UK
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Forfatter