A Philosophical and Theological Account of Beauty

[@jacobstefanec7683]

Please do continue talking about this! I think it would be cool to discuss how this has an impact on our worship/liturgical practices today as well.

[@arlindoteodoro7193]

Really good! In our postmodern world is difficult to say that beauty is objective. People tend to think that all things are social construction, so beauty will always depends on culture. Your video gives me hope!!

[@shostycellist]

Excellent video. Dr. Cooper's overview of beauty is similar to the one I give in my introductory music history classes when covering the ancient Greeks and Medieval Period. The only caveat I would say - and I realize Dr. Cooper was only giving an overview and highlighting certain points - is that I am less inclined to try to define beauty in the purely classical sense, as in proportion, balance, and symmetry, because I want to retain a sense of mystery surrounding it. True, we do tend to find art pleasing to the eye or beautiful that follows these traditional ideas, but beauty goes far beyond these. I'm not sure we can define it. I think the late Medieval mystics may have had a point when they said beauty is indefinable. For example, I can create a piece of art that follows all the classical rules but still have an uninspired and boring piece. Since beauty is a reflection of the divine nature, and God's nature is ultimately incomprehensible, we shouldn't be surprised that beauty evades a clear cut definition. We also need to bear in mind artistic deviations from the classical definition of beauty that many still find beautiful such as the asymmetrical phrases of Bach and the sudden and jarring changes in the early Baroque recitatives (remember, baroque derives from the Portuguese word for "oddly shaped pearl"). As Plotinus asks in his Essay on the Beautiful, upon considering the traditional definitions of beauty, how colors by themselves or the light from the sun can be beautiful since there is no relationship between parts and whole. So it gets rather complex when trying to define it, which is how I like it. Beauty, IMO, is an inexhaustible well into which artists throughout the ages have been finding new insights. Proportion, symmetry, and balance are just one facet of it.

[@vngelicath1580]

This is another issue with modernism. Post-Enlightenment, Truth, Goodness and Beauty became increasingly subjectivized... Truth cannot be known (thus religious-philosophical pluralism), Goodness cannot be known (situation ethics, cultural voluntarism), and Beauty cannot be known (consumerism). It's no wonder civilization is tearing at the threads, if we can't even agree on the foundational premises.

[@ZigmasOfSamogitia]

I have been obsessed with the philosophy and Theology of beauty for a long time. I'm very excited to get your book.

[@mysticmouse7261]

Now I want to re-read the Dialogues of Plato. Beauty is real. Associated with God. How do I know this? Johann Sebastian Bach.

[@reydemayo8906]

Godbless you sir...you really enlighten me about the philosophical inquiry about the Concept of beauty....keep safe always....and continue in your podcast.

[@rangerswampyclay]

Would love to hear more on this. I think the question of asking “what makes something objectively beautiful” is worth going into further.

[@NnannaO]

Please make more of these. I've been trying to understand biblical, objective beauty for a long while now. I asked that you make more videos just talking about it freely and also apply to specific subjects/topics. Any resources that you are willing to share on the topic would be great as well.

[@klavsvadonis]

You should definately continue these series!! Interesting stuff

[@Ogata123]

I hope your book reaches audiobook format, i dont have much time for reading, but i’d love to listen to it

[@TK-qu1ht]

Please do an hour talk about Holiness and Beauty. Thanx.

[@mrs.teilborg649]

This was fascinating, thanks!!!

[@Hillbillywayfarer]

Thank you Dr. Cooper. This was lovely and enlightening. I’m very glad you ended with dress standards and how our outward appearance does reflect an inward heart of respect and love of neighbor. I’m on the board of a classical Christian school and dress codes are a hot topic of debate. But I now feel slightly more prepared for that debate thanks to you! Philosophy matters :)

[@marianweigh6411]

Thank you Dr Cooper. I am curious if you engage Hans Urs von Balthasar at all in your book, as he also pursued a revival of the value of beauty for theology (and in general), beginning his magnum opus with theo-aesthetics - beauty, splendor, glory - before moving on to goodness (via moral drama) and truth. Just a curiosity. I would like to learn more myself.

[@richardwhite7946]

I enjoyed your lecture on Beauty, would you say this is connected to Theosis and the concept of Theological Aethetics as elaborated on by Hans Urs Von Balthazar?

[@sethgraham2244]

The topic is awesome; keep posting!

[@wesleybiddy1006]

This was informative and thought-provoking. Thank you.

[@matthewj0429]

I loved this! Please make more videos like this

[@ooooooppppp11]

Please continue, important topic often overlooked

[@jimmyking8074]

Love this, would love to see more of this. Also would love for you to deal with contemporary art and media. I've been trying to think about how objective beauty should fit into my taste in music, art, TV shows, and films. I happen to quite like Anime, (don't like all of them, because they really do tend to be weird and creepy in a lot of ways, I try my best to be selective with what I like) and I'm interested in a lot of American TV shows (think a show like NBC's Community, The Office, Parks and Recreation, and etc.) but with a lack of resources, I've always had this nagging question in my head about whether my taste in shows and animation is objectively beautiful and pleasing to God? At least from time to time. I'm also an aspiring photographer and filmmaker so these questions are rather pressing for me in a lot of ways as I want to develop my craft. So yeah, would love to see some discussion on stuff like that in the future as it's been mostly been left unanswered. (Maybe a list of criteria for beauty would be helpful?) I also have the nagging undealt question I have in regards to certain shows where they portray those in the LGBTQ+ community in a favourable manner whether it's right to watch those kinds of shows and so on? Might be unrelated to the question of beauty, but it is something I've been thinking about and would be something I recognise I need to think about as shows like these are getting more common. Would love to know your thoughts sir, God bless! Just a Chinese guy from Malaysia, James

[@Zwedgy]

Hey, great topic! I was wondering whether it is intentional that this episode seems to be missing from Spotify and other podcast platforms?

[@DrJordanBCooper]

It will be up! Sorry for the delay

[@ArkEleven1]

How many times is Scruton quoted lol

[@hokalos]

Dr. Cooper, what do you think of nudity and profanity in Art? Would you say they are less beautiful because they violate virtue, which is inherent necessary to beauty?

[@ShownTheWay]

This is excellent. Thank you!

[@alp300]

This was interesting and helpful.

[@Melvin_Thoma]

Thanks Dr Cooper 👍

[@TK-qu1ht]

It’s interesting.

[@Jassaj1985]

Shots fired at Gucci shirts!

[@Jassaj1985]

To say something about the actual subject of the video: This is not something I know a lot about but it is an interesting subject nonetheless.

[@beautyandthefaith]

Thank you for bringing this important topic up which seems so unbiblically neglected by evangelicals (coming from an evangelical)

[@bobsagget9212]

Did you know that Japanese actually don't follow the golden ratio, they have the silver ratio

[@hokalos]

What is that?

[@cindybclark]

Sorry, Dr. Cooper. We have watched at least 10 of your videos, but this was rambling and almost incoherent. How many times did you say, "There's a lot more I could say about this..." You never come close to offering objective standards we could comprehend, and your rant on McMansions seems puerile. Ultimately, I need to just come to you to get the truth on the beauty or ugliness of any movie, house, or design. Got it. Much prefer your theologically grounded presentations. They are always insightful.

[@Cuyt24]

Doctor Jayden B Copper , Methodist Theologian, Author, Poet and diving instructor.