Fall 2005/Pasadena
TC864/564
Johnston/Dyrness

TC864/564: A THEOLOGY OF BEAUTY. Robert K. Johnson and William Dyrness.


DESCRIPTION: This doctoral seminar is open to a limited number of master's level students by special permission. Ideas of beauty were in eclipse for much of the 20th century, but have received renewed attention recently. In this course students will explore historical, philosophical, biblical, theological and cultural understandings of beauty with the goal of developing their own constructive theology of beauty.

COURSE OBJECTIVES/LEARNING OUTCOMES: That students (1) practice a close reading of primary sources in order to articulate and analyze the various arguments; (2) understand a spectrum of theological and cultural traditions relating to a theology of beauty and be able to locate their cultural, historical, biblical and philosophical rootage; (3) be able to assess critically and imaginatively the central issues and options present when developing a constructive theology of beauty.

RELEVANCE FOR MINISTRY: In his address to the Pontifical Academies in 2004, Pope John Paul II suggested the path of beauty "as the best way for the Christian faith and the culture of our time to meet, besides being a valuable instrument for the formation of the young generations." This course will explore the theological significance of beauty not only in terms of human creativity and divine worship, but also with reference to issues of justice and human transformation as well.

COURSE FORMAT: The seminar will meet weekly for three-hour sessions.

REQUIRED READING:

Brown, Frank Burch. Good Taste, Bad Taste and Christian Taste. Oxford University Press, 2000.

Danto, Arthur. The Abuse of Beauty. Carcus, 2003.

Evdokimov, Paul. The Art of the Icon: A Theology of Beauty. Redondo Beach, CA: Oakwood, 1990.

Goizueta. Robert. Caminemos con Jesús. Orbis, 2003.

Hart, David Bentley. The Beauty of the Infinite. Eerdmans, 2003.

Leeuw, G. van der. Sacred and Profane Beauty: The Holy in Art. Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1963.

Navone, John. Toward a Theology of Beauty. Liturgical, 1996.

von Balthasar, Han Urs. The Glory of the Lord. Vol. 1. Ignatius Press/Crossroad, 1983.

Willis, Paul. Common Culture. Westview, 1990, 1994.

Wolterstorff, Nicholas. Art in Action: Toward a Christian Aesthetic. Eerdmans, 1980.

Course Reader with material from Postrel, Boyd, Plato, Aristotle, De Gruchy, Kuyper, Dyrness, Tarkovsky, Karl Barth.

RECOMMENDED READING:
Brown, Frank Burch. Religious Aesthetics. Princeton University Press, 1989.

Eco, Umberto. Art and Beauty in the Middle Ages. Yale University Press, 1986.

de Gruchy, John. Christianity, Art and Transformation. Cambridge University Press, 2001.

Postrel, Virginia. The Substance of Style. HarperCollins, 2003.

Scarry, Elaine. On Beauty and Being Just. Princeton University Press, 1999.

Seerveld, Calvin. Rainbows for the Fallen World. Radix, 1980.

Sherry, Patrick. Spirit and Beauty: An Introduction to Theological Aesthetics. Clarendon, 1992.

Viladesau, Richard. Theological Aesthetics: God in Imagination, Beauty, and Art. Oxford, 1999.

Weil, Simone. Waiting for God. Putnam, 1951; HarperCollins, 2000.

ASSIGNMENTS: (1) Completion of all readings and participation in class discussion (10%). (2) Each student will assume primary responsibility for one or two of the readings above and write a 2-3 page summary, typed and single-spaced, to be emailed to members of the class 24 hours before the seminar session, together with 6 to 8 questions which the student has framed on the basis of his/her interaction with the materials, to form the basis of the class discussion (20%). (3) An 8-10 page critical review of D. B. Hart's The Beauty of the Infinite, due at the beginning of class on the 10th week (20%). (4) A 30-40 page paper on a constructive theology of beauty; appropriate adjustments in this assignment will be worked out individually for master's level participants in the seminar (50%).

PREREQUISITES: For master's level students: permission of the instructor.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Elective for master's level students.

FINAL EXAMINATION: None.