Art & Interfaith: "Will Beauty Save the World?" | by Rev. John Hougen
While the question may sound absurd to many, people devoted to the arts debate it with great seriousness. I believe the answer is an emphatic “ Yes! ” · Yes, because beauty nurtures the human spirit, helping it flourish in the inhospitable climate of our times and culture. · Yes, because artists also are prophets. They create beauty which expresses the ugly realities that must be faced, implicitly calling viewers to endure or overcome what is revealed in their art. · Yes, because artists help us see the value, the dignity, and that which is sacred in the people and things around us, inclining us toward compassion. · And, yes, beauty will save the world because, in each religious tradition, there have been artists who have used their skill to aid the devout in worship, prayer, and discerning divine truth -- as it has been revealed within that tradition. Religion, in spite of the evil done in its name, is a primary motivation for good in this