Benedict XVI's Address to Artists

Unfortunately, the present time is marked, not only by negative elements in the social and economic sphere, but also by a weakening of hope, by a certain lack of confidence in human relationships, which gives rise to increasing signs of resignation, aggression and despair. The world in which we live runs the risk of being altered beyond recognition because of unwise human actions which, instead of cultivating its beauty, unscrupulously exploit its resources for the advantage of a few and not infrequently disfigure the marvels of nature. What is capable of restoring enthusiasm and confidence, what can encourage the human spirit to rediscover its path, to raise its eyes to the horizon, to dream of a life worthy of its vocation -- if not beauty? Dear friends, as artists you know well that the experience of beauty, beauty that is authentic, not merely transient or artificial, is by no means a supplementary or secondary factor in our search for meaning and happiness; the experience of beauty does not remove us from reality, on the contrary, it leads to a direct encounter with the daily reality of our lives, liberating it from darkness, transfiguring it, making it radiant and beautiful.

Indeed, an essential function of genuine beauty, as emphasized by Plato, is that it gives man a healthy "shock", it draws him out of himself, wrenches him away from resignation and from being content with the humdrum -- it even makes him suffer, piercing him like a dart, but in so doing it "reawakens" him, opening afresh the eyes of his heart and mind, giving him wings, carrying him aloft. Dostoevsky's words that I am about to quote are bold and paradoxical, but they invite reflection. He says this: "Man can live without science, he can live without bread, but without beauty he could no longer live, because there would no longer be anything to do to the world. The whole secret is here, the whole of history is here." The painter Georges Braque echoes this sentiment: "Art is meant to disturb, science reassures." Beauty pulls us up short, but in so doing it reminds us of our final destiny, it sets us back on our path, fills us with new hope, gives us the courage to live to the full the unique gift of life. The quest for beauty that I am describing here is clearly not about escaping into the irrational or into mere aestheticism.

Too often, though, the beauty that is thrust upon us is illusory and deceitful, superficial and blinding, leaving the onlooker dazed; instead of bringing him out of himself and opening him up to horizons of true freedom as it draws him aloft, it imprisons him within himself and further enslaves him, depriving him of hope and joy. It is a seductive but hypocritical beauty that rekindles desire, the will to power, to possess, and to dominate others, it is a beauty which soon turns into its opposite, taking on the guise of indecency, transgression or gratuitous provocation. Authentic beauty, however, unlocks the yearning of the human heart, the profound desire to know, to love, to go towards the Other, to reach for the Beyond. If we acknowledge that beauty touches us intimately, that it wounds us, that it opens our eyes, then we rediscover the joy of seeing, of being able to grasp the profound meaning of our existence, the Mystery of which we are part; from this Mystery we can draw fullness, happiness, the passion to engage with it every day. In this regard, Pope John Paul II, in his Letter to Artists, quotes the following verse from a Polish poet, Cyprian Norwid: "Beauty is to enthuse us for work, and work is to raise us up" (no. 3). And later he adds: "In so far as it seeks the beautiful, fruit of an imagination which rises above the everyday, art is by its nature a kind of appeal to the mystery. Even when they explore the darkest depths of the soul or the most unsettling aspects of evil, the artist gives voice in a way to the universal desire for redemption" (no. 10). And in conclusion he states: "Beauty is a key to the mystery and a call to transcendence" (no. 16).

...Dear artists, as I draw to a conclusion, I too would like to make a cordial, friendly and impassioned appeal to you, as did my Predecessor. You are the custodians of beauty: thanks to your talent, you have the opportunity to speak to the heart of humanity, to touch individual and collective sensibilities, to call forth dreams and hopes, to broaden the horizons of knowledge and of human engagement. Be grateful, then, for the gifts you have received and be fully conscious of your great responsibility to communicate beauty, to communicate in and through beauty! Through your art, you yourselves are to be heralds and witnesses of hope for humanity! And do not be afraid to approach the first and last source of beauty, to enter into dialogue with believers, with those who, like yourselves, consider that they are pilgrims in this world and in history towards infinite Beauty! Faith takes nothing away from your genius or your art: on the contrary, it exalts them and nourishes them, it encourages them to cross the threshold and to contemplate with fascination and emotion the ultimate and definitive goal, the sun that does not set, the sun that illumines this present moment and makes it beautiful.

Stereotypical Things That Are Hilarious

The Religious Billionaire

Is it possible for a devoutly religious person to climb the corporate ladder from the bottom and become an owner of a multi-million dollar company without, at some point, compromising a major aspect of their religious belief? Are top teir business executives and the most faithfully religious persons mutually exclusive? Can a person remain charitable in all business affairs and at the same time win the corporate race?

No, it does not seem possible.

Christianity determines success by embracing weakness, buiness determines success by competitive advantage and profit margins. Living a moral life requires silence, self-reflection, and patience. Becoming part of the top 1% in the financial world requires savvy instanteious decisions which have revenue as their soul motivation. Holiness requires self-sacrifice for others, giving without receiving, and completely surrendering personal desires. Successful businessmen require a relentless, competitive, and cut-throat spirit which seeks to satisfy their personal (or business) desire for prestiege and power.

Why does it seem like all of the most financially successfull people have no religious belief?

Could it be as this article suggests that a majority of top executives are psychopaths?

These obvious discrepancies between the Christan message of charity and the pursuit of financial success in secular society leave one guessing. Surely, as in most things, there must be a balance between the two?

Maybe the fundamental flaw can be traced all the way back to Max Weber's study of John Calvin (considered to be the father of capitalism) and Calvin's view of predestination coupled with the Protestant work ethic which sees the pursuit of profit as virtue. Weber's point is that from the perspective of predestination, where one must take an active role in verifying one's own salvation, achieving financial success is a tangible way to demonstrate one's own worthiness. Weber concluded that "once capitalism emerged, the Protestant values were no longer necessary, and their ethic took on a life of its own. We are now locked into the spirit of capitalism because it is so useful for modern economic activity."


It's easy to see from here how Joel Osteen and the Prosperity Gospel could be so popular: more or less validating excess-indeed, capitalism. 


The middle ground would seem to be to strive for financial success but to not allow it to become an end in itself. Rather, once the money is made, controlling where the money will go once in your hands. Still, we're back to square-one in terms of what moral corners have to be cut in order to even have money in your hands. 


I stand by my original thesis: top business executives and deeply religious persons are mutually exclusive.  

Purpose, Choice, and Possibilities

"For to act with our own purpose, though not wrong, is to limit the actions of life. And for purpose to be true purpose, it must be contained within submission."

         "Is not all choice a limiting of possibilities?"

"Yes. This is necessary. We cannot do or be all things. And within the identity that is our own there are a multitude of choices."

-Island of the World Michael O'Brien

Art and Culture

"I'm saying that through genuine culture man can know himself, even in nations where his identity is denied."
       "But what do you mean by genuine culture?"
"The beautiful and true! In music, in poetry, in literature, even in novels without political or historical references, we can apprehend what is not immediately known through rational thought or the accumulation of objective facts."
       "Antun, you're investing too much faith in culture. Does culture have the power to liberate man from overwhelming historical forces?"
"Culture is the last refuge, the sanctuary, the human place in the midst of the surrounding dehumanization. Through the arts man is able to know himself, even if only on the intuitive level. He senses his own worth, even when he cannot articulate it."
       "Can a poem or a song defeat a tyrant?"
Defeat a killer, defeat atrocities, defeat the bottom falling out of the universe when you least expect it?
"Yes. Yes, it can, given enough time. When a work of art is both beautiful and true, man's freedom is strengthened by it-both his interior need for freedom and his capacity to seek a rational understanding of it."

-Island of the World, Michael O'Brien
There'll be more from this book to come.