Peter Kreeft on Beauty

Peter Kreeft, in a speech on "Beauty", espoused a thought that I think David and Paul would have both agreed with*

(Since this came from a talk he gave, I did a little editing to smooth out some of his stream-of-consciousness style)

“A saint is a little Christ.  The connection between the beauty of the saints and the beauty of Christ is the connection between the original and the image. 

And one of the most powerful ways to become a saint is simply to see the beauty of God.

In heaven, we’ll all be saints.

People often ask the question, “Will we be able to sin in heaven?”

And the answer is obviously, “No”

And then their next question is, “Oh, well then God must take away our free will.”

“No.”

“Well if we have free will, we’ll be able to sin, because free will is always a choice”

And the answer is “Yes.”

“Well then, why won’t we?”

And the answer is “The Beauty of God.”

In the Beatific Vision, we will see the beauty of God so clearly, so overwhelmingly that it will be impossible to sin.

Why does anybody sin?  Why does the thief steal money? Because he sees that money can buy attractive things.  The dirty pieces of paper aren't attractive.  The dirty pieces of paper can buy things that satisfy his desires and are attractive to him.

He wouldn't steal cockroaches. He’d steal gold. 

But in heaven, we’ll see that sin is like the cockroach, because we’ll see that God is the real gold. So the vision of the beauty of God makes it impossible to sin.

The more we can get that (vision) here, the more close to sanctity we are. 

Religious art isn't just kicks. It’s not just aesthetics.

It’s a powerful aid to attaining the ultimate meaning of human life: to be a saint.

I love that line of Leon Bloy, 19^th century French Catholic writer, 'In the end, there is only one tragedy, not to have been a saint.' And beauty is a very powerful aid to that.”

Peter Kreeft. Talk on "Beauty". Sacred Arts Foundation. 9/12/09. <http://www.peterkreeft.com/audio/38_beauty.htm>.

*Psa 27:4  One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.(KJV)

*2Co 3:18  But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.(KJV)