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Three Lessons Pope Benedict XVI Taught Me on Women and the Church

Three Lessons Pope Benedict XVI Taught Me on Women and the Church

It was through my work for the lonely, the addicted, the abused and neglected, for the sick and suffering—whether that be in Haiti, Nicaragua, rural America or the classrooms of the Ivy League—that I learned the wisdom of Benedict XVI’s Mariology as an antidote to a pride-filled activism. 

The Philosophy of Contemporary Mainstream Fine Art Education and Art Criticism: Part 1

The Philosophy of Contemporary Mainstream Fine Art Education and Art Criticism: Part 1

Trying to Understand, and to Counter, the Philosophy of Mainstream Art Schools and Contemporary Art Criticism. Part 1, Postmodernism, an art movement that doesn’t really exist?

Choosing Candles or Oil Lamps for the Image Corner in Your Domestic Church

 Choosing Candles or Oil Lamps for the Image Corner in Your Domestic Church

The burning flame is a symbol of the Light of the World which becomes also a sign that, when lit, the household is in prayer time. The flickering light renders the icons more beautiful through reflective interplay of light and dark. Also, if you have children, you will know that the presence of fire adds a focus that draws their attention to it, as powerfully as if they were moths.

Does the Church Need Artists Who Are Humble Scribes? Or Original Geniuses?

Does the Church Need Artists Who Are Humble Scribes? Or Original Geniuses?

A hermeneutic that dictates that artists do as little original work as possible (rather than as much as they can), is one that respects the past and, paradoxically, allows for the development of steadily better work in the future.

The Mathematics of Beauty - Teaching Principles for Today, and Work Submitted by a Student

The Mathematics of Beauty - Teaching Principles for Today, and Work Submitted by a Student

Intution has a part to play in the creation of beauty, but as with a musical composer needs the theory before he can create a new and beautiful piece of music, so does the artist. Even Mozart and Beethoven, prodigies that they were, had music lessons and were taught some theory by their fathers. 

The Art of Matthew Paris as a Model for the Transformation of American Sacred Art

The Art of Matthew Paris as a Model for the Transformation of American Sacred Art

The new American gothic? If we are looking for a starting point for the rejuvination of American sacred art, and more broadly even American culture, I suggest that the gothic could be one starting point.

The Burning Bush: Learning to See Again Through Marian Art; by Margarita Mooney Clayton

The Burning Bush: Learning to See Again Through Marian Art; by Margarita Mooney Clayton

Register for a unique event about one of the most intriguing women in history with one of today’s most prolific sacred artists and widely-viewed cultural commentator Jonathan Pageau!