Faith & Reason Fall Issue, 2014 | Page 8

REDEEMING CULTURE IN CHRIST TERESA VARGO: A PFIC VOCATION STORY Br. Gabriel Torretta, O.P. Br. Luke Hoyt, O.P. THE ART OF THE BEAUTIFUL The city, says Pope Francis, is a place that asks Christians for “a hope that will help it look to the future with greater confidence and serenity.” But where is that hope to be found? In the crush and anonymity of apartment living? In the frenzy of the job market? In the constant bombardment of advertisements and marketing campaigns? Where do city dwellers find their hope? The Thomistic Institute, working with the Catholic Artists Society, is proposing an unexpected answer: in the beauty of Christ. This fall, the Institute is hosting a series of lectures at New York University Catholic Center entitled The Art of the Beautiful: Redeeming Culture in Christ, exploring the way that beauty draws people to Christ and shapes an authentic Christian culture. The Art of the Beautiful series began last year with exceptional public talks from Gregory Wolfe of Image Journal, Fr. Peter John Cameron, O.P. (MDiv, STB ’85; STL ’87), of Magnificat, and Anthony Esolen from Providence College, just to name a few. This year’s series considers how the Faith & Reason - Fall 2014 Church proposes the Gospel in beauty, and how artists offer God praise through working to express His beauty, with talks from eminent scholars and churchmen like Fr. John Saward of Oxford University, Thomas Hibbs from Baylor University, and Bishop James Conley of the Diocese of Lincoln. The Art of the Beautiful series is a part of the Thomistic Institute’s ongoing commitment t