Review: Dogmatic Aesthetics: A Theology of Beauty in Dialogue with Robert W. Jenson

November 17, 2014November 17, 2014 / rtrube54 / 2 Comments

Dogmatic Aesthetics: A Theology of Beauty in Dialogue with Robert W. Jenson by Stephen John Wright
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodness, truth, and beauty. This language of the “transcendentals” sounds inspiring and noble. But why do we believe in these things and what shapes our understanding of the good, the true, and the beautiful? Are there grounds for answers to these questions beyond our own experience and perception? Stephen John Wright, in this dialogue with his theological mentor Robert W. Jenson, and other theologians would answer in the affirmative, that is, in the Triune God.

But how might this God as the source of beauty be known? Wright would take issue with the analogia entis (analogy of being) approach of Erich Przywara and others and follow his mentor in proposing the centrality of Christology, our understanding of Christ, to our understanding of beauty. In other words, Wright would argue that we work not from our own experience up to an understanding of beauty in the being of God but rather that the being of God, as revealed in Christ, helps us understand beauty in our human context.

There are four foci to his argument and the organization of the book follows these. First there is beauty in relation to the Triune God. We understand there is a Trinity because of Christ’s incarnation but this then challenges us to understands the relations of the persons of the Trinity and the oneness of God and in so doing Jenson and Wright help us see the basis of harmony, proportion and simplicity in the Trinity.

Second, we understand beauty in the Incarnate Christ that reconciles on the cross suffering and ugliness in the creation with the grace revealed in our salvation and the restoration of all things through this act.

Third, in the creation of all things through Christ and the doctrine of creation ex nihilo we see that beauty and change and transience are not mutually exclusive and this distinguishes the beauty of the creation from the beauty of God. Wright does some interesting work here drawing upon Japanese aesthetics that are particularly attuned to the transitory beauty of creation.

Finally, and perhaps most interesting to me, was his treatment of beauty and the future or eschaton. As part of his discussion Wright notes a tension between language and music and that the poetic language often used to speak of the end points toward a reconciliation when we are caught up, to use Jenson’s metaphor, in the “great fugue” of God where our voices are joined to the harmony of the Trinity. (As a choral singer, I particularly loved that part!).

What struck me in reading Wright’s account is that this was a theology of beauty that was beautiful while never departing from scholarly engagement. Furthermore, and I guess this is because I would agree with his basic premise, I deeply appreciated the consistent recourse to the person and work of Christ as central to our understanding of beauty. This is truly a Christian and not simply a theist aesthetic. Finally, I found myself wanting both to read the work of Jenson, which I have not, and making a mental note to look for more from this young theologian.

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On Beginning a New Decade

August 6, 2014 / rtrube54 / 2 Comments

If you are a friend on Facebook, you’ve figured out that today is my birthday. While all birthdays are something of a milestone (thanks be to God I’m still breathing!) the decade birthdays always seem pretty significant.

I turned 60 today. I was sitting with my wife the other night and talking about the fact that we had moved to our present home when I was not yet 36. How did that happen? How did we go from being parents of a kindergartner to wannabe grandparents? Birthday insight one is pretty basic: time passes and seems to go ever more quickly. Yet I have to say the years have been full and rich and I really have no desire for “do overs.”

A while back I heard Dustin Hoffman interviewed about this decade thing and how when we are younger we play the mental game of doubling our age, thinking that we have at least half our life before us and how at 60 that becomes a pretty doubtful exercise. Birthday insight number two is realizing that I my days are numbered in this body and that it is crazy to live one’s life without reckoning with one’s mortality. That said, much of my response is an ever-increasing gratitude for each day, a joy in those moments of wonder, and a passion that each day would matter for time and eternity. It is interesting how the passage of years brings a focus to one’s life.

As I’ve approached this milestone, it has become increasingly clear that I’ve been given so much through all these years, including physical stuff and that a major occupation of these next years is giving it away–either that or saddling my son with that task. But it is not only physical stuff. Life at this point is not about acquiring more status or protecting whatever status I have. I’m not sure that is ever what life should be about, but at this point, it is increasingly apparent what a foolish game that is. Rather it is time, and more than time to celebrate and bless and affirm the gifts of those in the rising generation and make space for the exercise of these. So birthday insight number three is that at this age, it is time to give away your stuff!

There are a number of ways that we can say life is hard, and the truth is, getting older isn’t for the faint of heart. You see more heart-breaking things, from the death of close friends to the troubles of the world. You become aware of joints you never knew you had. Things just don’t heal as quickly. Yet we celebrate birthdays, and I don’t think this is simply that we survived another year but that underneath and deeper than the hard stuff is a consciousness of a goodness to life.To be alive, to behold the world’s beauty, to grow older with the love of one’s youth, to continue to tend our gardens, to sing great music, and to enjoy a good party–all these things reflect a deeper reality. I don’t think these things have to be a denial of hard realities but rather a statement of faith that there is a deeper goodness, a deeper truth, and a deeper beauty. So my last birthday insight is simply that it is good to celebrate these days and even these decade birthdays, not simply for the joys of the past but the hopes of yet more wonderful things to come, come what may.

And so I will enjoy this birthday–family celebrations, the wishes of friends, the perks of becoming a “Golden Buckeye”, and most of all, the quiet shared moments with my wife. So glad to be on this journey with all of you!

Why Do You Sing…?

September 4, 2013September 4, 2013 / rtrube54 / 2 Comments

Do you ever find yourself in the midst of what you think is a routine event and discover there is something special and wonderful going on? Last night was like that. It was our first rehearsal of the year for Capriccio Columbus. This is my sixth season with this wonderful choral group in central Ohio. Like many rehearsals we sang a mix of music I was familiar with and new music that I stumbled through. That was pretty typical!

What wasn’t typical was a time of introductions that followed. We began by hearing from one of our patrons, who spoke of how Capriccio has given many singers the chance to sing with a symphony orchestra, to sing great choral works at a high level of excellence, to make music rather than just listen to it. I found myself resonating with all this. I’d sung with a few church choirs over the years and attended many of of my son’s concerts in high school and college. Five years ago, I decided that I was tired of listening to others sing and that I would audition, which seemed crazy–I’d never auditioned in my life and my audition practice was rehearsing a piece of Beatles music in the car returning from a work trip to Pittsburgh on the afternoon of the rehearsal. Amazingly, they let this amateur join! Over the years we’ve sung the Brahms Requiem, Carmina Burana, Vivaldi’s and Rutter’s Glorias and lots of other amazing music. And I’ve gotten to sing with a symphony numerous times. That’s a dream come true and an item off my bucket list!

Then all the choirs members were invited to introduce themselves. And this was when I realized that I was in the midst of a very special moment as person after person spoke of how much they looked forward to Tuesday rehearsals, had come to us from bad choir experiences and discovered both an excellence and a joy in singing they’d longed for, how these evenings together were a ‘sanity break’ from work or parenting young children. I realized afresh how blessed we are to have skillful directors in Larry Griffin and Karrie Horton for whom singing well and having fun go together.

I think one of the things that connects my love of great books and love of singing great music is the coming together of goodness, truth, and beauty these have in common. As Paul the Apostle writes in Philippians 1:8:

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.