Taking every thought captive for obedience to Christ (2 Cor. 10.5)

Vision
The Beauty of Creation
For those committed to a secular worldview, the human brain is the ultimate frontier and only reliable Rosetta Stone for unlocking the secrets of the cosmos. This is true not only with respect to the structure and future of the cosmos, but to such elusive and non-material cosmic matters as beauty – whether it exists, what it consists of, and what use it might be.

For the Christian, beauty is just a part of life. As early as the fourth century Augustine remarked that the beauty of the material world bears witness to the beauty of God, a sentiment Christians down through the ages have echoed. The creation beckoned Augustine to give thought to its many attractions. As he did, he heard them cry out “with a loud voice: He made us. My questioning with them was my thought; and their answer was their beauty” (Confessions X.VI). Creation’s beauty did not exist merely in Augustine’s brain. Creation has its own beauty, and the beauty of creation directed Augustine to the beauty of God, as revealed in His Word, teaching him to love God above all things.

All beauty of the material creation, the Christian insists, is but a refracting of the beauty of God.

Nobel laureate Frank Wilczek is likewise convinced that the universe is, at heart, beautiful (“Beauty is Physics’ Secret Weapon,” Steve Paulson, Nautilus, January/February 2016), but his investigations of its beauty lead him in a different direction.

Dr. Wilczek says, “The exact question I’m trying to address is whether the world embodies beautiful ideas.”

Sorry, but we need a Nobel laureate to answer this question?

Dr. Wilczek observes, “We already know there are beautiful laws that explain most of the way matter works. It’s just that we haven’t figured it all out.” He understands an operation or aspect of the cosmos to be beautiful, and a beautiful idea, if it is harmonious in whole and part, and if it makes possible further understanding of the nature of reality, that is, if we can build on it.

Many answers remain to be discovered concerning the nature of beauty, but the human mind is sufficient to the task, Dr. Wilczek insists. We don’t need the help of religion to figure this out, even though the history of Christianity, for one, is rife with discussions of the question, as well as plenty of examples of art and other artifacts universally acknowledged as beautiful.

The key to understanding beauty and the deep beauty of the cosmos lies in understanding the brain, Dr. Wilczek explains, not in any notions of the soul or any such thing. And not in mind either, but in brain. In the secularist worldview, matter is the source and substance of everything. Mind is just a convenient term for referring to the combined operations of the brain, apart from which mind has no existence. Understanding the structure and operations of the brain will give us needed insight for understanding the rest of the material cosmos, and will help us to unlock the beauty yet hidden there.

The cosmos, down to its subatomic structure, bears witness to beauty, and invites us to consider the nature and source of beauty. The secularist looks within himself to answer the question. And he will not allow into his thinking insights concerning the nature of beauty – and of the cosmos and humankind – from any who look beyond the material world for answers.

That seems a bit close-minded to me.

Unlike the secularist, the Christian welcomes all contributions to questions about beauty and the universe, for we understand that, in the end, the truth of God will prevail, and the teaching of God’s Word, in every field and discipline, will be vindicated.

Questions like this – the nature of beauty – are in the air, and Christians should prepare to engage them. Our reticence on such matters over the past generation or so is partly to blame for why secularists no longer believe we have anything useful to say.

For reflection
1.  How do you understand, or how would you explain, the idea of beauty? What is it? What is it for?

2.  Could you make a connection between some aspect of beauty in the creation – say, a glorious sunset, or the many and varied colors of green that re-emerge in the spring – and the beauty of God? How do these relate?

3.  If Christians fail to talk about beauty as a refraction of God and His beauty, where will that leave the world in trying to make sense of this idea?

Talk with a few of your friends – Christian or non-Christian – about the idea of beauty. How do they think about this question?

T. M. Moore

Stretch your vision of Christ and His Kingdom by ordering a copy of T. M.’s book, The Kingship of Jesus, from our online store (click here).

The Week features insights from a wide range of topics and issues, with a view to equipping the followers of Christ to take every thought captive for Jesus. Please prayerfully consider supporting The Fellowship of Ailbe by sending a gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452.