An edition of The Art Of Life: An Essay
(1903)
The Art Of Life
An Essay
by Frederick Charles Kolbe
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March 20, 2016 | History
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Publish Date
1903
Publisher
Juta
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Table of Contents
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
THE RELATION OF THE ART OF LIFE TO ALL THE OTHER ARTS.
The aim of Art — Spiritual Beauty — is one of the ways to God — and to see more of it is to see more of God — Art being the expression of Beauty — is subject to the laws of Beauty. — Every energy has its corresponding art, — the lower senses, — physical strength, — dress,— building, — writing and carving, — singing, — speaking, thinking, — living. — All these Arts linked together in the soul, — and in the story of humanity. — The qualities common to all of them. — Those of thought and of Life the highest, because spiritual, — and because more directly supernatural. — The Art of Life defined. .. .. 1-12
CHAPTER II
THE MATERIAL OF THE ART. — THE SOUL.
The material of our Art, — neither less — nor more. — than the Soul. — Hence the need of studying our soul — from its lower side as well as its higher. — This study is three-fold. — (1) The soul's life below consciousness. — The Church's view — has been only defined sufficiently for the doctrine of the Incarnation. — We may have slight differences on it, — but many prevailing theories are quite excluded. — The soul is the form of the body. — The almost-nothingness of matter, and the everythingness of the form. — Gradation of forms, material — and spiritual. — The position of the soul in the universe. The link between this view and the Incarnation — and the rest of the Church's teaching. — (2) The soul's life within consciousness. — The reasons of its importance. — Summary of (1) and (2) — and (by anticipation) of (1) (2) and (3). — Extent and extensibility of consciousness. — The advantage of extending it. — (3) The soul's life above consciousness, indicated by the inchoateness of its nature. — The fulness of our range, — not limited even by sleep. — Our resultant wideness of view, — shown in analogies, e.g., geographical, political, — historical, — or scientific. — All the soul's energies must converge into one resultant, — which must be directed upwards, — rejecting everything inconsistent with this aim. — In this aim the body shares as well, — and thus we are continually brought nearer to the final harmony. ..12-35
CHAPTER III.
THE FORM OF THE ART — THE BEAUTY OF JUSTICE.
Our ideal, — which is truly an art-form, — and of a higher order than the material, — is no other than Plato's Absolute Beauty, — which is visible enough in God's world, — and is there comprehensively seen by poets and saints. — It is also seen in the prosaic detail of life, — if the individual be universalised. — It may be called the Beauty of Justice. — It is the touchstone of Truth, — positively, — and negatively, — and therefore completely. — It is concretely presented to us in the Incarnate Word, — Who is the Way, as well as the Truth and the Life. — The mystery of the Incarnation is essentially one of transformation, — dimly adumbrated even by heathen philosophers, — but fully manifested only in the hereafter 35-47
CHAPTER IV.
THE GENIUS OF THE ART— MORAL INTUITION ILLUMINATED BY FAITH.
The selectiveness of Art, — varies with the artist, — but always resolves itself into intuition and idealism. — Intuition is seeing thoughts into things. — It is a result of discipline, — and requires to be guided by faith. — It is of the heart more than of the brain, — and is learnt more from genius than from criticism. — Its variations are not subject to calculation. — It manifests itself best in small things, — and is a special feature of the Catholic Church. — It is mainly exercised in the struggle against " the world," — and develops the universal conception of sanctity n 47- 57
CHAPTER V.
THE TRANSFORMING IDEALISM OF THE ART— INTENTION OF THE GLORY OF GOD.
Idealism the most characteristic of all art-qualities. — Its more than magic power — illumines- all life with glory — from within, — but this glory is the glory of God, — which is essentially the object of all desire. — It is the foundation of all unselfishness, — which God reveals to us as a model — in Himself — and in His dealings with us,— even to the verge of recklessness. — There is a Divine interchange between His glory and our salvation. — Hence Sacraments and sacramentals. — Idealism, the shadow of God's transforming power, — is the very soul of life, — and in spite of much modern teaching — is necessarily a work of practical detail. .. 57-68
CHAPTER VI.
THE PLASTIC POWER OF THE ART — GRACE.
Grace, a Force — as well as a Form, — may be understood — as the highest of the stages of existence, — which seem to merge into one another, both upwards — and downwards, — but are essentially distinct — and real. — The higher the force, the higher the organization — and the Incarnation is the highest of organisms, — comprehending all the rest. — The great symbol of Grace is Light, — which reveals all things, and is itself always being more and more revealed. — Grace, like Light, evokes faculties, — and transcends limits, — and is Interior as well as exterior. — Thus Science ministers to Grace — by illustration, — and by amplifying the parable of Nature, — which still awaits its highest interpretation. .. .. 69-81
CHAPTER VII.
THE IMPLEMENT OF THE ART— PRAYER.
Prayer, the instrument, — always necessary, — not a mere asking for things, — but, as we learn from the best teachers, — a complexus of acts lifting the soul towards God, — giving it its erect attitude, — flooding it with light, — making it receptive of grace, — and anticipating the perfection to come. — It is an appeal for instruction, — and a comparison with the copy, — and a bond of union. — Therefore the use of it is necessary .. .. 82-89
CHAPTER VIII.
THE ARTISTIC TEMPERAMENT .
Art is essentially sensitive — and unworldly — and glorifies its own pleasures and pains, — sometimes beyond the point of balance. — But this should not make the world scoff, nor the disciple despair. — Yet converts or new disciples should not exaggerate, — nor should any one ape, such want of balance. — Scrupulosity, a frequent defect in the temperament, — but the temperament itself desirable. .. .. 90-96
CHAPTER X
HOW TO LEARN THE ART
All arts want learning, — and that of virtue is no exception. — The discipline of drudgery— described. — Practical submission necessary, — and social-effort, — and these are best found in the religious life.— Continuous practice — with the art-implement. — The need of correction — and of watchfulness. — The Divine Teacher — practised no other art, — but showed the supremacy of this in Himself, — and in His School. — We, His pupils, must do all we can, with continuous self-correction — and mutual help: .. .. 96-109
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| March 20, 2016 | Edited by ww2archive | added book |
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