It consists of a partial review, a three-tiered summary, a set of questions raised by the book, and a couple of possibilities for essay topics based on the book. I am generally not conservative, but was sent a copy of the book by a friend who encouraged me to study it, which I did to some extent. Weaver is a classic in the conservative tradition. The Heavenly and Earthly Trinities (c.Ideas Have Consequences: a review, summary and notes Lewis, writer, poet, scholar, Christian apologist, Oxford professor, and theologianīe not afraid! And may the peace of Christ be with you and your loved ones today and always.

I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen – not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else. Like any other human activity, art is not an absolute end in itself, but is ordered to and ennobled by the ultimate end of man (CCC 2501). To the extent that it is inspired by truth and love of beings, art bears a certain likeness to God’s activity in what he has created. Arising from talent given by the Creator and from man’s own effort, art is a form of practical wisdom, uniting knowledge and skill, to give form to the truth of reality in a language accessible to sight or hearing. Indeed, art is a distinctively human form of expression beyond the search for the necessities of life which is common to all living creatures, art is a freely given superabundance of the human being’s inner riches. 132)įrom the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Truth Beauty, and Sacred Art (2501)Ĭreated “in the image of God,” man also expresses the truth of his relationship with God the Creator by the beauty of his artistic works. It is not wearied by our sins, or our indifference and, therefore, it is quite relentless in its determination that we shall be cured of those sins, at whatever cost to us, at whatever cost to Him.” (p. But the great thing to remember is that, though our feelings come and go, His love for us does not. We cannot create them for ourselves, and we must not demand them as a right. If we are trying to do His will we are obeying the commandment, ‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God.’ He will give us feelings of love if He pleases. Christian Love, either towards God or towards man, is an affair of the will. Nobody can always have devout feelings: and even if we could, feelings are not what God principally cares about. “On the whole, God’s love for us is a much safer subject to think about than our love for Him.

Lewis: On Love & FeelingsĪn excerpt from Mere Christianity by C.

The fine arts, but above all sacred art, “of their nature are directed toward expressing in some way the infinite beauty of God in works made by human hands…” (CCC 2513).

Mere christianity cliff notes