The Power of Beauty, Also Eschatology

A conference readers may be interested in: The Power of Beauty, being held at the Franciscan University of Steubenville on October 24th and 25th. The description on the website says:

“Beauty will save the world,” writes Dostoevsky, yet beauty is seen by many as a weak and expendable arrow in the metaphysical quiver that includes the more robust good and true. Many think of beauty as a mere decoration of human life, a luxury rather than a spiritual necessity. There is indeed a great deal of Kitsch that masquerades as art, and it is not surprising if such “beauty” is not taken seriously. But authentic beauty can have the transformative, even salvific, effects that Dostoevesky ascribes to it.

Robert Scruton, who is always good value, is giving the plenary address on “Beauty and Desecration. The site includes a call for papers, proposals due September 1st.

While I’m at it, readers may also be interested in the annual conference of the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars. This year (the 37th), the Fellowship takes up eschatology, with talks by an array of biggies, including Oxford professor John Finnis (mentor to Robert P. George and others), the ethicist Germain Grizez, and biblical scholars Ralph Martin and Scott Hahn, also my good friends Carol Abromaitis and Anne Gardiner.

It is being held in downtown Pittsburgh and I plan on going, and hope to see any readers who come.