What is beauty?

In these newly remastered conferences, bestselling author, mystic, and monk Thomas Merton discusses the philosophical concept of beauty. Recorded by Merton himself in the 1960s, these talks will transport you to the abbey where he taught and imparted his spiritual wisdom.

As humans, we are naturally drawn to the beautiful, whether in art or in nature. True beauty is transcendent, extending beyond the merely aesthetic, and it is essential to the spiritual life. On a metaphysical level, beauty is being itself, a manifestation of grace and life in all its splendor. Art and contemplation bring us to the highest form of pleasure, that is, the beauty of God. By understanding beauty, then, we thus move towards spiritual perfection and fulfillment.

Thomas Merton’s wisdom on the philosophy of beauty is intellectually compelling and spiritually profound. Listen to his timeless words today.

This course is part of the Learn25 Collection.