Themes of the book: 4

4. The Mother of the Liberal Arts. In the ancient sources, Wisdom or Sapientia (Greek Sophia) is sometimes identified amongst Christ, too he is shown standing or seated on the lap of Mary every bit the Seat of Wisdom. But often Sapientia is a woman individual figure, too every bit such she is regarded every bit the "mother" of the 7 liberal arts past times Cassiodorus too Alcuin.

In the book, in that place is a department – the Endnote starting on p. 153 – where I explore this idea, along amongst the important of Beauty too the other Transcendentals that converge on God. I struggle that the "Wisdom" of God tin strength out live identified with Beauty every bit something inherently "liberating". The Beauty or Glory of God corresponds at its highest indicate amongst the divine Infinity, the fact that God's ain existence is inexhaustible too thence he is a continual please to himself, a source of eternal rejoicing, of bliss. So the joy nosotros associate amongst Beauty is a pointer to the depths of Being inwards God. And this Beauty is ultimately the same every bit that "Wisdom" described inwards the Books of Proverbs too Wisdom every bit existence past times God's side from the really beginning, perchance every bit the divine stance of creation itself, or every bit a form of "uncreated nature".

"For wisdom is to a greater extent than moving than whatever motion: she passeth too goeth through all things past times argue of her pureness. For she is the breath of the ability of God, too a pure influence flowing from the glory of the Almighty: thence tin strength out no defiled affair autumn into her. For she is the brightness of the everlasting light, the unspotted mirror of the ability of God, too the ikon of his goodness" (Wisdom 7:24–6). 

The mass tries to describe the agency each of the "ways" of the Trivium contributes to the increment inwards wisdom. Through the mastery of linguistic communication inwards memory, thought, too conversation, nosotros larn able to grow into our humanity, discovering a wider globe too able to discern truth from falsehood, sharp inwards judgment, inwards communion amongst others. But the procedure of didactics tin strength out live corrupted when its aims are lowered from the attainment of wisdom too subordinated to that of a career, or when the really possibility of attaining truth is denied on all sides.

Wisdom is the inspiration too the finish of the Liberal Arts, which are the "seven pillars" of the identify of rejoicing, too love, too freedom. Each of the Arts was meant to develop the pose down of the body, soul, too spirit of human being for the liberty inwards truth that comes from the cognition of God, alone finally attained when philosophy too theology give agency to contemplation too union. For "we know that when he appears, nosotros shall live similar him, since nosotros shall run into him every bit he is" (1 John 3:2).

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