Extended Essays 2021

Theological Aesthetics in relation to the representation of Dorian Gray’s Body and Soul

Theological aestheticism is a religious notion which explores the relationship between God or

one’s faith and that of art and beauty. The Aesthetic Movement did not occur until the late

19 th century, however this association is firmly embedded throughout Christian scripture and

tradition. The patristic period of the early Christian writers and Church Fathers, spanning from approximately 100 CE to 451 CE 5 , included examples of God’s glory and the vision of God, as well as God’s image in Christ and his followers. Here, it can be understood that the vision of God and his spirit is of a pure nature with the transforming effect of divine grace 6 . The divine grace is considered to be what operates within humans to sanctify and regenerate, as well as inspire virtuous impulses 7 . Themes of beauty within the Church are rooted in God,

who is considered to be both internally (spiritually) and outwardly (aesthetically) perfect.

Therefore, the harmony between God’s body and soul was thought to be of the utmost

aesthetic value due to its cohesion and cooperation.

Furthermore, the patristic fathers warned of the dangers of idolatry; the idolising or praising

of something which has been created by God, as opposed to the creator itself. As the

idolisation of some manifestation of beauty as opposed to God himself, would be considered u nwise due to the lack of ‘perfection’ in these human -made incarnations 8 . St Basil the Great

(329-379 CE) implores glorifying ‘the Master Craftsman for all that has been done wisely

and skilfully; and from the beauty of the visible things,..... form an idea of Him Who is more than beautiful’ 9 . In corroborating and evaluating the above sources, it can be ascertained that

as these products of the creator are not God himself, they lack his ‘aesthetic perfection’.

Wilde’s use of the portrait as a representation of Gray’s soul in the material form, which is

incongruent with his physical manifestation, is a contrast to the religious use of icons to

represent the united body and soul of the divine God. Hence, according to this concept, the

character of Dorian Gray is in direct contrast with the key features of theological aesthetics.

5 McGrath, A. E., 1998. Chapter 1: The Patristic Period. In: Historical Theology An Introduction to the History of Christian Thought. s.l.:Blackwell Publishers. 6 Cross, F. L. & Livingston, E. A., 1997. Deification. In: The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 7 Dictionary, O. E., n.d. Grace. In: Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 8 Garrett, S., 2011. Theological Aesthetics . In: The Encyclopedia of Christian Civilization. s.l.:Wiley-Blackwell. 9 orth-transfiguration.org, n.d. St. Basil the Great (329 – 379). [Online]. Available at: http://www.orth-transfiguration.org/st-basil-the-great-329-379/ [Accessed 18 July 2021].

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