THE WAY OF BEAUTY: Liturgy, Education, and Inspiration for Family, School, and College

by David Clayton

In The Way of Beauty, David Clayton describes how a true Catholic education is both a program of liturgical catechesis and an inculturation that aims for the supernatural transformation of the person so that he can in turn transfigure the whole culture through the divine beauty of his daily action. There is no human activity, no matter how mundane, that cannot be enhanced by this formation in beauty. Such enhanced activity then resonates in harmony with the common good and, through its beauty, draws all people to the Church--and ultimately to the worship of God in the Sacred Liturgy. The Way of Beauty will be of profound interest not only to artists, architects, and composers, but also to educators, who can apply its principles in home and classroom for the formation and education of children and students of all ages and at all levels--family, homeschooling, high school, college, and university.

"Since the good, the true, and the beautiful are a manifestation of the Trinity, it is always a grievous fault to leave beauty out of any discussion of the relationship between faith and reason. This being so, I am thrilled at the way David Clayton illustrates how beauty stands in eternal communion with the good and the true."--JOSEPH PEARCE, Aquinas College

"In spite of the great proclamation that the sacred liturgy is the font and apex of all we are about as Catholics, fifty years after the Council we still seem far from seeing and living this truth in all its fullness. Drawing upon years of experience as artist and teacher, David Clayton thoroughly unpacks this truth and shows, with an impressive range of examples, how it can and should play out every day in our schools, academic curricula, cultural endeavors, and practice of the fine arts. His treatment of the ways in which architecture, liturgy, and music reflect the mathematical ordering of the cosmos and the hierarchy of created being is illuminating and exciting. The Way of Beauty is a manifesto for the re-integration of the truth laid hold of in intellectual disciplines, the beauty aspired to in art and worship, and the good embodied in morals and manners. Ambitiously integrative yet highly practical, this book ought to be in the hands of every Catholic educator, pastor, and artist."--PETER KWASNIEWSKI, Wyoming Catholic College

"In The Way of Beauty, David Clayton offers us a mini-liberal arts education. The book is a counter-offensive against a culture that so often seems to have capitulated to a 'will to ugliness.' He shows us the power in beauty not just where we might expect it--in the visual arts and music--but in domains as diverse as math, theology, morality, physics, astronomy, cosmology, and liturgy. But more than that, his study of beauty makes clear the connection between liturgy, culture, and evangelization, and offers a way to reinvigorate our commitment to the Good, the True, and the Beautiful in the twenty-first century. I am grateful for this book and hope many will take its lessons to heart."--JAY W. RICHARDS, Catholic University of America

"Every pope who has promoted the new evangelization has spoken about how essential 'the way of beauty' is in engaging the modern world with the Gospel. What is it about the experience of beauty that can arrest the heart, crack it open, and stir its deepest longings, leading us on a pilgrimage to God? David Clayton's book provides compelling answers."--CHRISTOPHER WEST, Founder and President of The Cor Project

DAVID CLAYTON is an internationally acclaimed Catholic artist, teacher, and published writer on sacred art, liturgy, and culture. He was Fellow and Artist in Residence at Thomas More College of Liberal Arts in New Hampshire from 2009 until May 2015 and is the founder of the Way of Beauty program, which has been taught for college credit, featured on television, and is now presented in this book.

Genres: Education, Art, Parenting, Catholic, Nonfiction

282 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2015

Reviews

[Peggy Erland · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is written by a Christian artist who is Catholic. It discusses art as it relates to and springs from liturgy. It explains the ways in which Christian art, architecture and music (all forms of beauty) inform, illuminate and influence culture. It provides a good deal of history, art theory and some complex apologetics concerning the science of art and creating art. Yet, a lay person such as myself was able to grasp and understand the fundamentals discussed and gain an appreciation for the intention behind the master artists' work through the ages. I found the discussion of iconographic art particularly interesting because I'd not studied or read much about this art form. Naturalism, Gothic and Baroque art are addressed as well. In terms of architecture, the subject of harmonious proportion was also of interest to me, adding to my knowledge as a classical singer. Because the Catholic Church was the primary Christian church and creator of Christian art for centuries , it was very enlightening to read a book on this subject by a Catholic.

[Elkaza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved how this book covered many topics from education, catechesis, all revolving around the idea if what man deems as Beauty!

It’s a topic I feel we have lost, and need to find, in all areas of life, as it will bring us closer to God, and allow our souls to awaken more to the Holy Spirit.

My only issue with this book, was how the pictures were in black and white, which takes away some of the meaning to them.

Beside this is a good book, for any catholic wanting to know the great divine role Beauty, as within our society. A easy read, as it was written very well, and easy to fellow.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had no patience with the first half. Written in the first person, in almost the same breath he would say that we shouldn't follow tradition for tradition's sake and then advocate for tradition with little more than his opinion to back it up. There was a lot of number theory. I enjoyed the last third concerning practical application and critique in art, and especially his insights into the history and purpose of iconography, as an iconographer, himself.

[Peter Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

An important book that explores the nature of liturgy, culture, and education, why these are so important for the flourishing of society, and how we can be formed by tradition and contribute to it. The book lays out the principles, and then explores in various ways that beauty has been understood in art, music, and architecture. Some of the subtopics may appear tangential, but it is really providing an introduction to how to enter into the tradition of beauty and the arts and how they have been understood in various artistic expressions. There is much to wisdom to glean and discuss in these pages!

[Carly Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book to have for reference, hard to finish

[Fred · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read!

Thanks Professor Clayton for this treatise. I have learned so much and affirmed so many things that I only grasped intuitively before.

[Leslie Portu · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be revisited—I am interested in this topic

[Kevin de Ataíde · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book, have been waiting for something like it to arrive. It is a science of liturgy and liturgical art, with a focus on classical mathematics and the quadrivium that governed European creativity for centuries until the advent of modernism in art and the consequent ugliness. Although I do not agree with the author's idea that classical iconography is a higher form than the increasingly naturalistic gothic and baroque forms, I can see where he is coming from. I cannot however leave aside perspective in art and naturalism in form. This book is great. It puts forwards a vision of a school of beauty, that forms artists from primary level to secondary, to create a firm foundation for later artistic creation, or even for later logical and intuitive thinking. If you are in any form an educator of young minds with a bent towards Christian tradition, this book is for you. Five stars, right off the bat, and five stars at the end.