Author: CHEN Yuehua, Professor of Philosophy Department, Zhejiang University.
Abstract:
The most important philosophical influence on medieval aesthetic schools was Neoplatonism, whose most prominent theoretical feature was Christian mysticism. This tradition transformed the classical literary aesthetic view of arts as “imitations of nature” by suggesting that they had an aesthetic value as “imitations of the divine” and elevated the cultural status of arts. The aesthetics of mysticism is based on its metaphysical scheme that sees beauty as deriving from and pointing towards the archetype of beauty in the world of the intellect. Beauty is also known as the Good, and Christian theologians identify it with the Triune God. In the Christian tradition of mysticism, God is ineffable. Arts and literature related to the Divine mainly use three images or metaphors to unveil the teaching of mysticical theology: illumination, ascension, and union. These correspond respectively to God`s creation (light descending from above), the human soul on its way to know God from this world below, and the ultimate end of mystical theology. The Medieval Gothic churches offer a comprehensive expression of the aesthetics of mysticism. In their overall tone, mystical artworks exhort one to restrain earthly physical desires, and lead one to spiritual transcendence. This article reveals how the mystical tradition constituted an important dimension of medieval culture, and discusses the aesthetic spirit it produced, before offering a close reading of specific works and their modern aesthetic value.
Keywords:
Mysticism, Neo-Platonism, Christian Mystical Theology, Medieval Aesthetics
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