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EMBRACING BEAUTY
Guest: John O'Donohue Program 3084
Host: Michael Toms Interview Date: 3/23/2005 Program Length: 1 Hour
Media:
MP3 Download
Price: $1.99
Program Description: In our busy, goal-oriented society we often think of beauty as a luxury. Like so many things that bring us joy-imagination, intimate conversation, moments of silence-we treasure it when it appears, then hurry on to more important tasks. But the late poet and scholar John O'Donohue believes that all of these things are not luxuries, but necessities. He explains why beauty is a threshold to understanding, intimacy, and even the Divine. He points to its value in difficult times, and says that "some little icon of beauty, in the midst of desolation, enables us to endure and hold out for warmth and love and kindness." In the lyrical language of the poet that he was, O'Donohue speaks to the connection between imagination and spirituality, and explains why falling in love can lead us to a sanctuary that lies within each of us. In this inspiring, alive and joyful conversation, he gives us license to indulge ourselves in those "luxuries" at every opportunity. 1 hour
John O'Donohue was a philosopher, a poet and a Catholic scholar. He has studied literature, philosophy and theology, and held a Ph.D. in Philosophical Theology. He conducted workshops throughout Europe and the United States, and was the author of several books including the international bestsellers; Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom (Perennial 1998) and Eternal Echoes: Celtic Echoes of Our Yearning to Belong (Perennial 2000), Beauty: The Invisible Embrace: Rediscovering the True Sources of Compassion, Serenity and Hope (HarperCollins 2004).
Topics explored in this dialogue:
How beauty can help you get through life's greatest crises
Why beauty and silence are necessary for you to have a joyful and meaningful life
Why silence and words are inseparable
How imagination is at the root of Christianity
How beauty-or the lack of it-affects world politics
Why affluent members of society may be more lost than the poor and oppressed