„Faith from Vision”. The Pre-evangelistic Function of Beauty

Abstract

In the time of the icon-based culture, vision as an element of pre-evangelisation constitutes a tool for catechization. It indicates complementarity and parallelism of truth and beauty (goodness). It is the Biblical texts that offer a positive possibility to use the hermeneutics of beauty for awakening faith in non-believers and strengthening it in those loosing faith. They interpret important themes of faith and lead to the eschatological hope for a completion of the God-human dialogue (prayer, contemplation, cardiognosis). Theology after Vaticanum II provides details of the method of seeing beauty in the adoption and development of the gift of faith in the teachings of the popes: Paul VI, John Paul II and Benedict XVI.