DENMARK – A church’s beauty can change the world

DENMARK – A church’s beauty can change the world

Dr. Dorthe Jørgensen, professor of philosophy and the history of ideas at Aarhus University, has published a doctorate in theology examining the ‘beauty experience’ church visitors have.
When somebody visits a beautiful building, the high ceilings, stained glass windows, filtered light, etc. combine to a ‘bombardment of the senses’. The same goes for natural sights of great beauty. Such an experience of beauty can (momentarily) change the way we think. Jørgensen writes that while we experience beauty, the usual distinctions amongst ourselves, our surroundings and the space we are in fade. The usual categories seem to fall away; our empathy increases. Implementing this ‘beauty thinking’ could radically change society.

Read the whole article in Danish here.

Chartres cathedral, Wikimedia Commons

Chartres cathedral, Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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