Poetry is far more than personal expression; it is a contemplative encounter with reality itself. In this episode of The Catholic Theology Show, Ave Maria University welcomes poet, critic, and theologian James Matthew Wilson, Cullen Foundation Chair in English Literature and Director of the MFA Program in Creative Writing at the University of St. Thomas in Houston.

Professor Wilson explores how the Catholic imagination restores the unity of truth, goodness, and beauty. Drawing from Augustine, Aquinas, Dante, and Benedict XVI, he shows beauty as the splendor of being—the force that first draws us into wonder and ultimately leads us to contemplative praise. Through readings from his collection Saint Thomas and the Forbidden Birds, Wilson illustrates how disciplined poetic form becomes an act of doxology, responding to the divine love that precedes and sustains all creation.

Related Episodes:

An Introduction to Chestertonian Theology with Joseph Pearce

The Theology of Tolkien w/ Joseph Pearce

Tolkiens Liturgical Imagination in the Lord of the Rings w/ Dr. Ben Reinhard

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Ave Maria University is committed to providing a liberal arts curriculum based on Catholic principles and thought. We strive to enlighten students intellectually and spiritually, to prepare them for a life well lived.

How to Encounter God through Poetry w/James Matthew Wilson | Ep. 187

Catholic Theology Show

How to Encounter God through Poetry w/James Matthew Wilson | Ep. 187