Thomism, Creativity and the Arts: Jacques and Raissa Maritain

On Tuesday 1 July, The Margaret Beaufort Institute of Theology in collaboration with Blackfriars Hall, Oxford hosts only the second ever UK conference on the great twentieth-century Catholic philosopher Jacques Maritain and his wife Raïssa, a contemplative, mystic and poet.

Building on last year's landmark conference in Cambridge on the lives and legacy of the Maritains, this exciting symposium draws together philosophers, theologians, musicians, poets, liturgists and other artists, to converse around the theme of human creativity. Jacques Maritain's belief in the artist's mission to "shelter the prayer, instruct the intelligence, and rejoice the eyes and the soul," provides an inspiring mandate to investigate the problems, principles and complexities of artistry in the modern era - illuminated by the wisdom of St Thomas Aquinas.

Jacques and Raïssa Maritain were well-placed in the heartland of the birth of modern art. The famous and infamous were drawn to Paris between the wars, and an astonishing number found their way to the Maritain home in Meudon. Gide, Mauriac, Cocteau; Picasso, Chagall; Stravinsky, Satie, Auric; Gilson, Berdyaev, are a modest sample. It is no exaggeration to state that every major artist of the time had some connection to the Maritains. Jacques' voluminous writings include revolutionary texts in aesthetics (the philosophy of art) and these truly spoke to the heart of the creative artist, whilst expanding the very horizons of Thomism. However, these have not subsequently garnered the attention which they truly deserve.

This symposium is part of a wider project to draw attention to, and generate interest in the life and work of Jacques and Raïssa Maritain in the United Kingdom. It includes plenary talks, panel discussions, poetry reading, music and film, and gathers a rich and diverse range of presenters from across the UK and USA, with the final keynote talk given by Sir James MacMillan, renowned Scottish composer and conductor. Other speakers are Alice Ramos, James Matthew Wilson, Emma Mason, Brad Elliott OP, Jan Bentz, Katja Frimberger, Albert Roberson OP, Margarita Mooney Clayton, Gregory Kerr, Christopher Grey.

Registration is open to scholars, students, lay and religious: in fact, anyone with an interest in the creative arts, aesthetics and faith. Attendees are warmly invited to join in the midday Office of Readings and Evening Mass and Vespers with sacred choral and organ music. Lunch is provided, and the day will end with a drinks reception. Margaret Beaufort Institute and Blackfriars Hall are hugely grateful for the support of Scala Foundation, the Catholic Sacred Music Project, and the Thomistic Institute, for making this conference possible. It promises to be an inspiring and enjoyable day.

For inquiries about the conference, or more broadly about Maritain interest in the UK, please contact Dr Christopher Grey, christopher.grey1@outlook.com

To book directly for this conference please click on the link below. Places are very limited. www.mbit.cam.ac.uk/events/event/item/thomism-creativity-and-the-arts-jacques-and-raissa-maritain/