Fides ex visu we współczesnej teologii piękna

The article presents a wide context of relations between faith, theology and beauty. Christianity, which raised from a strong tree of Judaism, had to take a clear stand on some legal regulations dominating in the religion of the Israeli. Among them there was also the prohibition of creating images, but Christians justify the possibility to create and use religious art. Referring to the Catechism of the Catholic Church it should be reminded that the main reason for creating religious art and using it also in catechesis is the mystery of the embodiment of Jesus Christ. As Word became flesh, receiving real human nature, the human face of Jesus can be “presented” (cf. CCC 476). This teaching has been confirmed by both former and contemporary directions of the Church. The text shows how beauty has been understood in the Christian theology and how the whole thinking about God directed itself to beauty. The often repeated sentence “Beauty saves the world” is understood unequivocally in Christianity: saving is the beauty of Jesus Himself.