Abstract

Anyone who has ever been moved by picture, poem or symphony will understand the power of art to bring meaning to the often dissonant counterpoint of light and darkness which is reflected in life and death. Human creativity, as the expression of hope, need and desire, is a statement of belief that life is meaningful. From classical philosophies of beauty to Celtic scholarship, through the mysticism of Patrick Kavanagh and the witness of women's writing, and from the sacred sounds of Faure through the spiritual impact of the visual arts to the prophetic soundings of contemporary Irish writing, these essays suggest, that the imagination can indeed uncover neglected wells of spirituality for our contemporary society.