Transcendent beauty may also be understood as a 'calling card' of God himself - present in creation everywhere, yet not in the pantheistic sense. In the same way a painting or poem or film or a song reflects the soul and personality of the author or composer, all creation is symbolic to who God is and is imbued with the infinitely winsome elements God possesses.

There are traits of creation that act as representative ideals to this dynamic. For instance, architecture. A building designed w/ certain traits (arches, columns, windows) can have a discernibly 'life-giving' effect on a person. To simply be in a structure of beauty makes one feel more 'alive'. This is clearly true of nature.

This experience akin of getting goosebumps when listening to music or at a scene in a movie etc. hints at a supra-rational means of influence for the good.

In the next post, I'll explain why we are in an era where beauty-based influence will be critical to overcoming our greatest existential problems.