Ion, the storyteller, had an interesting problem. Whenever he recited Homer, it electrified his audience. It was like Homer, who wrote centuries before, was right there with them again.
But when Ion recited other writers, the audience was bored stiff. What to do, Socrates?
"Ah," said Socrates, "that is because you are under inspiration when reciting Homer." When an artist is under inspiration, they “… are not in their right minds when composing their beautiful strains.” Rather, Socrates said to Ion, it is "divinity moving you."
So, inspiration facilitated the imitation of the original in such a manner that the original is somehow here with us again.
The third thread of how imitation (mimesis) related to beauty in the Greco-Roman worldview is this: when mimesis is accomplished beautifully, the work of art which results has, as it were, the presence of the original.
The Greeks struggled mightily to understand how a single person can even create beautiful art. Something must come upon him, enabling him, empowering him, to imitate the Ideal, to imitate the Mean, to make the beautiful work.
So, from the Greeks we get the notion of the Muses, goddesses of the arts: an artist cannot create beautifully unless one of the Muses came upon him.
Socrates even called this empowering his daimonion (translated demon; take that for what it's worth).
Now, what of this Paul, this preacher of a new way of life patterned after some failed carpenter who was crucified as a criminal in faraway Jerusalem?
What of this Paul, a very educated man, who left everything to follow and serve this Jesus, who claimed to be God?
What of this Paul, who said: And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God (?)
It was this Paul who said: imitate (mimesis) me.
All explanations and ways of doing are shadows of what the Word of God reveals in substance.
To live beautifully requires the empowering of the Spirit of God.
Logos2Go
1 Corinthians 2.4-5 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
1 Corinthians 4.16 Therefore I urge you to imitate me.
Plato, Ion 532b-536b
Imitation reconsidered (3: Presence)
Posted by
David Wang
Sep 7, 2009
1 comments:
And this Paul says all scripture is "theopneustos," God-breathed/inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16).
The incarnation makes present to us in the beautiful Son the beauty of the Father: "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14).
In turn, this beauty can be reflected BY/IN US! "And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit" (2 Corinthians 3:18).
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