Culture and Meaning - a Study of Ontological Value in Art and Religion

This work attempts to examine how art and religion impact upon our lives in a positive way and give our lives a sense of purpose on the level of inmost being. It begins with a general introduction laying out the state of the modern world, and my choice of the Catholic Church as an ideological defence against the quasi-nihilism of the surrounding culture. I discuss the mentality of being against worldly values and give a defence of the spiritual worldview. I also coin the 'Hazzlewood Trivium' which is a learning programme involving three bastions of Western culture: Shakespeare, Plato and the Bible. In my discussions of art I mention music, painting and poetry. To broaden the cultural discussion there is a section on travel, food & drink. In a conclusion I discuss what ontological value means to me. Also features a postscript: 'Why I am a Catholic'.

Quiet academic type from North West England. BA English, MA Renaissance Literature. I studied in exile by the rivers of Babylon for 3 years, aka Cambridge. And I descended into Egypt, aka PricewaterhouseCoopers. Now I live in a spiritual hermitage where I study literature, philosophy and religion. I am a Roman Catholic convert, and particularly find spiritual fulfilment in the Divine Mercy Chaplet and the Liturgy of the Hours. Beer, wine, and spirits are my three branches of government. I am currently especially interested in French and Italian red. Philosophy is really the driving force of my life, and I always seek to question and open up new vistas on being. From Classical ethics to Medieval metaphysics to existentialism, I like to run the gamut of philosophical thought. Poetry is an abiding passion of mine. Finally, a list of books I hold very close to my heart: Augustine, 'Confessions'; Bonaventure, 'Journey of the Mind to God'; Dante, 'The Divine Comedy'; Plato, 'Phaedrus'; Cervantes, 'Don Quixote'; 'The Bhagavad Gita', & of course, 'The Bible'.