Videos from Oxford Symposium on Theology & the Arts
Now on Scala's YouTube: Scholars & Artists on Cultural Renewal through the Arts & Creativity
Dear Friends,
I’m delighted to share with you the full playlist of 12 videos now on Scala’s YouTube channel, where we share scholarly talks, poetry, and great sacred music from our July 2025 symposium on Thomism, Creativity and the Arts, hosted by Blackfriars Hall, Oxford University and co-hosted by the Margaret Beaufort Institute of Theology. The papers will all be published in the spring of 2026 as a special edition of New Blackfriars.
Inspired by Jacques Maritain’s belief in the artist’s mission to ‘shelter the prayer, instruct the intelligence, and rejoice the eyes and the soul,’ the conference gathered a rich and diverse range of presenters from across the UK and the US. In addition to my talk on the vocation of an artist, Scala’s vision of cultural renewal through co-creating with God was emphasized by a presentation from Scala’s newest board member, Fr. Brad Elliott, OP, who spoke on art and the imitation of nature.
The day’s first plenary address was from the distinguished professor of philosophy, Alice Ramos, whose brilliance as a scholar of Thomas Aquinas allows her to weave together Maritain’s writings on the artist’s vision in light of his Thomist principles.
Our second plenary speaker, James Matthew Wilson, not only discussed the need for poetry, but also graced us with a poetry reading from his own work
Our final plenary speaker of the day, composer and conductor Sir James MacMillan, reflected on composing music for the church.
At the Mass celebrated at the end of the conference by the Dominicans at Blackfriars in Oxford, we were graced by choral music composed by Sir James and sung by the Schola Albion, conducted by Peter Carter, the founder of the Catholic Sacred Music Project.
Symposium organizer and host Fr. Dominic White, OP, not only composed organ music for the Mass, but after he played it, he came down from the organ loft to preach a beautiful homily!
The hospitality of our Dominican friends in Oxford, where I’m a research fellow supporting their new initiative in theology and the arts, made this event a fantastic new beginning to many friendships and collaborations.
The Scala Foundation would like to thank these generous donors for their generous support of this event: The Institute for Human Ecology at the Catholic University of America, Mr. Richard Tucker, The Apgar Foundation, Mr. John Hern, Mr. Duncan Sahner, The Thomistic Institute, The Bruderhof Communities, Mr. Brian Mgock, and the Jacques Maritain Center at the University of Notre Dame.
I’ve resumed teaching in Princeton to enthusiastic students in my classes on beauty, Christian education, and ecumenical devotion to Mary. With David’s leadership, we have launched our first local Way of Beauty fellowship group, sharing prayers, accountability in resisting fear and resentments, and committing to creative engagement. I’ve also resumed voice lessons, and I find that the focus on breathing helps me be more in tune with my body throughout the day, whether I’m swimming or writing. I completed the 10-day iconography course on the Greek island of Crete, where Master Iconographer George Kordis presented me with the award for the student who worked the hardest, to which I added, “And I made the least progress!”
The very fact that I find drawing so challenging yet made any progress is as much a testament to George’s vision that we are all called to co-create with God as the new beautiful icons of the Hospitality of Abraham, completed by the more advanced students.
Stay tuned for more updates on the Way of Beauty, which we hope will sweep across many campuses in the coming months and years!
Regards,
Margarita Mooney Clayton, Ph.D.
Founder and Executive Director, The Scala Foundation