Beauty: The Invisible Embrace

John O’Donohue (1956-2008) was an Irish philosopher, poet, and priest. After being ordained in the Catholic Church, O’Donohue served as a priest for roughly seven years before pursuing a doctorate in philosophical theology at the University of Tübingen. Balancing his post-doctoral work with his priestly duties, he also became an accomplished poet and speaker, leaving the priesthood in 2000 to begin teaching and speaking in the United States. O’Donohue’s eclectic interests, backed by his deep passion for mysticism, led him to write about the soul, spirituality, and beauty. In Beauty, he sets aside explicit philosophical analysis for a defense of beauty based upon our own intuitive desire for it. O’Donohue argues that though we might ignore it, we long for real beauty throughout our lives, because it makes us whole.