The Incarnation and the Machine: The Visions of Fra Angelico and Le Corbusier – Fr. Irenaeus Dunlevy O.P.

The Thomistic Institute

Christianity, Religion &Amp; Spirituality, Society & Culture, Catholic Intellectual Tradition, Catholic, Philosophy, Religion & Spirituality, Thomism, Catholicism

4.8 • 729 Ratings

🗓️ 20 October 2025

⏱️ 48 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Fr. Irenaeus Dunlevy's lecture contrasts the incarnational vision of Fra Angelico with Le Corbusier’s machine aesthetic, revealing how Christian art and architecture communicate spiritual beauty, theological wisdom, and the presence of Christ through the transformation of physical space.

This lecture was given on March 14th, 2025, at Rhode Island School of Design.

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About the Speakers:

Fr. Irenaeus Dunlevy, O.P. is a Coordinator for Campus Outreach at the Thomistic Institute in Washington, DC. He has served as a parochial vicar at St. Pius V Church in Providence, RI, as well as an adjunct professor and assistant chaplain at Providence College. He originates from Columbus, OH, studied architecture in Virginia and Switzerland, and practiced in the DC area before entering the Order of Preachers in 2013. He was ordained a priest in 2020 at the Dominican House of Studies during the quarantine. In his work with the Thomistic Institute, he has given talks on the virtue of penance, loving God with the mind, and the intersection of theology and architecture. He often travels the country visiting Thomistic Institute Campus Chapters, leading seminars that help students grasp Thomistic concepts. Additionally, he coordinates the TI's intellectual retreat programming, which affords students time to pray and integrate into their lives Thomistic theology and philosophy.

Keywords: Art And Spirituality, Beauty And Incarnation, Christian Architecture, Conceptual Art, Letter To Artists, Marie-Alain Couturier, Minimalism, Religious Pedagogy, Sacramental Presence, San Marco Frescoes

Transcript

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0:00.0	Thanks to donors like you, Aquinas 101 is setting the world aflame with the truth, but the next season can't be filmed without your help.
0:09.1	Dozens of new episodes are planned, but they'll only be brought to life if you make them possible.
0:15.0	Your gift by October 31st will bring the truth to students, families, and people around the world.
0:21.8	Please use the link in the episode description below to give today.
0:29.2	Welcome to the To Mistic Institute podcast.
0:32.1	Our mission is to promote the Catholic intellectual tradition in the university, the church, and the wider public square.
0:38.4	The lectures on this podcast are organized by university students at Temistic Institute
0:42.9	chapters around the world. To learn more and to attend these events, visit us at
0:47.8	to mystic institute.org. So I want to begin with a quote from St. John Paul II, who wrote,
0:55.9	And becoming man, the son of God has introduced in human history, all the evangelical wealth of the true and the good.
1:02.8	And with this, he has also unveiled a new dimension of beauty, of which the gospel message is filled to the brim.
1:12.2	These words from St. John Paul II are in his 1999 letter to artists.
1:19.8	They recall that the mystery of the incarnation has affected the basic principles of reality.
1:27.6	The transcendentals of the true and good have received through the revelation of God
1:32.5	in the person of Jesus Christ a new understanding,
1:36.6	which is so full and colorful that a new reality of beauty itself has been revealed
1:43.7	according to the pontiff. The summation of this message
1:46.9	is this. The event of God becoming one of us has transformed how we see, understand, and represent
1:55.9	reality. It affects our vision. One need not foray too much into the history of Western art to see a wellspring of masterpieces
2:05.6	in the halls, naves, and sanctuaries of Catholic churches.
2:09.6	Church history and art history go together.
2:12.6	Take, for instance, the artistic genius of Lederinard de da Vinci, who, when not creating portraits of Italian
	...

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