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So my topic is the moral role of wonder and awe.

And in his introduction, Father Gregory Pine suggested I address a particular passion-like fear.

So I settled on a form of it, which is neglected, but I think

we all find fascinating and important. In English, we might call it wonder, awe, or amazement.

Webster's defines wonder as the rapt attention or astonishment at something,

awesomely mysterious or new to one's experience, and awe as an emotion

combining dread, veneration, and wonder that's inspired by authority or by the sacred or sublime.

So these aren't too far from the Latin concept of admiratio, which St. Thomas defines as,

quote, a species of fear resulting from

apprehension of a thing exceeding our capacities, unquote. Most of these quotes are on your hand out.

Admiratio includes aspects of what we'd call wonder, awe, amazement, reverence, and also humility.

It's caused by things which exceed our power and understanding due to their greatness, especially if they're rare, new, surprising, or

unfamiliar. In the Vulgate Bible, miracles and visions are said to cause this admiratio. So does

contemplation of the divine majesty,

as well as great moral deeds and acts of heroism. Aristotle observes that the artistic

creations can cause such wonder, think of the Sistine Chapel or Beethoven's Ninth Symphony,

as do natural objects from thunderstorms, meteors, and eclipses,

to the roaring ocean, the starry sky, or the vastness of space. St. Thomas himself was fascinated

...