The Claritas Initiative
Enlivening education through beauty, goodness, and truth
Beauty, goodness, and truth are described in Catholic intellectual tradition as “transcendentals,” or properties of reality at its very roots. According to this way of thinking, beauty, goodness, and truth “transcend” particular things, and they pertain to everything that exists.
President Rob Vischer spoke about these values during his inaugural address when he announced a new initiative to invite all St. Thomas community members to “experience the many ways in which truth, beauty, and goodness are lived out each day across our campus.”
Through its wide-ranging and interdisciplinary programming, the Claritas Initiative seeks to both reclaim and illuminate insights regarding beauty, goodness, and truth and, in doing so, reframe the education of students at St. Thomas.
Upcoming Events
Our discussions, performances and experiences are designed to help community members explore ways that all of us in our unique roles can nurture beauty, goodness and truth.
Hoedeman Gallery of Sacred Art: Spring 2024 Exhibit
May 13, 2024 at 12:45pm – ICF LL16
Dakota Passariello (Assistant Curator of the Thrivent Art Collection) and Dr. Mark McInroy (Associate Chair, Department of Theology) will present inspiring stories of generosity from the Thrivent Art Collection.
Lunch will be provided.
Sound Bath Meditation
May 15, 2024 from 6:00 to 7:00pm – ASC Woulfe Hall
The Claritas Initiative and the Center for Well-Being co-host this immersive experience that 'bathes' you in the beauty of sound. Waves of soft tones, shifting textures, and gentle rhythms connect you to sound and create a sense of peace, well-being, and connectedness to the world.
Wear comfortable clothes and bring a yoga mat and/or a blanket. During the sound bath, you can sit or lie down.
Marc Anderson calls on his extensive background as a musician and meditation teacher to create powerful sessions that restore, relax, and transform.
About the Name
Why Claritas?
Thomas Aquinas uses the Latin term claritas in his theory of beauty. To Aquinas, beautiful things have claritas, which translates most straightforwardly as "clarity," but which also involves a certain luminosity, a shining quality. Things that are beautiful radiate something enthralling to the observer. The term claritas thus captures a potent, multifaceted aspect of beauty in Aquinas’ thought.
Beauty transports us out of ourselves and leads us to engage the world, goodness inspires us to reach our highest aspirations and truth provides shared understanding for our lives together.
Seed funding for the Claritas Initiative was generously provided by the GHR Foundation.