Tea at Trianon: Minimalism: The Destruction of Christian Society

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Tuesday, June 6, 2023

Minimalism: The Destruction of Christian Society

From Catholic Exchange:

In a world that is devoid of virtue and beauty there continues to be a search. It is innate that every soul experiences, as it longs for God, and can only be found fulfilled with His love. Modern society has removed the search for God and has motivated wandering souls to search for their own personal desires. And where there is a lack of Divine Love there is also a lack of beauty.

How has this lack of beauty and love manifested itself in society? It has been a slow process as personal desires based on emotion become stronger, lack of reason encompasses decision-making, and virtues are no longer interwoven with life. And what has resulted from this transformation? Minimalism. A movement that embraces simplicity without purpose. A movement that is formed for those searching towards an inner self-love rather than a Divine Love. Ultimately, a mission that is devoid of God, His mercy, His justice, and His love.

What is minimalism and how has it impacted society as a whole? Minimalism has been encouraged by a reigning group of individuals who do not promote the growth of the soul and spiritual life, but instead, where a lifestyle of simplicity without virtue is encouraged. Please do not misunderstand me – there is great beauty in simplicity. It was the earmark of Christian virtue for centuries. Even some of the saintly kings and queens had a simple aura about them, like Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, Saint Margaret of Scotland, and Saint King Louis IX. Their stately positions offered them earthly pleasures, yet, as they lived in holiness, simplicity, and beauty because they lived for God’s glory.

The concept of beauty in the modern world has been distorted. Very few women are referred to as “beautiful” anymore. Is this a result of a society lacking in virtue? Is this the result of men no longer respecting femininity? Or is this a result of feminism pushing its own form of “beauty” for decades? Whatever the case may be, there is a lack in virtuous beauty. A soul that is not in search of virtue and holiness will not exhibit true beauty. As many women find their feminine traits as barriers, rather than beneficial, society has slowly begun to move away from beauty in several areas. As a result, the decrease in beauty has led to a movement of minimalism. There is no longer a desire to embrace beauty and simplicity in parallel as so many saints have done in the past.

Minimalism has become a movement void of beauty to remove the “extras” – whether that be an intricately styled gold frame replaced with black lines to embody a painting or the architecture of a building to resemble a solid shape rather than the original interwoven designs of the Gothic era. The detailed architecture curtailing over the course of history has left the once carefully crafted designs in the dust for the history books. As so much of society desires to forget the past, so too they ignore beauty along with tradition. Rather than preserve the beauty of old architecture, every excuse is found to tear it down and rebuild with a modern style. And what is this style that has been pervading our society for over 60 decades? It is a modern abhorrence of beauty, devoid of virtuous simplicity but invigorated through minimalistic lines. (Read more.)