Saturday, October 24, 2009

David Clayton: On Number

David Clayton has submitted two more articles in his "Way of Beauty" series, which relates to the Way of Beauty programme at Thomas More College in New Hampshire. The first article was on the subject of The Cosmic Liturgy and the Mind of the Creator.David's second article consider the symbolism of number within a Christian context.

Abstract


"When we look at the cosmos its beauty draws us in then leads us beyond itself to its Creator, whose mark it bears. The patterns and symmetry of the cosmos can be described mathematically. We are used to the idea that number denotes quantity. Science especially makes use of this property of number when it describes the physical properties of the cosmos. In the traditional study of mathematics, number also, is given a symbolic meaning. This article discusses the symbolic meaning of numbers and how they have been used in Christian culture, especially art. In this sense art and science are complementary, both describing the order of creation, but in different ways."

Number, by David Clayton

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