Sermon on Emerson's Essay: Art, Part 2

Art for beauty’s sake alone is shallow next to Art for the sake of bringing out Genius in both the creator and the viewer or audience. Yes, beauty is required for its captivating importance, as that brings us out of ourselves, so that we can then put our own Genius on display. And it is that Genius that then yokes the world to Divine Providence. But also, we need art in each generation, as it is incumbent on us in our own generation, to make our own, unique contact with the Divine.