What better topic for discussion than beauty, muses Oludamini Ogunnaike, a regular contributor to Renovatio and a scholar of Islam in north and west Africa. Beauty is inseparable from truth, goodness, and justice, yet reference to it is missing from many of our most important discussions on those matters. The neglect of beauty has been detrimental to communities everywhere, notes Ogunnaike; it’s often seen as superfluous, compartmentalized from other values, or reserved for the elite when, in fact, beauty remains an existential need for every human being. Ubaydullah Evans engages with Ogunnaike on the quiddity of beauty, beauty as it relates to a fuller understanding of God, and the correlation between beauty and spiritual maturity. 

Oludamini Ogunnaike is assistant professor of African religious thought at the University of Virginia.

Ubaydullah Evans is the scholar-in-residence of the American Learning Institute for Muslims (ALIM) and an instructor with the Ta’leef Collective.

Why Beauty Is Not Optional with Oludamini Oggunaike and Ubaydullah Evans

A multimedia, multi-faith publication about the ideas that shape the modern world from the first Muslim liberal arts college in the United States, Zaytuna College.

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Lenn E. Goodman, an expert on Jewish and Islamic metaphysics, joins Esme Partridge to discuss the philosophical heritage of AI (artificial intelligence)—which he locates in the medieval and renaissance study of alchemy, which ultimately sought to create man from matter—and the implications of our rapid embrace of AI.

The Ancient Roots of Transhumanist Thinking

"One thing that is true of [the Great Books] list is that you cannot… think that it is a unified, monolithic view of the truth. Hobbes and Machiavelli disagree vehemently with Plato, right? There's some continuity there, but Aquinas does not agree with David Hume, who is an atheist. So, at a minimum, an honest reading of that tradition is an introduction not to a monolithic unified conception of what the truth is, but to a series of important debates."—Thomas Hibbs Philosopher Thomas Hibbs and host Ubaydullah Evans explore one of the most repeated objections to the universal benefits of a liberal arts education. Recommended Read:  “The Egalitarian Objection to Liberal Education,” Thomas Hibbs, Renovatio

"Is a Great Books Education for Everyone" with Thomas Hibbs

"The empirical in the traditional notion of reason is only one component in the uncovering of our knowledge. But knowledge really involves uncovering the intelligible object. So what that means is the intelligible object is not there in the empirical world—that actually means transcending the empirical world to make contact with this intelligible essence." Zaytuna lecturer Hasan Spiker identifies the true ground of objectivity in a conversation with Esme Partridge. 

"The Knowledge that Transcends the Empirical World" with Hasan Spiker

“If your ultimate concern is yourself, if you have spent your life building a monument to yourself, then in biblical terms, that’s idolatry. I think we live in an idolatrous society…  I think it is extremely difficult for people to achieve a moral life without a community.” Chris Hedges speaks to Renovatio editor Safir Ahmed about what fuels our contemporary narcissism and prevents us fulfilling our moral obligations to our selves and to society.  Recommended Read:  “How the Cult of the Self Undermines the Rule of Law,” Chris Hedges, Renovatio



"The Decline of Morality Amidst the Celebration of the Self" with Chris Hedges

In this podcast, Muhammad U. Faruque speaks with Esme Partridge on his recently published book, Sculpting the Self: Islam, Selfhood, and Human Flourishing, which examine notions of selfhood and subjectivity before and in the modern period.

Muhammad U. Faruque is Inayat Malik Assistant Professor at the University of Cincinnati.    

Esmé L. K. Partridge is a writer on Islamic thought and the dynamics between tradition and modernity in a secular age.

Why Beauty Is Not Optional with Oludamini Oggunaike and Ubaydullah Evans

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