Beauty Is Oxygen: Finding a Faith That Breathes

by Wesley Vander Lugt, Sho Baraka (foreword)

Beauty is oxygen because it comes from the lungs of God. 
 
Isolating individualism, rank injustice, and everyday monotony threaten to suffocate our souls. But Wesley Vander Lugt shows how beauty can breathe life back into us. Written in a graceful cadence that invites readers to turn these pages slowly, Beauty Is Oxygen weaves together theological reflection, poetry, cultural criticism, and Scripture. Throughout, Vander Lugt shows how beauty can break us out of self-centered malaise, promote healing and hope for our broken world, and reenchant our lives.  
 
Beauty is about more than positive feelings or pleasing aesthetics. Beauty is as essential to our souls as oxygen is to our bodies. As readers encounter these traces of divine glory in Vander Lugt’s finely crafted meditations, they will find how Christ will “make all things new.”

Genres: Nonfiction, Theology

172 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 18, 2024

Reviews

[Alicia Dollahan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Vander Lugt's intent with this book is clear - to show how beauty can make an otherwise benign and earthly existence more enjoyable and more like God intended. God created beauty and filled this world with it abundantly, like the 400,000 species of beetles Vander Lugt references. However, the intention of this book is greatly hindered by the author's writing style. Some phrases are so incredibly poignant, to quote, "Beauty is oxygen for people who struggle to find meaning beyond the self, coming like a fresh breeze into the suffocating atmosphere of 'me, myself, and I'" and, "Beauty is oxygen for people who struggle with boredom and find little to love with abandon." What incredibly insightful turns of phrase that will reach so many people hampered by today's world and its distractions. However, those beautiful phrases are intermingled into a scattered construct that has the reader bouncing from thought to thought and quotation to quotation. The ability to appreciate these thoughts is left wanting as the reader tries to keep up with this stop and go writing style. I believe Vander Lugt's thoughts have a wonderful foundation and are an excellent launching point for reflection and discussion, and I would read more of his works. However, I think the structure of this piece missed the mark and distracted from the topic at hand.

[Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found reading Beauty is Oxygen to be a refreshing experience. Each chapter provided lots of nuggets for further pondering, forcing me to slow down and look at our human need for beauty from a new angle. The author had a little symbol that reminded me to pause and breathe deeply after each paragraph. This was a great reminder for me to slow down, which I found difficult at times, making me realize how influenced l’ve been living in our fast paced culture. Many of the paragraphs could stand alone, but were more meaningful taken in view of the theme of each chapter. After reading the book I find myself pausing more to take in a beautiful moment. I am more aware of my need to renew my sense of wonder and allow myself the time to be “wowed” more by the beauty found in people, in nature, and in God’s presence.

[Timothy Hoiland · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Even if your framework of meaning differs from mine, I hope that what follows provides something refreshing, something hopeful, and a healthy dose of what G.K. Chesterton called 'splendid confusion' that arises when encountering sacred mystery. In keeping with this goal, what you’ll find in this book is not a seamless argument but a series of provocations, a multi-threaded fabric of thought that weaves together my own experience of beauty with the encounters and reflections of others. Rather than continuous prose, you’ll find snippets, fragments, and vignettes that build an impression and invite a slow, contemplative reading experience. Beauty often arrives in bursts and various forms, so I’ve written this book in a similar way, believing in the substance of style."

[Benjamin Shurance · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the author's own words: "this book is not a seamless argument but a series of provocations, a multi-threaded fabric of thought that weaves together my own experience of beauty with encounters and reflections of others. Rather than continuous prose, you'll find snippets, fragments, and vignettes."

He executes this excellently, and the book is compelling. The quotes throughout are artfully selected (we love a good bibliography. Also: lots of Enneagram 4 energy).

[Molly Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beauty is Oxygen is an inspiring personal read but I also highly recommend this book for use by a small group. The encouragement and growth realized by implementing the practices that go with each chapter have the potential of being contagious, making it a perfect book to share with your group! The heart of the author is clearly evident in his writing and proves to be stimulating and motivating. This is a book that you’ll read once and then read again and again to refresh your heart and mind.

[Kelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️
A book about beauty should feel beautiful and this one checks that box in a unique way. I feel like I highlighted almost the entire book.

Take a deep breath and read this one.

[ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Vander Lugt’s book helped me not just think of a faith that breathes, but actually feel that kind of faith. Beauty as oxygen is not simply an analogous hook into a cognitive consideration, but a genuine call to literally breathe differently and slow down to change my orientation towards myself, the earth, others, and God. I am grateful for how he focuses on the impact of beauty and explores & unlayers its generative power. He also offers practical, yet profound advice on how to attune with “the beautiful ordinary” in our day to day lives. Seemingly small, yet significant shifts can help us find and embrace a faith that breathes.