Jonathan Edwards; America's Theologian

The Great Theologians from time to time enabled Christians to better understand the relationship of God to humanity and the Universe as explained in the Bible. Edwards believed God to be wholly other than what human beings might perceive or comprehend drawing upon experience and the world. Yet God's holiness is also a kind of radiant beauty. His moral virtue or perfection is above anything fallen humanity might understand or apprehend intellectually or cognitively, and his moral perfection or supreme good is also beauty for-itself.

Edwards’s ideas about God as an absolute holiness differs a little from that of the neo-Platonist philosopher Plotinus' thoughts about the emanations of The One. Plotinus placed aesthetics somewhat farther away from a description of the highest ranking qualitative characteristics of The Intelligence and virtue. Virtue for Plotinus is also beyond the implicit realm of the One from whom all created issues would be 'outside' or contingent and from which we humans might not discern anything not explicitly revealed by God about His nature.

Nevertheless we like Edward's idea that virtue and goodness in addition to love are essential attributes of the nature of the Creator's Holiness. In our mundane existence we only occasionally are given to perceive things actually Holy. Jesus Christ with his garments and appearance turned entirely white in conference with Abraham, Moses and Elijah, and Moses returning with the tablets in a wizened appearance; these experiences of the glory of God as beautiful Holiness in-itself and for-others may have been the kind of thing Edwards was referring to.

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/edwards/

In the beauty of nature we may find inspiration leading in to an appreciation of the Holiness of God. In Jesus Christ we find the holiness of perfect moral example and of sacrifice as well as that of God.