The Golden Ratio

Is God Dead?

Last week we mentioned “beauty” as soul food. It seems to me that since we have established that human beings are made up of both a physical body, and an immaterial soul, then just as the body needs hamburgers, the soul needs its nourishment as well. For the Christian soul food comes in two forms, from the Word of God in Scripture, and from the things that have been created (Rom 1:19).

After all, it is the apostle Paul who encourages us to think of things that are lovely, excellent and beautiful (Phil 4:8). In a very real sense, beauty is essential to a fulfilled life because it is soul food. Christian author John-Mark Miravalle says “the beholding of beauty can direct our passions, which, in turn, provide powerful motivators for action toward spiritual goodness and truth.

We can recognize why we have a moral obligation to pursue beauty.” Miravalle argues that truth, goodness, and beauty are all intrinsically related: where you find one you find the other two as well. That is why beauty is such a potent food for the soul, and why ugliness and evil is such a soul-killer. Sure enough, Christians are called to, as Paul said, “dwell on these things,” like goodness, pureness, and beauty (Phil 4:8).

However, since we are still engaged with the Bible skeptic, Michael, let us continue to focus on those things “that can be clearly seen” in the created world around us. So, where do we find evidence of soul food in the natural world around us? Where are those things in nature that have little other purpose than to feed our souls? Much can be found in what is generally termed “the elegance of mathematics.” I know, I know; 8th grade math was far from “elegant.” But I ask you to consider this.

The Fibonacci Sequence is often called the Golden Ratio, and it is a mathematical relationship that is widely considered “beautiful.” The sequences proceed this way: 0,1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34, 55,89,144. The numbers are the result of adding the two previous numbers together: 13 + 21 = 34, etc. By dividing each number by its previous number, yields a number very close to 1.618, which is the Golden Ratio.

The further along the line one goes, the more precise the Ratio becomes, reaching 1.618033988, and beyond. It is the Golden Ratio that is most elegant and beautiful, and it is all around us speaking to the design found in nature on a couple of broad levels: mathematics, and aesthetics.

Turns out, the Golden Ratio is a ratio that human beings have been hardwired to perceive as beautiful. As one would expect, we find the Golden Ratio over and again in architecture, and in the fine arts, including music. The Golden Ratio is seen in the facial features of people that society generally deem “attractive.” And it is not just facial features. The Golden Ratio is also present in the measurement from the human navel to the floor and the top of the head to the navel.

The ratio of the top half of your body to the lower half of your body is 1:1.618. The ratio also appears in the distance from the fingertips to the wrist, and the length from the wrist to the elbow. The Golden Ratio is present in a rose as well as many flower petal and leaf configurations, and it is present in all sorts of seashells such as this Nautilus.

Animal bodies exhibit similar tendencies, including the eyes and fins of dolphins, starfish, sand dollars, sea urchins, ants, and honeybees. Even the design of the cochlea of your inner ear satisfies the Golden Ratio. The configuration of the galaxy satisfies the Golden Ratio.

Now pray-tell, how did all this design randomly appear through Darwinian random chaos? Maybe that is why the Golden Ratio is also known as the Divine Portion.

It seems to me to be quite reasonable that if the beauty of the Golden Ratio is soul food, then man would want to harness this soul food-source and reproduce it in a lot of different flavors.

And that is exactly what mankind does. As mentioned, the Golden Ratio is found extensively in architecture. All the way back to ancient Greece, the remains and ruins of Grecian architecture suggest the Greeks loved both beauty and the Golden Ratio to bring it about. The height of the roof line related to the length of the building, the colonnade in relation to the frontage, the elegant proportions, architectural wonders, and timeless beauty. Even now its ruins: breathtaking.

The same holds for the design and proportions of furniture and fine cabinetry. The drawers in a dresser related to the whole satisfies the Golden Ratio as does the placement of hardware and accents. But there is still more.

Join us again next week as we continue to look at the Golden Ratio, and beauty as soul food served up in music. Until then, google a photograph of the aurora borealis (the northern lights) and ask a simple question: Is God Dead?

Gloria in excelsis Deo!

Ty B. Kerley, DMin., is an ordained minister who teaches Christian apologetics, and relief preaches in Southern Oklahoma. Dr. Kerley and his wife Vicki are members of the Waurika church of Christ and live in Ardmore. OK. You can contact him at: dr.kerley@ isGoddead.com.