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God and the Ways of Knowing
"My plan in this book," writes Father Danielou, the eminent French theologian, "is not to record what I say of God, but what God has said of Himselfà to place religions and philosophies, the Old Testament and the New, theology and mysticism, in their proper relationship with the knowledge of God." God and the Ways of Knowing is a classic work of theology and spirituality that presents a subtle and penetrating interpretation of the ways by which man comes to the knowledge of Godùeach form of knowledge carrying him both higher and deeper.
250 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1956
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About the author
Jean Daniélou
127 books42 followersJean Daniélou S.J. (1905–1974) was a theologian, historian, cardinal and a member of the Académie Française.
Jean-Guenolé-Marie Daniélou was born at Neuilly-sur-Seine, son of Charles and Madeleine (née Clamorgan). His father was an anticlerical politician, several times minister, and his mother an educator and founder of institutions for women's education. His brother Alain (1907–1964) was a noted Indologist.
Daniélou studied at the Sorbonne, and passed his agrégation in Grammar in 1927. He joined the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in 1929, becoming an educator, initially at a boys' school in Poitiers. He subsequently studied theology at Fourvière in Lyon under Henri de Lubac, who introduced him to patristics, the study of the Fathers of the Church. He was ordained in 1938.
During World War II, he served with the Armée de l'Air (Air Force) in 1939–1940. He was demobilised and returned to civilian life. He received his doctorate in theology in 1942 and was appointed chaplain to the ENSJF, the female section of the École Normale Supérieure, at Sèvres. It was at this time that he began his own writings on patristics. He was one of the founders of the Sources Chrétiennes collection. In 1944 he was made Professor of Early Christian History at the Institut Catholique de Paris, and later became dean. Beginning in the 1950s, he produced several historical studies, including The Bible and the Liturgy, The Lord of History, and From Shadows to Reality, that provided a major impetus to the development of Covenantal Theology.
At the request of Pope John XXIII, he served as an expert to the Second Vatican Council, and in 1969 was consecrated as a bishop and made a cardinal by Pope Paul VI. He was elected to the Académie Française on 9 November 1972, to succeed Cardinal Eugène-Gabriel-Gervais-Laurent Tisserant.
His unexpected death in 1974, in the home of a prostitute, was very diversely interpreted. He died on the stairs of a brothel that he was visiting. It turned out he was bringing her money to pay for the bail of her lover. Thanks to a group including Henri Marrou, his reputation was cleared.
Jean-Guenolé-Marie Daniélou was born at Neuilly-sur-Seine, son of Charles and Madeleine (née Clamorgan). His father was an anticlerical politician, several times minister, and his mother an educator and founder of institutions for women's education. His brother Alain (1907–1964) was a noted Indologist.
Daniélou studied at the Sorbonne, and passed his agrégation in Grammar in 1927. He joined the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in 1929, becoming an educator, initially at a boys' school in Poitiers. He subsequently studied theology at Fourvière in Lyon under Henri de Lubac, who introduced him to patristics, the study of the Fathers of the Church. He was ordained in 1938.
During World War II, he served with the Armée de l'Air (Air Force) in 1939–1940. He was demobilised and returned to civilian life. He received his doctorate in theology in 1942 and was appointed chaplain to the ENSJF, the female section of the École Normale Supérieure, at Sèvres. It was at this time that he began his own writings on patristics. He was one of the founders of the Sources Chrétiennes collection. In 1944 he was made Professor of Early Christian History at the Institut Catholique de Paris, and later became dean. Beginning in the 1950s, he produced several historical studies, including The Bible and the Liturgy, The Lord of History, and From Shadows to Reality, that provided a major impetus to the development of Covenantal Theology.
At the request of Pope John XXIII, he served as an expert to the Second Vatican Council, and in 1969 was consecrated as a bishop and made a cardinal by Pope Paul VI. He was elected to the Académie Française on 9 November 1972, to succeed Cardinal Eugène-Gabriel-Gervais-Laurent Tisserant.
His unexpected death in 1974, in the home of a prostitute, was very diversely interpreted. He died on the stairs of a brothel that he was visiting. It turned out he was bringing her money to pay for the bail of her lover. Thanks to a group including Henri Marrou, his reputation was cleared.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 1, 2015
3 1/2
This is a well written book, by a French theologian who was once rather well-known.
I suspect that I had to buy it for a theology class half a century ago.
I know I did read at least part of it. There are some things underlined, even a passage that I highlighted.
This is from the first chapter of the book, "the God of the religions" (yes, the only words capitalized in the chapter titles are "God" and other Catholic terms).
The last five chapters all begin with the words "the God of". I'll leave those out
2 - ... the philosophers
3 - ... the faith
4 - of Jesus Christ
5 - the Church
6 - the mystics
At the end of each chapter is a brief bibliography. This English translation was first printed in 1957 (I think). The Wiki article on Fr. Danielou (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Daniélou) doesn't even mention the book. It's still in print!
This is a well written book, by a French theologian who was once rather well-known.
I suspect that I had to buy it for a theology class half a century ago.
I know I did read at least part of it. There are some things underlined, even a passage that I highlighted.
It [the myth] consists in the affirmation of the existence, in a world of archetypes, of the patterns of all human realities. These archetypes are the immutable models in which every reality participates. They have their being in what Van der Leeuw calls primordial or mythical time, which is abstracted from the changeability of concrete time. In that realm the gods and heroes perform eternal acts which men repeat. Men's actions are only real insofar as they faithfully reproduce these pre-existing patterns.Pretty neo-platonic; yes Plotinus could easily write the same thing. But this passage is descriptive, not of Danielou's beliefs, but of his theory on how these early "cosmic religions" operated.
Such myths comprise the "theology" of cosmic religions.
This is from the first chapter of the book, "the God of the religions" (yes, the only words capitalized in the chapter titles are "God" and other Catholic terms).
The last five chapters all begin with the words "the God of". I'll leave those out
2 - ... the philosophers
3 - ... the faith
4 - of Jesus Christ
5 - the Church
6 - the mystics
At the end of each chapter is a brief bibliography. This English translation was first printed in 1957 (I think). The Wiki article on Fr. Danielou (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Daniélou) doesn't even mention the book. It's still in print!
November 14, 2021
So beautiful. In a way it reminds me of Cardinal Ratzinger because it is written from a place of deep personal faith with the clarity and explanatory power of a teacher. The book analyzes the ways that God has communicated Himself at various points in human history. From pagan religions before Christ, to the philosophers, through Isreal, to the Church and the Saints and mystics. It analyzes the limits of each with beautiful exposition of the relations of the parts to the whole. Also like Ratzinger, whom Cardinal Danielou exerted a great influence on, it is written with great style and ease. The pages fly by.
A highlight: the etymology of the hebrew words which we translate to faith and justice. The hebrew word for faith meaning to lean-upon, as upon something solid and immovable like a stone. He contrasts this with the greek and latin senses of the term and how they inform each other. The Hebrew word for justice referring directly to God's faithfulness to His promises rather than a simple rendering to the other his due. His exposition of these things brings a beautiful perspective to faith.
A highlight: the etymology of the hebrew words which we translate to faith and justice. The hebrew word for faith meaning to lean-upon, as upon something solid and immovable like a stone. He contrasts this with the greek and latin senses of the term and how they inform each other. The Hebrew word for justice referring directly to God's faithfulness to His promises rather than a simple rendering to the other his due. His exposition of these things brings a beautiful perspective to faith.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews