01/04/2021 – Three part series from “Classics of Western Civilization” – Eighth Edition – Edited by Steven M. Cahn // 1 of 3
Over the next week or so, I will share with you three of the works included in this classic, from the most recent in history:
- “Guide to the Perplexed” by Moses Maimonides (1138 – 1204)
- “Prosologian” by Anselm (1033 – 1109)
- “Consolation of Philosophy” by Boethius (A.D. 480 – 524)
Let’s get started with Moses Maimonides:
You will note in the concluding paragraph to this biography, that: 1) Moses Maimonides was the most influential Jewish thinker in the middle ages; and , 2) He is perhaps the most widely read by the non-Jewish world.
Bio:
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/moses-maimonides-rambam
A summary of “Guide to the Perplexed” from the Univeristy of Chicago:
https://readingreligion.org/books/maimonides-guide-perplexed
All of that as background for this quote that concludes the Book II section of the book:
“Praise be to Him who is such that when our minds try to visualize His essence, their power of apprehending becomes imbecility; when they study the connection between His works and His will, their knowledge becomes ignorance; and when our tongues desire to declare His greatness by descriptive terms, all eloquence becomes impotence and imbecility.” Moses Maimonides
Please read : Ephesians 2: 1-10 – “Made Alive in Christ” / Isaiah 40: 25-31: ” ‘To whom will you compare me? Or, who is my equal?’ says the Holy One…” / Ephesians 3: verses 8-9, 20: “… this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.” / Romans 8:28 (a perspective verse) / Jeremiah 51:15
Soli Deo Gloria!
Stay with this! Does this say we should not explore the mystery of these riches with our minds? Romans 12:2 Hint: In “humbleness”