Aquinas Quote by G.K. Chesterton
““The Fear of the Lord, that is the beginning of wisdom, and therefore belongs to the beginnings, and is felt in the first cold hours before the dawn of civilisation; the power that comes out of the wilderness and rides on the whirlwind and breaks the gods of stone; the power before which the eastern nations are prostrate like a pavement; the power before which the primitive prophets run naked and shouting, at once proclaiming and escaping from their god; the fear that is rightly rooted in the beginnings of every religion, true or false: the fear of the Lord, that is the beginning of wisdom; but not the end.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: Orthodoxy, 1908
True reverence for the divine, rooted in humility and awe, is the foundation of wisdom, but it is not the final destination of understanding.
In simple terms: Fear of the divine starts wisdom, but not its end.
Key Takeaway
Seek humility and awe, then keep learning.
Themes
spirituality
wisdom
humility
Mood
reflective
thoughtful
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- religious study
- personal reflection
- ethical decision making
Key Concepts
theology
philosophy
existential inquiry
Questions to Reflect On
- How does reverence shape your search for truth?
- Can awe coexist with critical thinking?
A Different Perspective
Fear can become superstition if not balanced with reason.
![“It was the outstanding fact about St. Thomas [Aquinas] that he loved books and lived on books ... When asked for what he thanked God most, he answered simply, ‘I have understood every page I ever read’.” quote by G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/dac/g-k-chesterton-224_aquinas_it-was-the-outstanding-fact-about-st-tho_2751632.jpg)
