--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: God is therefore unknowable. This is the…" description: "\"God is therefore unknowable. This is the fundamental premise of the Bible.\" — Leo Strauss" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a7/leo-strauss-12446_bible_god-is-therefore-unknowable-this-is-the_2593174.jpg" --- # God is therefore unknowable. This is the fundamental… ![“God is therefore unknowable. This is the fundamental premise of the Bible.” quote by Leo Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a7/leo-strauss-12446_bible_god-is-therefore-unknowable-this-is-the_2593174.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a7/leo-strauss-12446_bible_god-is-therefore-unknowable-this-is-the_2593174.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a7/leo-strauss-12446_bible_god-is-therefore-unknowable-this-is-the_2593174.jpg) > “God is therefore unknowable. This is the fundamental premise of the Bible.” [Leo Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-strauss/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He states that the Bible’s core premise is God’s unknowability, emphasizing mystery in theology. **In simple terms:** God is fundamentally unknowable. Key Takeaway Accept mystery in faith. Themes theology mystery philosophy Mood philosophical theological Type thought‑provoking serious When to use this quote - theological study - philosophical debate - spiritual practice Key Concepts religious epistemology faith limits Questions to Reflect On - How does unknowability affect belief? - Can mystery coexist with reason? A Different Perspective May limit rational inquiry. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bible/) [God is there](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-is-there/) [Unknowable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unknowable/) ## Related quotes > [“We are ultimately unknowable to ourselves and others. Our past and future are mostly unknowable. God is unknowable. For the present the universe -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-krasny/we-are-ultimately-unknowable-to-ourselves-and-others-our-past-and/) Michael Krasny > [It's a central premise of the Bible that God invented civil government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-johnson/it-s-a-central-premise-of-the-bible-that-god-invented-civil-government/) [Mike Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-johnson/) > [If the highest things are unknowable, then the highest capacity or virtue of man cannot be theoretical wisdom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-strauss/if-the-highest-things-are-unknowable-then-the-highest-capacity-or/) [Leo Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-strauss/) > [“It's a bit like staring into another dimension, one that has a different set of mathematical and physical laws. For me, it also serves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-jarzab/it-s-a-bit-like-staring-into-another-dimension-one-that-has-a/) [Anna Jarzab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-jarzab/) > [To say that we cannot know anything about God is to say something about God; it is to say that if there is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-budziszewski/to-say-that-we-cannot-know-anything-about-god-is-to-say-something/) [J. Budziszewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-budziszewski/) > [I believe that God—if he exists at all—is what we want him to be. The true God is unknowable, and so we dress him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-thomas-ford/i-believe-that-god-if-he-exists-at-all-is-what-we-want-him-to-be-the/) [Michael Thomas Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-thomas-ford/) > [“There are two irreconcilable ideas of God. There′s the Unknowable Creative Principle---one believes in That. And there′s the Sum of altruism in man---naturally one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-galsworthy/there-are-two-irreconcilable-ideas-of-god-there-s-the-unknowable/) [John Galsworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-galsworthy/) > [Wouldn't it be wonderful if we had a world where everybody said, 'We don't know?' The fact is that you're surrounded -God and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/wouldn-t-it-be-wonderful-if-we-had-a-world-where-everybody-said-we/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [When the atheist is told that God is unknowable, he may interpret this claim in one of two ways. He may suppose, first, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-h-smith/when-the-atheist-is-told-that-god-is-unknowable-he-may-interpret-this/) [George H. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-h-smith/) > [We must shape a restorative justice system that does not seek to criminalize whole communities, but instead creates opportunities for prevention and integration. Most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laphonza-butler/we-must-shape-a-restorative-justice-system-that-does-not-seek-to/) [Laphonza Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laphonza-butler/) > [An important and fundamental premise of the American judicial system is the presumption of innocence, that is until proven guilty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dmx/an-important-and-fundamental-premise-of-the-american-judicial-system/) [DMX](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dmx/) > [A basic is an introduction. A fundamental is a foundation. A fundamental is a premise, idea, or fact that an entire system arises from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-macyoung/a-basic-is-an-introduction-a-fundamental-is-a-foundation-a/) [Marc MacYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-macyoung/) > [My first fundamental premise of our faith is that God is real and so are eternal truths and values not provable by current scientific…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallin-h-oaks/my-first-fundamental-premise-of-our-faith-is-that-god-is-real-and-so/) [Dallin H. Oaks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallin-h-oaks/) > [My fundamental premise about the brain is that its workings - what we sometimes call "mind" - are a consequence of its anatomy and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/my-fundamental-premise-about-the-brain-is-that-its-workings-what-we-2/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“My fundamental premise about the brain is that its workings—what we sometimes call “mind”—are a consequence of its anatomy and physiology, and nothing more.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/my-fundamental-premise-about-the-brain-is-that-its-workings-what-we/) [Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/) ## More by Leo Strauss > [A conservative, I take it, is a man who despises vulgarity; but the argument which is concerned exclusively with calculations of success, and is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-strauss/a-conservative-i-take-it-is-a-man-who-despises-vulgarity-but-the/) [Leo Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-strauss/) > [Men are constantly attracted and deluded by two opposite charms: the charm of competence which is engendered by mathematics and everything akin to mathematics,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-strauss/men-are-constantly-attracted-and-deluded-by-two-opposite-charms-the/) [Leo Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-strauss/) > [“But what is the core of the political? Men killing men on the largest scale in broad daylight and with the greatest serenity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-strauss/but-what-is-the-core-of-the-political-men-killing-men-on-the-largest/) [Leo Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-strauss/) > [“Todo ser humano y toda sociedad es lo que es en virtud de su máxima aspiración. La ciudad, si es sana, aspira no a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-strauss/todo-ser-humano-y-toda-sociedad-es-lo-que-es-en-virtud-de-su-m-xima/) [Leo Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-strauss/) > [“Only a great fool would call the new political science diabolic: it has no attributes peculiar to fallen angels. It is not even Machiavellian,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-strauss/only-a-great-fool-would-call-the-new-political-science-diabolic-it/) [Leo Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-strauss/) > [We somehow believe that our point of view is superior, higher than those of the greatest minds either because our point of view is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-strauss/we-somehow-believe-that-our-point-of-view-is-superior-higher-than/) [Leo Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-strauss/) > [ The emancipation of the scholars and scientists from philosophy is according to \[Nietzsche\] only a part of the democratic movement, i.e. of the emancipation… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-strauss/the-emancipation-of-the-scholars-and-scientists-from-philosophy-is/) [Leo Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-strauss/) > [The most superficial fact regarding the 'Discourses,' the fact that the number of its chapters equals the number of books of Livy's 'History,' compelled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-strauss/the-most-superficial-fact-regarding-the-discourses-the-fact-that-the/) [Leo Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-strauss/) > [If the highest things are unknowable, then the highest capacity or virtue of man cannot be theoretical wisdom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-strauss/if-the-highest-things-are-unknowable-then-the-highest-capacity-or/) [Leo Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-strauss/) > [History teaches us that a given view has been abandoned in favor of another by all men, or by all competent men, or perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-strauss/history-teaches-us-that-a-given-view-has-been-abandoned-in-favor-of/) [Leo Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-strauss/) > [No bloody or unbloody change of society can eradicate the evil in man: as long as there will be men, there will be malice,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-strauss/no-bloody-or-unbloody-change-of-society-can-eradicate-the-evil-in-man/) [Leo Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-strauss/) > [Liberal education, which consists in the constant intercourse with the greatest minds, is a training in the highest form of modesty. ... It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-strauss/liberal-education-which-consists-in-the-constant-intercourse-with-the/) [Leo Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-strauss/) > [Education to perfect gentlemanship, to human excellence, liberal education consists in reminding oneself of human excellence, of human greatness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-strauss/education-to-perfect-gentlemanship-to-human-excellence-liberal/) [Leo Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-strauss/) > [The contemporary rejection of natural right leads to nihilism — nay, it is identical with nihilism,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-strauss/the-contemporary-rejection-of-natural-right-leads-to-nihilism-nay-it/) [Leo Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-strauss/) > [When speaking of a "body of knowledge" or of "the results of research," e.g., we tacitly assign the same cognitive status to inherited knowledge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-strauss/when-speaking-of-a-body-of-knowledge-or-of-the-results-of-research-e/) [Leo Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-strauss/) [Explore all 55 Leo Strauss quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-strauss/) ## More Bible quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/) [Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/) > [“God hates Hell. He hates the idea of people going there. He hates it so much that He was willing to take on human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-minton/god-hates-hell-he-hates-the-idea-of-people-going-there-he-hates-it-so/) [Evan Minton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-minton/) > [“The Devil can cite Scripture for his purpose, Sergeant,’ Anthony Payne replied. ‘That is from The Merchant of Venice, but it holds great truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-arnold/the-devil-can-cite-scripture-for-his-purpose-sergeant-anthony-payne/) Michael Arnold > [When you put your hand on the Bible, you are saying something much stronger than just telling your peers that you're going to tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-greenwood/when-you-put-your-hand-on-the-bible-you-are-saying-something-much/) [Lee Greenwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-greenwood/) > [“Scripture also teaches that human beings are morally responsible creatures”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-peterson/scripture-also-teaches-that-human-beings-are-morally-responsible/) Robert A. Peterson > [“The wife of a junior officer cooped up in a horrible canvas partition in steerage for five months wrote: "I had enjoyed much peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-taylor/the-wife-of-a-junior-officer-cooped-up-in-a-horrible-canvas-partition/) Stephen Taylor > [O Word of God incarnate . . . It is the golden casket Where gems of truth are stored; It is the heaven-drawn picture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walsham-how/o-word-of-god-incarnate-it-is-the-golden-casket-where-gems-of-truth/) Walsham How > [How can I trust that the Bible is reliable?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-horton/how-can-i-trust-that-the-bible-is-reliable/) [Michael Horton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-horton/) > [Every plant which my heavenly father has not planted with be uprooted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesus-christ/every-plant-which-my-heavenly-father-has-not-planted-with-be-uprooted/) [Jesus Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesus-christ/) > [Where I come from you're not raised to think on your own. It's not that you're pushed to read the Bible. The Bible is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abel-ferrara/where-i-come-from-you-re-not-raised-to-think-on-your-own-it-s-not/) [Abel Ferrara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abel-ferrara/) > [“I felt like praying or something, when I was in bed, but I couldn't do it. I can't always pray when I feel like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/i-felt-like-praying-or-something-when-i-was-in-bed-but-i-couldn-t-do/) [J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/) > [What comes to mind when you think of heaven? 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