Faith Quote by Ludwig Feuerbach
““The general premiss of … belief is: man of himself can know nothing of God; all his knowledge is merely vain, earthly, human. … God is known only by himself. Thus we know nothing of God; for revelation is the word of God … [I]n revelation man … places revelation in opposition to human knowledge … ; here reason must hold its peace. But nevertheless the divine revelation is determined by the human nature. God speaks not to brutes or angels, but to men; hence he uses human speech and human conceptions. … God is … free in will; … but he is not free as to the understanding; he cannot reveal to man whatever he will, but only what is adapted to man, … [W]hat God thinks in relation to man is determined by the idea of man – it has arisen out of reflection on human nature. [H]e thinks of himself, not with his own thinking power, but with man's. … That which comes from God to man, comes to man only from man in God, … only from the ideal nature of man to the phenomenal man, from the species to the individual. Thus, between the divine revelation and the so-called human reason or nature, there is no other than an illusory distinction; … so in revelation man goes out of himself, in order, by a circuitous path, to return to himself!””
About This Quote
Source Philosophical Treatise: The Essence of Christianity, 1841
Divine revelation is shaped by human nature; God communicates in human terms, limiting understanding to what fits humanity.
In simple terms: God’s messages are adapted to human minds.
Recognize limits of divine knowledge.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- personal faith
- theological study
- interfaith dialogue
- ethical decision‑making
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How does human perspective shape spiritual belief?
- Can divine truth exist beyond human concepts?
Assumes all revelation must be human‑centric, ignoring transcendental possibilities.