--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: So here is the paradox, freedom is…" description: "\"“So here is the paradox, freedom is dependence upon God. It is a paradox, but it is absolutely clear. The human being – the concrete human person, me, ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/334/luigi-giussani-37535_freedom_so-here-is-the-paradox-freedom-is-depend_2479765.jpg" --- # So here is the paradox, freedom is dependence upon God. It… ![“So here is the paradox, freedom is dependence upon God. It is a paradox, but it is absolutely clear. The human being – the concrete human person, me, you – once we were not, now we are, and tomorrow will no longer be: thus we depend. And either we depend upon the flux of our material antecedents…” quote by Luigi Giussani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/334/luigi-giussani-37535_freedom_so-here-is-the-paradox-freedom-is-depend_2479765.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/334/luigi-giussani-37535_freedom_so-here-is-the-paradox-freedom-is-depend_2479765.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/334/luigi-giussani-37535_freedom_so-here-is-the-paradox-freedom-is-depend_2479765.jpg) > ““So here is the paradox, freedom is dependence upon God. It is a paradox, but it is absolutely clear. The human being – the concrete human person, me, you – once we were not, now we are, and tomorrow will no longer be: thus we depend. And either we depend upon the flux of our material antecedents, and are consequently slaves of the powers that be, or we depend upon What lies at the origin of the movement of all things, beyond them, which is to say, God.”” [Luigi Giussani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-giussani/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Freedom is paradoxical because it depends on God; without God we are bound by material forces, with God we find true liberty. **In simple terms:** Freedom depends on God, not material things. Key Takeaway Seek divine dependence for true freedom. Themes freedom dependence theology paradox Mood contemplative thoughtful Type philosophical theological When to use this quote - spiritual counseling - ethical decision making - personal crisis Key Concepts existentialism theology philosophy of freedom Questions to Reflect On - How does dependence on a higher power affect your sense of freedom? - Can you find freedom without belief in God? A Different Perspective May conflict with secular views of autonomy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) ## Related quotes > [The ordinary marriage is an unconscious bondage: you cannot live alone so you become dependent on the other; the other cannot live alone so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/the-ordinary-marriage-is-an-unconscious-bondage-you-cannot-live-alone/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [“The problem is not the conflict of opposites in itself, but rather a probing of surprising and difficult dimensions of what is entailed by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-w-l-moberly/the-problem-is-not-the-conflict-of-opposites-in-itself-but-rather-a/) [R.W.L. Moberly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-w-l-moberly/) > [“We have not advanced very far in our spiritual lives if we have not encountered the basic paradox of freedom, to the effect that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elton-trueblood/we-have-not-advanced-very-far-in-our-spiritual-lives-if-we-have-not/) [Elton Trueblood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elton-trueblood/) > [“Yeah but Father, is that what you meant by God being a paradox? How he was so pleased to get a chance to nail…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sladek/yeah-but-father-is-that-what-you-meant-by-god-being-a-paradox-how-he/) [John Sladek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sladek/) > [“The so-called paradox of freedom is the argument that freedom in the sense of absence of any constraining control must lead to very great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-so-called-paradox-of-freedom-is-the-argument-that-freedom-in-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It is now my intention to draw out from the story of Abraham the dialectical consequences inherent in it, expressing them in the form…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kierkegaard-s-ren/it-is-now-my-intention-to-draw-out-from-the-story-of-abraham-the/) [Kierkegaard, Søren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kierkegaard-s-ren/) > [Tragic paradox of freedom: the mediocre men who alone make its exercise possible cannot guarantee its duration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-m-cioran/tragic-paradox-of-freedom-the-mediocre-men-who-alone-make-its/) [Emile M. Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-m-cioran/) > [“Humility, the place of entire dependence on God, is the first duty of the creature, and the root of every good quality.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-murray/humility-the-place-of-entire-dependence-on-god-is-the-first-duty-of/) [Andrew Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-murray/) > [When we place our dependence in God, we are unencumbered, and we have no worry. In fact, we may even be reckless, insofar as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-lombardi/when-we-place-our-dependence-in-god-we-are-unencumbered-and-we-have/) [Vince Lombardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-lombardi/) > [“I do not, in my private capacity, believe that a baby gets his best physical food by sucking his thumb; nor that a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/i-do-not-in-my-private-capacity-believe-that-a-baby-gets-his-best/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“As we place our dependence upon God, an incredible freedom and peace will begin to rest in our hearts. And reaching that point in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-f-stanley/as-we-place-our-dependence-upon-god-an-incredible-freedom-and-peace/) [Charles F. Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-f-stanley/) > [Our dependence upon God ought to be so entire and absolute that we should never think it necessary, in any kind of distress, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/our-dependence-upon-god-ought-to-be-so-entire-and-absolute-that-we/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [“Every true Christian should feel deep in his bones an utter dependence on God’s self-revelation in the Scriptures. Man does not live by bread…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/every-true-christian-should-feel-deep-in-his-bones-an-utter/) [Kevin DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-deyoung/) > [Fasting confirms our utter dependence upon God by finding in Him a source of sustenance beyond food.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/fasting-confirms-our-utter-dependence-upon-god-by-finding-in-him-a/) [Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/) > [I've never made football my priority. My priorities are my faith and my dependence on God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-bowden/i-ve-never-made-football-my-priority-my-priorities-are-my-faith-and/) [Bobby Bowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-bowden/) ## More by Luigi Giussani > [“And here is the alternative in which man risks himself, even if almost unconsciously: either you face reality wide open, loyally, with the bright…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-giussani/and-here-is-the-alternative-in-which-man-risks-himself-even-if-almost/) [Luigi Giussani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-giussani/) > [“In the Gospel, there is a sentence that expresses the same ethical imperative in a more fascinating way: “Blessed are the poor in spirit:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-giussani/in-the-gospel-there-is-a-sentence-that-expresses-the-same-ethical/) [Luigi Giussani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-giussani/) > [“Indeed, as we have seen, God is the most immediate implication of self-consciousness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-giussani/indeed-as-we-have-seen-god-is-the-most-immediate-implication-of-self/) [Luigi Giussani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-giussani/) > [“It is primarily the love of ourselves as destiny, the affection for our own destiny that can convince us to undertake this work to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-giussani/it-is-primarily-the-love-of-ourselves-as-destiny-the-affection-for/) [Luigi Giussani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-giussani/) > [“che c'entra questo con le stelle? What has this to do with the stars?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-giussani/che-c-entra-questo-con-le-stelle-what-has-this-to-do-with-the-stars/) [Luigi Giussani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-giussani/) > [“The more one is truly human, the more one is able to trust, because one understands the reasons for believing in another.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-giussani/the-more-one-is-truly-human-the-more-one-is-able-to-trust-because-one/) [Luigi Giussani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-giussani/) > [“It is the religious sense – a “radical engagement of the self with life” – that alone enables us to fulfil the promise of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-giussani/it-is-the-religious-sense-a-radical-engagement-of-the-self-with-life/) [Luigi Giussani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-giussani/) > [“the greatest danger which today’s humanity need fear is not a catastrophe which comes from out there somewhere, a stellar catastrophe, neither is it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-giussani/the-greatest-danger-which-today-s-humanity-need-fear-is-not-a/) [Luigi Giussani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-giussani/) > [“As I see it, only two types of men capture entirely the grandeur of the human being: the anarchist and the authentically religious man.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-giussani/as-i-see-it-only-two-types-of-men-capture-entirely-the-grandeur-of/) [Luigi Giussani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-giussani/) > [“Life is hunger, thirst, and passion for an ultimate object, which looms over the horizon, and yet always lies beyond it. When this is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-giussani/life-is-hunger-thirst-and-passion-for-an-ultimate-object-which-looms/) [Luigi Giussani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-giussani/) > [“The truly interesting question for man is neither logic, a fascinating game, nor demonstration, an inviting curiosity. Rather, the intriguing problem for man is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-giussani/the-truly-interesting-question-for-man-is-neither-logic-a-fascinating/) [Luigi Giussani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-giussani/) [Explore all 12 Luigi Giussani quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-giussani/) ## More Freedom quotes > [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/) [Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/) > [Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/elections-belong-to-the-people-it-s-their-decision-if-they-decide-to/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [If we gave up our freedom as the price of security, we would no longer be the great nation that we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/if-we-gave-up-our-freedom-as-the-price-of-security-we-would-no-longer/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) > [We live in the greatest country in the world because of the veterans who have sacrificed their lives for our freedom and the security…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-husted/we-live-in-the-greatest-country-in-the-world-because-of-the-veterans/) [Jon Husted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-husted/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [“No one was more surprised than I to realize that my newfound freedom had been purchased by giving up on eternity and settling for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-jessop/no-one-was-more-surprised-than-i-to-realize-that-my-newfound-freedom/) [Carolyn Jessop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-jessop/) > [“In a world of fixed future, there can be no right or wrong. Right and wrong demand freedom of choice, but if each action…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lightman/in-a-world-of-fixed-future-there-can-be-no-right-or-wrong-right-and/) [Alan Lightman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lightman/) > [“In any case, white people, who had robbed black people of their liberty and who profited by this theft every hour that they lived,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-baldwin/in-any-case-white-people-who-had-robbed-black-people-of-their-liberty/) [James Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-baldwin/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“I have to blame myself for not finding any way of reaching him, but I can't feel that either Ruth or I had anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/i-have-to-blame-myself-for-not-finding-any-way-of-reaching-him-but-i/) [Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/) > [“It breaks my heart. Better than your words, your eye tells me all your peril. You are not yet free, you still search for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/it-breaks-my-heart-better-than-your-words-your-eye-tells-me-all-your/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [History has often showed us the strength of the forces that are unleashed by the yearning for freedom. It moved people to overcome their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-merkel/history-has-often-showed-us-the-strength-of-the-forces-that-are/) [Angela Merkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-merkel/) > [I don't want to be famous famous. I'm happy on the second tier, where I have autonomy on a professional level but I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-reece/i-don-t-want-to-be-famous-famous-i-m-happy-on-the-second-tier-where-i/) [Gabrielle Reece](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-reece/) [Browse all 30,110 Freedom quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“So here is the paradox, freedom is dependence upon God. It is a paradox, but it is absolutely clear. The human being – the concrete human person, me, you – once we were not, now we are, and tomorrow will no longer be: thus we depend. And either we depend upon the flux of our material antecedents, and are consequently slaves of the powers that be, or we depend upon What lies at the origin of the movement of all things, beyond them, which is to say, God.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Luigi Giussani" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-giussani/so-here-is-the-paradox-freedom-is-dependence-upon-god-it-is-a-paradox/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Freedom" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-giussani/so-here-is-the-paradox-freedom-is-dependence-upon-god-it-is-a-paradox/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/334/luigi-giussani-37535_freedom_so-here-is-the-paradox-freedom-is-depend_2479765.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/334/luigi-giussani-37535_freedom_so-here-is-the-paradox-freedom-is-depend_2479765.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/334/luigi-giussani-37535_freedom_so-here-is-the-paradox-freedom-is-depend_2479765.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“So here is the paradox, freedom is dependence upon God. It is a paradox, but it is absolutely clear. The…” — Luigi Giussani", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Luigi Giussani", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-giussani/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“So here is the paradox, freedom...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-giussani/so-here-is-the-paradox-freedom-is-dependence-upon-god-it-is-a-paradox/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-giussani/so-here-is-the-paradox-freedom-is-dependence-upon-god-it-is-a-paradox/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```