The Humility of God / Ilia Delio

The humility of God is really about God's relationship to the world and God's fidelity to the world, even when everything in the world seems to fail.—from the Introduction

"Here as in her previous work, Sister Ilia builds on her outstanding command of the scholarship about the work of Bonaventure which has developed so remarkably in the twentieth century. Together with this she brings her personal knowledge and experience of contemporary scientific understandings of the cosmos. In a style that is preeminently readable, she offers insights into issues and problems that are widespread in the present period of Christian history. Sister Ilia has taken on these monumental issues and has opened insights, which can be helpful to many who take their Christian faith seriously."—from the Preface by Zachary Hayes, O.F.M.

The Humility of God: A Franciscan Perspective is the first extensive treatment of a Franciscan theology of divine humility. Through the lens of St. Bonaventure's theology, Ilia Delio searches for God today "in a fast-paced, scientific world that in many ways views God as an unnecessary hypothesis." Using Bonaventure's Christ-centered mysticism, Ilia Delio illustrates God's humility and his relationship to the world, while at the same time tackling these tough questions: How can a God of love exist in such a time of turmoil and suffering? How can a well-educated Christian reconcile contemporary science with the central symbols of his or her faith?

ILIA DELIO, O.S.F., is a Franciscan sister. She is associate professor of ecclesiastical history and director of spirituality studies at the Washington Theological Union in Washington, D.C. She is the author of Franciscan Prayer (Franciscan Media), Crucified Love: Bonaventure’s Mysticism of the Crucified Christ (Franciscan Media) and Simply Bonaventure: An Introduction to his Life: Thought and Writings (New City Press).