Louisville Process Theology Network

What is Humility Theology ?

Mar 24, 2008

Humility Theology apparently takes its name from St. Bonaventure's famous sermon about the Incarnation, known as the "Sermon on the Nativity of the Lord." In his words, "The eternal God has humbly bent down and lifted the dust of our nature into unity with his own person."

Ilia Delio, OSF, understands this to mean that "God bends over in love to meet us where we are", in her recent book, "The Humility of God: A Franciscan Perspective." So maybe, God's purpose is not to command and control the universe, but rather, to share his love with creation and us.

What God does in this universe is "lure creation to the more, or we might say, optimal good." Looking briefly into the discoveries of 20th Century Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, Delio says it is evident that uncertainty and freedom are essential characteristics of our experience. We have important choices to make in our lives and God is with us as we make them.

Delio quotes St. Francis of Assisi, "Hold back nothing yourselves for yourselves, that he who gives himself totally to you, may receive you totally."

She adds, " The poor and the humble can see the poor and humble God in an ordinary piece of bread. Those who are filled with themselves have no room for a humble God. They are so preoccupied with themselves; their ideas, their greatness, their wealth and status; they cannnot see beyond their noses. Because they miss out on seeing God in the ordinary form of bread or flesh, they confine God to abstract ideas...

Francis understood that God is not remote or distant; not a God who has nothing in common with creation. Rather, God is unstoppable goodness; a God who simply cannot wait to give everything away and to love us where we are.

God comes to us; that is God's humility; and are called to love him in return."