Jean-Guenolé-Marie Daniélou (; 14 May 1905 – 20 May 1974) was a French Jesuit and cardinal, an internationally well known patrologist,

theologian Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

and historian and a member of the Académie Française.

Biography

Early life and studies

Jean-Guenolé-Marie Daniélou was born on 14 May 1905 in Neuilly-sur-Seine. He was the son of Charles Daniélou and Madeleine Clamorgan. His father was an

anticlerical Anti-clericalism is opposition to religious authority, typically in social or political matters. Historical anti-clericalism has mainly been opposed to the influence of Roman Catholicism. Anti-clericalism is related to secularism, which seeks to ...

politician who several times as a minister served in the French government, while his mother was a

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

educator and the founder of institutions for women's education. His brother Alain (1907–1994) was a noted

Indologist Indology, also known as South Asian studies, is the academic study of the history and cultures, languages, and literature of the Indian subcontinent, and as such is a subset of Asian studies. The term ''Indology'' (in German, ''Indologie'') is ...

and historian. Daniélou studied at the Sorbonne and passed his agrégation in grammar in 1927. He joined the

Society of Jesus , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

in 1929 and during his

regency A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...

taught at a boys' school in Poitiers, from 1934 to 1936. He then studied

theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

Fourvière Fourvière () is a district of Lyon, France, a hill immediately west of the old part of the town, rising from the river Saône. It is the site of the original Roman settlement of Lugdunum in 43 BC. The district contains many religious buildings i ...

Lyon Lyon,, ; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, third-largest city and Urban area (France), second-largest metropolitan area of F ...

under

Henri de Lubac Henri-Marie Joseph Sonier de Lubac (; 20 February 1896 – 4 September 1991), better known as Henri de Lubac, was a French Jesuit priest and cardinal who is considered one of the most influential theologians of the 20th century. His writin ...

, who introduced him to the specialized study of the Fathers of the Church. He was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform ...

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in partic ...

on 19 August 1938.

Priesthood, episcopate and cardinalate

During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, Daniélou served with the

Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an ...

in 1939–1940. With the fall of France to

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

he was returned to civilian life and began doctoral studies, completing in 1942 his

thesis A thesis ( : theses), or dissertation (abbreviated diss.), is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings.International Standard ISO 7144: ...

on the spiritual doctrine of

Gregory of Nyssa Gregory of Nyssa, also known as Gregory Nyssen ( grc-gre, Γρηγόριος Νύσσης; c. 335 – c. 395), was Bishop of Nyssa in Cappadocia from 372 to 376 and from 378 until his death in 395. He is venerated as a saint in Catholicis ...

. He was then appointed chaplain to the female section of the

École Normale Supérieure École may refer to: * an elementary school in the French educational stages normally followed by secondary education establishments (collège and lycée) * École (river), a tributary of the Seine flowing in région Île-de-France * École, S ...

, at

Sèvres Sèvres (, ) is a commune in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris, in the Hauts-de-Seine department, Île-de-France region. The commune, which had a population of 23,251 as of 2018, is known for ...

. He spent most of his time on research in patristics, and became, with

one of the founders of the Sources Chrétiennes book series. In 1944 he was named Professor of Early Christian History at the

Institut Catholique de Paris The Institut Catholique de Paris (ICP), known in English as the Catholic University of Paris (and in Latin as ''Universitas catholica Parisiensis''), is a private university located in Paris, France. History: 1875–present The Institut Catholiq ...

, later becoming

dean Dean may refer to: People * Dean (given name) * Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin * Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk * Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known by the mononym Dean Titles * ...

there. Beginning in the 1950s he produced several historical studies which included ''The Bible and the Liturgy'', ''The Lord of History'', an
''From Shadows to Reality''
that furnished background for the development of Covenantal Theology. Thoroughly grounded in the Fathers of the Church, who worked from Scripture, Daniélou generally avoided the neo-Thomistic terminology and approach and used a more relational vocabulary, emphasizing our self-gift in response to God's gift in Jesus Christ, with the gradual unveiling of the Trinitarian life in history.

Pope John XXIII Pope John XXIII ( la, Ioannes XXIII; it, Giovanni XXIII; born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, ; 25 November 18813 June 1963) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 28 October 1958 until his death in June 19 ...

appointed Daniélou a ''

peritus ''Peritus'' (Latin for "expert") is the title given to Roman Catholic theologians attending an ecumenical council to give advice. At the Second Vatican Council, some ''periti'' (the plural form) accompanied individual bishops or groups of bisho ...

'' of the

Second Vatican Council The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions), each lasting between 8 and ...

. In 1969

Pope Paul VI Pope Paul VI ( la, Paulus VI; it, Paolo VI; born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, ; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his death in Augus ...

made him a cardinal. As a result, he was ordained to the episcopal

titular see A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular metropolitan" (highest rank), "titular archbis ...

Taormina Taormina ( , , also , ; scn, Taurmina) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Messina, on the east coast of the island of Sicily, Italy. Taormina has been a tourist destination since the 19th century. Its beaches on ...

, and assigned the title of Cardinal-Deacon of San Saba, a Jesuit-run parish in Rome. Rather like his theology professor

Daniélou twice refused the cardinalate but he eventually accepted at the insistence of Paul VI. He was elected to the Académie Française on 9 November 1972, to succeed Cardinal

Eugène Tisserant Eugène-Gabriel-Gervais-Laurent Tisserant (; 24 March 1884 – 21 February 1972) was a French prelate and cardinal of the Catholic Church. Elevated to the cardinalate in 1936, Tisserant was a prominent and long-time member of the Roman Curia. ...

Death and legacy

He died unexpectedly in 1974 in the home of a woman who was alleged to be a prostitute. The

Society of Jesus , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

, after an investigation, stated that Daniélou was bringing a gift of money to pay for the bail of the woman's husband. Like a number of other prominent public figures, Daniélou's brother defended him strongly, pointing out that he had always gone out of his way to serve those in most need.

Bibliography

A number of Daniélou's works on the early Church, often abridged for a popular audience, remain in print. French works, with English translations * ''

Platonism Platonism is the philosophy of Plato and philosophical systems closely derived from it, though contemporary platonists do not necessarily accept all of the doctrines of Plato. Platonism had a profound effect on Western thought. Platonism at l ...

e et théologie mystique: doctrine spirituelle de saint Grégoire de Nysse'', (Paris: Aubier, 1944) * 'Les orientations preésentes de la pensée religieuse', ''Études'' 249, (1946), 5-21 * '' Origène'', Table ronde, Paris, 1948 T:_''Origen'',_trans_Walter_Mitchell,_(New_York:_Sheed_&_Ward,_1955).html" ;"title="Sheed_&_Ward.html" ;"title="T: ''Origen'', trans Walter Mitchell, (New York: Sheed & Ward">T: ''Origen'', trans Walter Mitchell, (New York: Sheed & Ward, 1955)">Sheed_&_Ward.html" ;"title="T: ''Origen'', trans Walter Mitchell, (New York: Sheed & Ward">T: ''Origen'', trans Walter Mitchell, (New York: Sheed & Ward, 1955)* ''Sacramentum futuri; études sur les origines de la typologie biblique'', (Paris: Beauchesne, 1950) * ''Bible et liturgie, la théologie biblique des sacrements et des fêtes d'après les Pères de l'Église'', Cerf, Paris, 1951 [ET: ''The Bible and the Liturgy'', Liturgical Studies, 3 (Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 1956)] * ''Les anges et leur mission, d'après les Pères de l'Église'', Desclée, Paris, 1952 [ET: ''The Angels and their Mission: According to the Fathers of the Church'', trans David Heimann, (1957)] * ''Essai sur le mystère de l'histoire'', (Paris: Éditions du Seuil, 1953) * ''Dieu et nous'', Bernard Grasset, Paris, 1956. T: ''God and the Ways of Knowing'', trans Walter Roberts, (1956; repr San Francisco, CA: Ignatius Press, 2033)* ''Les manuscrits de la Mer Morte et les origines du Christianisme'', L'Orante, Paris, 1957 T: ''The Dead Sea Scrolls and Primitive Christianity,'' (Greenwood Publishing Group, 1979)* ''Histoire des doctrines chrétiennes avant Nicée'', 3 vols, (Paris: Desclée,

Éditions du Cerf ''Éditions du Cerf'' (French: "Editions of the Deer") is a French publishing house specializing in religious books. It was founded in 1929, and operated by the Dominican Order. The name is a reference to Psalm 42 (41): As the hart panteth ...

, 1958–1978) ** ''Théologie du Judéo-Christianisme'', Histoire des doctrines chrétiennes avant Nicée vol 1, (Tournai : Desclée, 1958) [ET: ''The theology of Jewish Christianity'', trans and ed by John A Baker, (London: Darton, Longman and Todd, 1964) ** ''Message évangélique et culture hellénistique aux IIe et IIIe siècles'', Histoire des doctrines chrétiennes avant Nicée vol 2, (Tournai: Desclée, 1961) [ET: ''Gospel Message and Hellenistic Culture'', ed and trans John Austin Baker, (London: Darton, Longman and Todd, 1973)] ** ''Les origines du christianisme latin'', Histoire des doctrines chrétiennes avant Nicée vol 3, (Paris: Cerf, 1978) [ET: ''The Origins of Latin Christianity,'' (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1977)] * '' Philo of Alexandria, Philon d'Alexandrie'', Fayard, Paris, 1958 * ''Approches du Christ'', (Paris: B. Grasset, 1960) T: ''Christ and Us'', trans Walter Robert, (New York: Sheed & Ward, 1961)* ''Les Symboles chrétiens primitifs'', Seuil, Paris, 1961 * ''L'Église des premiers temps : Des origines à la fin du IIIe siècle'', Seuil, Paris, 1963 * (with Henri Marrou), ''Des origines a saint Grégoire le Grand'', (Paris: Éditions du Seuil, 1963) * ''Les Évangiles de l'enfance'', (Paris: Seuil, 1967) T: ''The infancy narratives'', trans Rosemary Sheed, (London: Burns & Oates, 1968)* ''La Trinité et le mystère de l'existence'', (Desclée de Brouwer, Paris, 1968) * 'Saint Hilaire et son temps', in ''Hilaire de Poitiers: évêque et docteur; cinq conférences données à Poitiersà l'occasion du XVIe centenaire de sa mort (368-1968)'', (Paris: Études Augustiniennes, 1968) * ''La Foi de toujours et l'homme d'aujourd'hui'', (Paris: Beauchesne, 1969) * ''La Résurrection,'' (Paris: Éditions du Seuil, 1969) * ''L'être et le temps chez Grégoire de Nysse'', (Leiden: Brill, 1970) Other works * ''Libretto for Stravinsky's Oedipus Rex: a Latin translation of

Jean Cocteau Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau (, , ; 5 July 1889 – 11 October 1963) was a French poet, playwright, novelist, designer, filmmaker, visual artist and critic. He was one of the foremost creatives of the s ...

's arrangement of

Sophocles Sophocles (; grc, Σοφοκλῆς, , Sophoklễs; 497/6 – winter 406/5 BC)Sommerstein (2002), p. 41. is one of three ancient Greek tragedians, at least one of whose plays has survived in full. His first plays were written later than, or c ...

' original Oedipus Rex.'' Other English translations * ''The Salvation of the Nations'', trans Angeline Bouchard, (New York: Sheed and Ward, 1950) * ''Advent'', trans Rosemary Sheed, (1950) * ''Holy Pagans of the Old Testament'', trans Felix Faber, (London: Longmans, Green and Co, 1957) * ''The Lord of History: Reflections on the Inner Meaning of History'', trans Nigel Abercrombie, (1958; repr Cleveland, OH: Meridian, 1968) * ''The Presence of God'', trans Walter Roberts, (Baltimore, MD: Helicon, 1959) *
From Shadows to Reality: Studies in the Biblical Typology of the Fathers
', trans Wulstan Hibberd, (London: Burns & Oates, 1960) * ''The Ministry of Women in the Early Church, ''(Leighton Buzzard: Faith Press, 1961) * ''The Advent of Salvation: A Comparative Study of Non-Christian Religions and Christianity'', trans Rosemary Sheed, (New York: Paulist, 1962) * ''The Scandal of Truth'', trans WJ Kerrigan, (London: Burns & Oates, 1963) * ''Primitive Christian Symbols'', trans Donald Attwater, (London: Burns & Oates, 1964) * ''Prayer as a Political Problem'', ed and trans JR Kirwan, (New York: Sheed and Ward, 1967) * ''Dialogue with Israel, (''Baltimore: Helicon, 1968) * ''Myth and Mystery. ''(New York: Hawthorn Books, 1968) * ''God's Life in Us, '' (Dimension Books, 1969) * ''Historical Theology''. Viking Press, 1970 * ''Why the Church?'' Franciscan Press, 1975 * ''Prayer: The Mission of the Church''. (Grand Rapids, MI: WB Eerdmans, 1996)

References

External links

09 August 1973 Jean Daniélou meets A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada (Founder and Spiritual Master of the Hare Krishna Movement in ParisFile on Cardinal Daniélou on the Académie française website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Danielou, Jean 1905 births 1974 deaths People from Neuilly-sur-Seine Jesuit cardinals University of Paris alumni French Air Force personnel of World War II French Roman Catholic titular bishops Jesuit archbishops 20th-century French cardinals 20th-century French Jesuits Jesuit theologians French historians of religion Patristic scholars 20th-century French Catholic theologians Participants in the Second Vatican Council Cardinals created by Pope Paul VI Members of the Académie Française 20th-century French historians French opera librettists 20th-century French translators Translators from French Translators to Latin 20th-century Latin-language writers Catholic Church sexual abuse scandals in France