Jean-Guenolé-Marie Daniélou (; 14 May 1905 – 20 May 1974) was a French

Jesuit The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

and

cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal most commonly refers to * Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of three species in the family Cardinalidae ***Northern cardinal, ''Cardinalis cardinalis'', the common cardinal of ...

, an internationally well known

patrologist Patristics, also known as Patrology, is a branch of Theology, theological studies focused on the writings and teachings of the Church Fathers, between the 1st to 8th centuries CE. Scholars analyze texts from both orthodox and heretical authors. Pat ...

theologian Theology is the study of religious belief from a religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of ...

and historian and a member of the

Académie française An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...

Biography

Early life and studies

Jean-Guenolé-Marie Daniélou was born on 14 May 1905 in

Neuilly-sur-Seine Neuilly-sur-Seine (; 'Neuilly-on-Seine'), also known simply as Neuilly, is an urban Communes of France, commune in the Hauts-de-Seine Departments of France, department just west of Paris in France. Immediately adjacent to the city, north of the ...

. 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. Historically, anti-clericalism in Christian traditions has been opposed to the influence of Catholicism. Anti-clericalism is related to secularism, ...

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 List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

educator and the founder of institutions for women's education. His brother Alain (1907–1994) was a noted Indologist and historian. Daniélou studied at the Sorbonne and passed his

agrégation In France, the () is the most competitive and prestigious examination for civil service in the French public education A state school, public school, or government school is a primary school, primary or secondary school that educates all stu ...

in grammar in 1927. He joined the

Society of Jesus The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rome. It was founded in 1540 ...

in 1929 and during his

regency In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...

taught at a boys' school in

Poitiers Poitiers is a city on the river Clain in west-central France. It is a commune in France, commune, the capital of the Vienne (department), Vienne department and the historical center of Poitou, Poitou Province. In 2021, it had a population of 9 ...

, from 1934 to 1936. He then studied

theology Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...

at Fourvière in

Lyon Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...

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 (Catholicism), cardinal who is considered one of the most influential Theology, theologia ...

, who introduced him to the specialized study of the

Fathers of the Church The Church Fathers, Early Church Fathers, Christian Fathers, or Fathers of the Church were ancient and influential Christian theologians and writers who established the intellectual and doctrinal foundations of Christianity. The historical per ...

. He was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are Consecration in Christianity, consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the religious denomination, denominationa ...

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 deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...

on 19 August 1938.

Priesthood, episcopate and cardinalate

During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, 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 army aviati ...

in 1939–1940. With the fall of France to

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

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: D ...

on the spiritual doctrine of

Gregory of Nyssa Gregory of Nyssa, also known as Gregory Nyssen ( or Γρηγόριος Νυσσηνός; c. 335 – c. 394), was an early Roman Christian prelate who served as Bishop of Nyssa from 372 to 376 and from 378 until his death in 394. He is ve ...

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

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

, at

Sèvres Sèvres (, ) is a French Communes of France, commune in the southwestern suburbs of Paris. It is located from the Kilometre zero, centre of Paris, in the Hauts-de-Seine department of the Île-de-France region. The commune, which had a populatio ...

. He spent most of his time on research in

patristics Patristics, also known as Patrology, is a branch of theological studies focused on the writings and teachings of the Church Fathers, between the 1st to 8th centuries CE. Scholars analyze texts from both orthodox and heretical authors. Patristics e ...

, and he became, together 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 (, abbr. 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 ...

, later becoming dean there. Beginning in the 1950s he produced several historical studies which included ''The Bible and the Liturgy'', ''The Lord of History'', and ''From Shadows to Reality'' that furnished background for the development of Covenantal Theology. Thoroughly grounded in the

, 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 (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 on 3 June 1963. He is the most recent pope to take ...

appointed Daniélou a '' peritus'' of the

Second Vatican Council The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the or , was the 21st and most recent ecumenical council of the Catholic Church. The council met each autumn from 1962 to 1965 in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City for session ...

. In 1969

Pope Paul VI Pope Paul 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 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding John XXII ...

made him a

. 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 archbi ...

Taormina Taormina ( , , also , ; ) 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 the Ionian Sea, incl ...

, 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 eventually accepted at the insistence of Paul VI. He was elected to the

Académie Française An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...

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

, 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 doctrines of Plato. Platonism has had a profound effect on Western thought. At the most fundam ...

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)">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, 2023)* '' 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, 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 Austin 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'', trans. and ed. 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 Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky ( – 6 April 1971) was a Russian composer and conductor with French citizenship (from 1934) and American citizenship (from 1945). He is widely considered one of the most important and influential composers of ...

Oedipus Rex ''Oedipus Rex'', also known by its Greek title, ''Oedipus Tyrannus'' (, ), or ''Oedipus the King'', is an Athenian tragedy by Sophocles. While some scholars have argued that the play was first performed , this is highly uncertain. Originally, to ...

: A Latin translation of

Jean Cocteau Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau ( , ; ; 5 July 1889 11 October 1963) was a French poet, playwright, novelist, designer, film director, visual artist and critic. He was one of the foremost avant-garde artists of the 20th-c ...

's arrangement of

Sophocles Sophocles ( 497/496 – winter 406/405 BC)Sommerstein (2002), p. 41. was an ancient Greek tragedian known as one of three from whom at least two plays have survived in full. His first plays were written later than, or contemporary with, those ...

' original

.'' 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. W. J. Kerrigan, (London: Burns & Oates, 1963) * ''Primitive Christian Symbols'', trans. Donald Attwater, (London: Burns & Oates, 1964) * ''Prayer as a Political Problem'', trans. and ed. J. R. 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 writers in Latin French writers in Latin