The Intellectual Life

            “I would put The Intellectual Life on the desk of every serious, and most of the unserious ones,” claims Fr. James Schall, SJ in his Foreword (Sertillanges xiii). Although Fr. Schall includes a humorous tone to his overall perception of The Intellectual Life, nevertheless he stresses and strains throughout the Foreword about the book’s importance and vitality to the life of an intellectual, much less a Catholic intellectual. Now, Fr. Schall, SJ is a professor of Political Philosophy at Georgetown University. He realizes the wisdom of thought and how it affects the way people execute political agendas and persuade others. Notably, Fr. Schall’s significance of endorsement alludes to the fact that the reader ought to realize how much of a positive effect this book encloses between its paper covers. Even more so, Fr. Schall claims, “[The Intellectual Life] will have an abiding, concrete effect on our lives” (Sertillanges xiv).

            According to Schall, The Intellectual Life’s most astounding characteristic comprises in truth. Whether it is the truth about applicable study habits, effective note-taking, organization skills, or moral truths, Schall notes that, “[Sertillanges] does not hesitate to warn us of the intimate relation between our knowing the truth and our not ordering our souls to the good” (Sertillanges xii). Significantly, Schall makes continual references to how The Intellectual Life supersedes and transcends the times —“This book allows us… to know why we need not be dependent on the media…” (Sertillanges xiii). Just as how truth remains truth regardless of times and customs, so too, articulates Schall, does The Intellectual Life— this book “allows [the reader] to be free [from the times]” (Sertillanges xiii).

            Vocation comes from Latin word “voco” meaning “to call.” Therefore, it follows that a vocation translates to a calling—usually defining one’s purpose in life. According to Sertillanges, a vocation more specifically, “comes from heaven and from our first nature” (Sertillanges 4). God plays an immense role in defining our purpose—from making us in his image, imago Dei, to revealing Himself in everyday life, and during mankind’s experience for coming to know ultimate truth. “If we are here, it is because God has placed us here” (Sertillanges 14). Our purpose totally and wholly depends upon God’s will and desire for us in our life. Although, it is our free will that, at times, gets in the way for answering our vocation, or call, to be effective intellectuals. And yet, this free will, articulates Sertillanges, is the most vital attribute and characteristic of being a human person—“[the will] is the most important thing!” (Sertillanges 10).

Not surprisingly, Sertillanges’s featured common virtues for intellectual workers can be summarized by the three Theological Virtues: Love, Faith, and Hope. “Tell me what you love, I will tell you what you are” (Sertillanges 19). Ultimately, as Catholic intellectual workers, love must be appropriately placed toward the desire of the Truth—namely Jesus Christ. The Jesuits have a phrase— “Finding God in all things.” Namely, God reveals himself through ultimate truth, and by using the intellect out of love for the Truth, the intellectual worker finds God—more than what he was expecting!

 Faith flows from a deep trust that the intellect will not fail, even if it seemingly cannot reveal fully the truth at any one given time. Sertillanges asserts, “One has no faith in jewel merchants who sell pearls and wear none” (Sertillanges 18). Yet, Jesus Christ claims the truth and, according to Dr. Peter Kreeft—a philosopher at Boston College—Jesus revealed new himself as more Truth—leaving his followers thaumazō “to wonder.” Jesus fulfilled this truth gained through the faith in intellect inspired by the Holy Spirit. He is the trustworthy, faithful provider of The Truth.

And from this faith, Hope clings on to the promise of Christ that the Truth will be fully revealed. Once again, “By practicing the truth that we know, we merit the truth that we do not yet know. We merit it in the sight of God…when we pay homage by living the truth of life” (Sertillanges 19). In essence, the fullness of God’s truth in our lives will be gained when Christ comes again, during the parousia. This will only be gained, however, if we practice the truth, and live in the Truth— “the Truth is God” (Sertillanges 30)!

Ultimately, Sertillanges connects all studious virtues to flow from the Truth revealed with the help of the three Theological virtues. Whether it be through concrete note-taking, sufficient sleep patterns, or prudent interest in knowledge, the intellectual must remember this important maxim provided by Sertillanges—“To accept ourselves as we are is to obey God and to make sure of good results” (Sertillanges 28).