Approaches to God

Maritain considers the intuitive or pre-philosophic approach and the famous five ways to God of St. Thomas Aquinas incorporated with recent progress in thought and science. Finally, he proposes a ''sixth way," based on the spiritual nature of the intellect, and deals with poetic creativeness, moral experience, and the testimony of the heroes of moral life. In his accessible but thought-provoking work, he shows in profoundly reasoned and beautifully written arguments the value of each approach for there are as many paths to God as there are roads to the human heart. "It is valuable to have such a clear statement, written with charm and charity, of the Roman Catholic approach to the reality of God. Even those who do not share this particular kind of philosophical theism will find a study of M. Maritain's work rewarding...." The New York Times, Oct. 31, 1954