In 1963, theologian Romano Guardini published a collection of short reflections in a book titled simply Tugenden, the German for “Virtues.” When the book was first translated in 1967, the expanded English title was The Virtues: On Forms of Moral Life. A new edition of the book appeared in 1998 with the title Learning the Virtues That Lead You to God.
In the book’s Preface, Guardini suggests that the aim of the book is more broadly philosophical than devotional. Summarizing arguments from Plato’s Republic, Guardini asserts that, despite any disagreements we might have with Plato, “after the confusion and chaos introduced into thought by the Sophists, he showed that absolute values exist, that these can be known, and that therefore there is such a thing as truth. He likewise showed that these values are summed up in the majesty of that which we call ‘the Good,’ and that this good can be realized in the life of man according to the potentialities of each individual. Plato showed that the good is identical with the divine; but that its realization leads man to true humanity, as virtue comes into being, and this virtue signifies perfection of life, freedom, and beauty. All this is everlastingly valid, even for us today.”
Among the virtues addressed in the book are Truthfulness, Acceptance, Patience, Kindness, Courtesy, and Silence, as well as more conventional virtues as Justice, Courage, and Patience. One of the chapters presents reflections on the virtue of reverence, which begins by reflection on the German word ehrfurcht, which combines the two words for honor and fear. Guardini describes the fear present in reverence as awe, “the perception of the holy and unapproachable.” It comprises “a surmise of greatness and holiness and a desire to participate in it, combined with the apprehension of being unworthy of it and of arousing a mysterious anger.”
“In reverence, man refrains from doing what he usually likes to do, which is to take possession of and use something for his own purposes. Instead he steps back and keeps his distance. This creates a spiritual space in which that which deserves reverence can stand erect, detached, and free, in all its splendor. The more lofty an object, the more the feeling of value which it awakens is bound up with this keeping one’s distance.
“And yet the experience of value makes us wish to participate in it. So we must determine more exactly for modern man why reverence steps back instead of pushing forward, why it removes its hands instead of grasping. Above all, the qualities of the person demand reverence: his dignity, freedom, and nobility. But also worthy of respect are the qualities of any work of man which reveal nobility or delicacy. . . .
“Perhaps we can say that all true culture begins with the fact that man steps back. That he does not obtrude himself and seize hold of things, but leaves a space, so that there may be a place in which the person in his dignity, the work in its beauty, and nature in its symbolic power may be clearly discerned. . . .
“[R]everence awakens before what is great, the great personality and the great creation. . . .
“It is not an easy thing to confront greatness. It can discourage, even paralyze, for the greatness of another makes me feel my own littleness. Goethe said that there is only one defense against great superiority, and that is love. I wonder if this is true. It may not always be possible to love. Perhaps it may be more correct to say that the defense against great superiority consists in truth and reverence, which say: ‘He is great, I am not. But it is good that greatness should be, even if it is not in me but in another.’ Then there is an open space, and envy disappears. . . .
“The greatness of another, if one does not accept it honestly, awakens an anger which seeks to belittle it, a resentment. One begins to find fault, looks for imperfections in order to be able to say that what is praised is really not so worthwhile, maintains that it is just a matter of luck, and so on. If this succeeds, then everything becomes paltry, and we have debased the envied person.
“But if one freely affirms and accepts the great man because greatness is beautiful, even if it is found in another, then a wonderful thing happens; at that moment, the one who reveres stands beside the one revered, for he has understood and recognized his greatness.
“A similar reverence is demanded by a great work and a great deed. It is so important to encounter them, even if they cause our own accomplishments to shrink. I once asked a friend what culture really is. He answered: ‘Culture is the ability to judge. For in order to judge, we must have standards, which have become a vital part of our feelings: standards for great and small, genuine and false, noble and base.’”