Also, if a man had the knowledge of all books and divinity, and be not withal truly humble, he shall lightly stumble and err in this point, and take the one for the other. But humility is worthy to receive a gift from God, which cannot be gotten or learned by cunning of man, and therefore he that is humble can hate the sin and truly love the man. (John Climacus)
Intellect alone is cold. This does not mean it is cruel or necessarily aloof. And even though the intellect is inclined to careful discrimination, it can be as careful to avoid judgment.
But no matter how finely woven, the intellect by itself lacks the warmth of God's grace. Moreover, if left alone for many years the intellect tends toward pride. It has much of which to be proud.
When intellect is combined with humility - when head and heart are each grounded in God - then knowing and loving is the same stance and gesture.
The image is of the tree of knowledge. The Genesis tale of Eve and the Tree is an allegory of how humility was lost in pursuit of knowledge.
Reading the exegesis for the 2nd and 3rd chapters of Genesis causes nervousness. Why? Because the sin Adam and Eve committed was anal sex--the mystery Saint Augustine almost solved 1600 years ago. (He thought their sin was normal penile/vaginal sex.) If something is wrong with this very upsetting exegesis, then who can find the error? Google "WikiAnswers-What is wrong with Robert Hagedorn's Blogs"
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