And certainly, the mistakes that we male and female mortals make when we have our own way might fairly raise some wonder that we are so fond of it.
George EliotRead
The argument is made that naming God is never really naming God but only naming our understanding of God. To take our ideas of the divine and hold them as if they correspond to the reality of God is thus to construct a conceptual idol built from the materials of our mind.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that our names and concepts of God are merely reflections of our own understanding, not the true nature of the divine.
Peter Rollins emphasizes that when we name or define God, we are not capturing the essence of God itself, but rather articulating our limited interpretations and understandings. This action can lead to the creation of a 'conceptual idol', a representation that is inherently flawed and only reflective of our mental constructs rather than the ultimate reality of God.
Themes
GodUnderstandingPhilosophyBeliefIdolatry
In practice
Example use cases
In a philosophical discussion on the nature of divinity.
Similar quotes
It has always happened that tyrants, in order to strengthen their power, have made every effort to train their people not only in obedience and servility toward themselves, but also in adoration.
Etienne De La BoetieRead
The three great elements of modern civilization, Gun powder, Printing, and the Protestant religion.
Thomas CarlyleRead
People commonly travel the world over to see rivers and mountains, new stars, garish birds, freak fish, grotesque breeds of human; they fall into an animal stupor that gapes at existence and they think they have seen something.
Soren KierkegaardRead
Worshiping someone means...placing that person outside of our world. We are not worshiping anyone or anything, we are simply communing with Creation.
Paulo CoelhoRead
I do ask myself why I make people so enraged, because I only ever say what I think. And while I know it might not be everyone's point of view, that doesn't seem particularly intolerable to me.
Roger ScrutonRead