The Enlightenment, the Age of Reason, is seen as the beginning of modern depravity.
Umberto EcoRead
But why doesn't the Gospel ever say that Christ laughed?" I asked, for no good reason. "Is Jorge right?" "Legions of scholars have wondered whether Christ laughed. The question doesn't interest me much. I believe he never laughed, because, omniscient as the son of God had to be, he knew how we Christians would behave. . . .
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote contemplates the absence of laughter in the portrayal of Christ and explores deeper theological implications.
Umberto Eco reflects on the lack of mention of Christ laughing in the Gospels, suggesting that if he were truly omniscient, he would understand the complexities and struggles of human behavior. This insight leads to a contemplation about the nature of Christ and how his understanding of humanity might have affected his emotions, particularly joy.
Themes
GospelChristLaughterHuman BehaviorTheology
In practice
Example use cases
During a sermon exploring the humanity of Christ, one might refer to this quote to provoke thought on his emotional experiences.
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All quotes →I think that at a certain age, say fifteen or sixteen, poetry is like masturbation. But later in life good poets burn their early poetry, and bad poets publish it. Thankfully I gave up rather quickly.
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The lunatic is all idée fixe, and whatever he comes across confirms his lunacy. You can tell him by the liberties he takes with common sense, by his flashes of inspiration, and by the fact that sooner or later he brings up the Templars.
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