An agnostic position is one that leaves open the question whether there exists a god or gods, professing to find such a question unanswered or unanswerable. For the atheist, the question has been answered, and in the negative.
Jaroslav PelikanRead
Tradition is the living faith of dead people to which we must add our chapter while we have the gift of life. Traditionalism is the dead faith of living people who fear that if anything changes, the whole enterprise will crumble.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Tradition should be built upon and enriched by current generations, rather than feared and stagnated by resistance to change.
In this quote, Jaroslav Pelikan emphasizes the importance of tradition as a living legacy that requires active contribution from each generation. While it honors the beliefs and values of those who have come before us, it is essential for the present to adapt and add to this foundation, rather than cling to it so tightly that it becomes a hindrance to progress. Traditionalism, in contrast, represents a fear of change that stifles growth and innovation, ultimately leading to the decay of what was once vibrant.
Themes
TraditionChangeFaithLegacyGrowth
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about cultural preservation, one could quote this to highlight the importance of evolving traditions.
More from Jaroslav Pelikan
All quotes →Regardless of what anyone may personally think or believe about him, Jesus of Nazareth has been the dominant figure in the history of western culture for almost twenty centuries... It is from his birth that most of the human race dates its calendars, it is by his name that millions curse and in his name that millions pray.
Jaroslav PelikanRead
Tradition is the living faith of the dead; traditionalism is the dead faith of the living. Tradition lives in conversation with the past, while remembering where we are and when we are and that it is we who have to decide. Traditionalism supposes that nothing should ever be done for the first time, so all that is needed to solve any problem is to arrive at the supposedly unanimous testimony of this homogenized tradition.
Jaroslav PelikanRead
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