“The act of canonization itself demonstrates that these are exceptions not meant for ordinary believers. Ordinary believers should follow a path that conforms to what is natural and normal. Hence theology becomes increasingly a theology of nature and moves further apart from a theology of grace. The hard question put by Jesus: “What more are you doing than others?” is obscured. In accord with society as a whole, theology enters into a search for normality, for obedience to the “laws of nature.””

— Jacques Ellul

Source: The Subversion of Christianity (1984), p. 33

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "The act of canonization itself demonstrates that these are exceptions not meant for ordinary believers. Ordinary believ…" by Jacques Ellul?

Jacques Ellul 125

French sociologist, technology critic, and Christian anarch… 1912–1994

Related quotes

“As we progress further into the 21st century, I anticipate that natural theology will be an increasingly relevant and vital preparation for people to receive the gospel.”

William Lane Craig (1949) American Christian apologist and evangelist

God Is Not Dead Yet: How current philosophers argue for his existence.

03 July 2008

Christianity Today

https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/july/13.22.html

“Theology is the post hoc rationalization of what you want to believe.”

Jerry Coyne (1949) American biologist

" Quote of the week: William James on theology http://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2012/06/04/quote-of-the-week-william-james-on-theology/" June 4, 2012

“The question rather is how we should do science and theology in light of the impending collapse of Enlightenment rationalism and scientific naturalism. These ideologies are on the way out. They are on the way out.”

William A. Dembski (1960) American intelligent design advocate

Source: 1990s, Intelligent Design: The Bridge Between Science & Theology (1999), p. 14

“There is no such thing as natural theology. God is either known by revelation - that is to say, by intuition - or not at all.”

Walter Terence Stace (1886–1967) British civil servant, educator and philosopher.

p. 151

“One result of this obscurity we probably find in the ease with which the physicist, as compared with either the pure mathematician or the historian, is entangled in the meshes of such pseudosciences as natural theology and spiritualism.”

Karl Pearson book The Grammar of Science

Preface to the First Edition
The Grammar of Science (1900)

“I do think, in spite of the considerable evidence to the contrary, that theology can and should be, in some of its modes, funny. Theology done right should make you laugh.”

Stanley Hauerwas (1940) American theologian

Source: The Work of Theology (2015), p. 217

“I'm told theology is outside my field of expertise. But is theology a "field" at all? Is there anything in "theology" to be expert ABOUT?”

Richard Dawkins (1941) English ethologist, evolutionary biologist and author

https://twitter.com/RichardDawkins/status/324171554491596803 (16 April 2013)
Twitter

“Indeed I reply in a single word to the sentiments of the saints on these questions about nature; in theology, to be sure, the force of authorities is to be weighed, in philosophy, however, that of causes.”

Johannes Kepler (1571–1630) German mathematician, astronomer and astrologer

Therefore, a saint is Lactantius, who denied the rotundity of the earth; a saint is Augustine, who, admitting the rotundity, yet denied the antipodes; worthy of sainthood is the dutiful performance of moderns who, admitting the meagreness of the earth, yet deny its motion. But truth is more saintly for me, who demonstrate by philosophy, without violating my due respect for the doctors of the church, that the earth is both round and inhabited at the antipodes, and of the most despicable size, and finally is moved among the stars.
Vol. III, p. 156
Joannis Kepleri Astronomi Opera Omnia, ed. Christian Frisch (1858)

“You see, my Lord Archbishop, what is "dubious" about my theology is not that it contradicts particular doctrinal teachings, things are much worse or better: what I want, is no more and no less than a fundamental change in the whole way that theology is done today; but I want this out of faith, not out of faithlessness.”

Eugen Drewermann (1940) German psychologist and theologian

Letter to Archbishop J J Degenhardt, printed on rear cover of Eugen Drewermann, Worum es eigentlich geht. Protokoll einer Verurteilung (1992)

“Dr. Buckley, who, as I understand it, is a doctor of theology—and I should think such theology stood in need of a doctor…”

Robert G. Ingersoll (1833–1899) Union United States Army officer

A Christmas Sermon (1890)

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Jacques Ellul 125

Related quotes

Related topics