Skip to content

When God is invisible behind the world, the contents of…

“When God is invisible behind the world, the contents of the world will become new gods; when the symbols of transcendent religiosity are banned, new symbols develop from the inner-worldly language of science to take their place. Like the Christian ecclesia, the inner-worldly community has its…” quote by Eric Voegelin
Download Open image
““When God is invisible behind the world, the contents of the world will become new gods; when the symbols of transcendent religiosity are banned, new symbols develop from the inner-worldly language of science to take their place. Like the Christian ecclesia, the inner-worldly community has its apocalypse too; yet the new apocalyptics insist that the symbols they create are scientific judgements.””

Eric Voegelin

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

It suggests that when traditional religious symbols are suppressed, people replace them with scientific symbols that become quasi‑religious, creating a new form of dogma.

In simple terms: Science can become a new religion.

Key Takeaway

Beware of uncritical reverence for science.

Themes

religion science symbolism apocalypse dogma

Mood

critical analytical

Type

philosophical cautionary

When to use this quote

  • political discourse
  • education
  • media narratives
  • technology ethics

Key Concepts

secularism mythmaking

Questions to Reflect On

  • What symbols do we worship today?
  • Can science provide meaning without becoming dogmatic?
A Different Perspective

Scientific symbols may lack the moral grounding of traditional faith.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet

More by Eric Voegelin

Explore all 20 Eric Voegelin quotes

More Happiness quotes

Browse all 40,288 Happiness quotes