Looking back to [Christendom's] youth, we recall the…
![“Looking back to [Christendom's] youth, we recall the emotional stirrings, the deep sense of Christian purpose, when a temple, say, challenged the existing social order... Where is our Christian duty, our Christian aim? We do not know, we cannot say. Yet our ignorance and silence are certainly not…” quote by Harry Blamires](https://sms4smile.com/q/i/3a0/harry-blamires-24019_assembly-line_looking-back-to-christendom-s-youth-we-r_1475581.jpg)
““Looking back to [Christendom's] youth, we recall the emotional stirrings, the deep sense of Christian purpose, when a temple, say, challenged the existing social order... Where is our Christian duty, our Christian aim? We do not know, we cannot say. Yet our ignorance and silence are certainly not due to the fact that the welfare state has made Christian thinking out of date and irrelevant. The reason we have nothing to say to the contemporary situation is that we have not been thinking about the contemporary situation. We stopped thinking about these things long ago. We stopped thinking Christianly outside the scope of personal morals and personal spirituality. We got into the habit of stepping out of our Christian garments whenever we stepped mentally into the field of social and political life. Becuase the subject was social or political, we left all of our well-tried and well-grounded Christian concepts behind us, and adopted the vocabulary of secularism. We put aside all talk of vocation, or God's providence, or man's spiritual destiny, and instead chattered with the rest about productivity, assembly line psychology, and deployment of personnel.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Christian thought has retreated from public discourse, replaced by secular language, leading to silence on societal issues.
In simple terms: Christians have stopped speaking about social matters using their faith.
Key Takeaway
Re‑engage faith in public conversation.
Themes
faith
public discourse
silence
Mood
thoughtful
critical
Type
philosophical
theological
When to use this quote
- church leadership
- political activism
- community organizing
Key Concepts
theology
secularism
social responsibility
Questions to Reflect On
- How can faith inform modern social issues?
- What barriers prevent religious voices in public debate?
A Different Perspective
Re‑entering public life may face resistance from secular audiences.