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People never cease to project on to God their individual…

“People never cease to project on to God their individual and collective obsessions, so that they can appropriate and make use of him. But they ought to understand that God cannot be apprehended from without, as if he were an object, for with him there is no outside nor can the Creator be set side…” quote by Olivier Clement
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“People never cease to project on to God their individual and collective obsessions, so that they can appropriate and make use of him. But they ought to understand that God cannot be apprehended from without, as if he were an object, for with him there is no outside nor can the Creator be set side by side with the creature.”

Olivier Clement

About This Quote

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

Human projections onto God reflect personal obsessions, but God cannot be objectified; the divine transcends external concepts.

In simple terms: People project their wishes onto God, but God is beyond objects.

Key Takeaway

Recognize limits of projecting onto the divine.

Themes

theology philosophy projection

Mood

contemplative serious

Type

theological philosophical

When to use this quote

  • spiritual practice
  • philosophical discourse
  • personal reflection

Key Concepts

transcendence human desire

Questions to Reflect On

  • How does projection shape belief?
  • What does it mean to know God without object?
A Different Perspective

Risk of anthropomorphizing the divine.

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