Let me repeat: the stakes are high. We must confront one…
““Let me repeat: the stakes are high. We must confront one of the most massive pseudo-evidences in recent intellectual history: the belief, rampant in Europe since only two or three centuries ago, in the existence of 'religions' - and more than that, against the unverified faith in the existence of faith. Faith in the existence of 'religion' is the element that unites believers and non-believers, in the present as much as in the past. It displays a single-mindedness that would make any prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in Rome green with envy. No one who overcame religion ever doubted its existence, even if they opposed every single one of its dogmas. No denial ever confronted the denier with the question of whether its name was justified, and whether it had any lasting value in such a form. It is only because society has grown accustomed to a comparatively recent fiction - it did not come into use until the seventeenth century - that one can speak today of a 'return of religion'.' It is the unbroken faith in religion as a constant and universal factor which can vanish and return that forms the foundation of the current legend.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Critiques modern faith in religion as a socially constructed belief that resurfaces despite criticism.
In simple terms: Religion persists as a cultural construct.
Key Takeaway
Question assumptions about belief.
Themes
religion
faith
societal constructs
Mood
analytical
critical
Type
philosophical
academic
When to use this quote
- academic debate
- public policy
- personal belief systems
Key Concepts
philosophy
history
sociology
Questions to Reflect On
- What role does religion play today?
- Can secular values replace religious cohesion?
A Different Perspective
Faith can be both unifying and divisive.