--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Put simply, the church finds itself in a…" description: "\"Put simply, the church finds itself in a post-Christendom era, and it had better do some serious reflection or face increasing decline and eventual irr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f0/alan-hirsch-8667_christendom_put-simply-the-church-finds-itself-in-a_2711969.jpg" --- # Put simply, the church finds itself in a post-Christendom… ![“Put simply, the church finds itself in a post-Christendom era, and it had better do some serious reflection or face increasing decline and eventual irrelevance.” quote by Alan Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f0/alan-hirsch-8667_christendom_put-simply-the-church-finds-itself-in-a_2711969.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f0/alan-hirsch-8667_christendom_put-simply-the-church-finds-itself-in-a_2711969.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f0/alan-hirsch-8667_christendom_put-simply-the-church-finds-itself-in-a_2711969.jpg) > “Put simply, the church finds itself in a post-Christendom era, and it had better do some serious reflection or face increasing decline and eventual irrelevance.” [Alan Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-hirsch/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The church must reflect on its role in a secular world or risk decline and irrelevance. **In simple terms:** Church needs deep self‑examination to stay relevant today. Key Takeaway Engage in honest self‑assessment and adapt. Themes faith society change relevance reflection Mood thoughtful concerned hopeful Type analytical inspirational critical When to use this quote - community outreach - theological education - public policy Key Concepts institutional identity cultural shift secularism Questions to Reflect On - How can tradition guide modern relevance? - What changes are essential? A Different Perspective Adaptation may dilute core doctrines. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christendom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christendom/) [Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) [Decline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decline/) [Eras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eras/) [Faces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faces/) [Irrelevance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/irrelevance/) [Reflection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reflection/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) ## Related quotes > [“I, for one, am happy to see the end of Christendom. I’m glad that we can no longer rely on temporal, cultural supports to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-frost/i-for-one-am-happy-to-see-the-end-of-christendom-i-m-glad-that-we-can/) [Michael Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-frost/) > [“In post-Christendom, the church is that community of people who look to discover what God is actively doing in the world around them and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-keel/in-post-christendom-the-church-is-that-community-of-people-who-look/) [Tim Keel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-keel/) > [“These days, when our companies are spinning their wheels and all the street lights are out, when our familiar routes are blocked and our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-e-fitch/these-days-when-our-companies-are-spinning-their-wheels-and-all-the/) David E Fitch > [A philosopher is a lover of wisdom, not of knowledge, which for all its great uses ultimately suffers from the crippling effect of ephemerality.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shashi-tharoor/a-philosopher-is-a-lover-of-wisdom-not-of-knowledge-which-for-all-its/) [Shashi Tharoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shashi-tharoor/) > [“If you don’t like change, you’re going to like irrelevance even less. General Eric Shinseki, Chief of Staff of the Army22”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-fontenot/if-you-don-t-like-change-you-re-going-to-like-irrelevance-even-less/) Gregory Fontenot > [The question of relevance comes before that of truth, because to ask whether a statement is true or false presupposes that it is relevant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bohm/the-question-of-relevance-comes-before-that-of-truth-because-to-ask/) [David Bohm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bohm/) > [The fear of mistakes is the fast track to irrelevance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-gebbia/the-fear-of-mistakes-is-the-fast-track-to-irrelevance/) [Joe Gebbia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-gebbia/) > [“Poetry often enters through the window of irrelevance. M. C. RICHARDS”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-cameron/poetry-often-enters-through-the-window-of-irrelevance-m-c-richards/) [Julia Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-cameron/) > [By our uncritical pursuit of relevance we have actually courted irrelevance; by our breathless chase after relevance without a matching committment to faithfulness, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/os-guinness/by-our-uncritical-pursuit-of-relevance-we-have-actually-courted/) [Os Guinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/os-guinness/) > [We who advocate peace are becoming an irrelevance when we speak peace. The government speaks rubber bullets, live bullets, tear gas, police dogs, detention,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/we-who-advocate-peace-are-becoming-an-irrelevance-when-we-speak-peace/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [If moral statements are about something, then the universe is not quite as science suggests it is, since physical theories, having said nothing about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-berlinski/if-moral-statements-are-about-something-then-the-universe-is-not/) [David Berlinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-berlinski/) > [“When the shine is wearing off and the underlying cracks of a garlanded lifestyle become painfully apparent, reality may inexorably take its toll and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-pevernagie/when-the-shine-is-wearing-off-and-the-underlying-cracks-of-a/) [Erik Pevernagie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-pevernagie/) > [Politics is about the participation and engagement of the wider citizenry - to miss that point would doom us to irrelevance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-blunkett/politics-is-about-the-participation-and-engagement-of-the-wider/) [David Blunkett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-blunkett/) > [Incrementalism in technology leads to irrelevance; what you need is revolutionary change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-porat/incrementalism-in-technology-leads-to-irrelevance-what-you-need-is/) [Ruth Porat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-porat/) > [Very often the law of extremity demands an attention to irrelevance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-frame/very-often-the-law-of-extremity-demands-an-attention-to-irrelevance/) [Janet Frame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-frame/) ## More by Alan Hirsch > [If we are going to make the change from community to communitas, and not just end up with an unsustainable adrenaline-junkie culture, we must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-hirsch/if-we-are-going-to-make-the-change-from-community-to-communitas-and/) [Alan Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-hirsch/) > [Because we believe that somewhere in the nest of paradigms contained in the phrase "missional church" lies nothing less that the future viability of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-hirsch/because-we-believe-that-somewhere-in-the-nest-of-paradigms-contained/) [Alan Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-hirsch/) > [A retreatist spirituality is not a spirituality that can, or will, transform the world in Jesus's name.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-hirsch/a-retreatist-spirituality-is-not-a-spirituality-that-can-or-will/) [Alan Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-hirsch/) > [Go among the people. Don't assume you know what church looks like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-hirsch/go-among-the-people-don-t-assume-you-know-what-church-looks-like/) [Alan Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-hirsch/) > [“I have come to believe that the major threat to the viability of our faith is that of consumerism. This”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-hirsch/i-have-come-to-believe-that-the-major-threat-to-the-viability-of-our/) [Alan Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-hirsch/) > [Christianity is an adventure of the spirit or it is not Christianity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-hirsch/christianity-is-an-adventure-of-the-spirit-or-it-is-not-christianity/) [Alan Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-hirsch/) > [The fact is that if Jesus's future kingdom is secure, those who trust in its coming will enact it now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-hirsch/the-fact-is-that-if-jesus-s-future-kingdom-is-secure-those-who-trust/) [Alan Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-hirsch/) > [Those of us with too much invested in the way things are will never embrace the revolutionary cause required for wholesale change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-hirsch/those-of-us-with-too-much-invested-in-the-way-things-are-will-never/) [Alan Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-hirsch/) > [“All apostolic ministry in some sense involves this return to the founding message as well as purpose. The missional task that follows is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-hirsch/all-apostolic-ministry-in-some-sense-involves-this-return-to-the/) [Alan Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-hirsch/) > [Every Christian is a sent one. There is no such thing as an unsent Christian.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-hirsch/every-christian-is-a-sent-one-there-is-no-such-thing-as-an-unsent/) [Alan Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-hirsch/) > [Heroes are important not only because they symbolize what we believe to be important, but because they also convey universal truths about personal self-discovery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-hirsch/heroes-are-important-not-only-because-they-symbolize-what-we-believe/) [Alan Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-hirsch/) > [There's no such thing as an unsent Christian. You have already been SENT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-hirsch/there-s-no-such-thing-as-an-unsent-christian-you-have-already-been/) [Alan Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-hirsch/) > [It's not so much that the church has a mission, it's that the mission of God has a church.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-hirsch/it-s-not-so-much-that-the-church-has-a-mission-it-s-that-the-mission/) [Alan Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-hirsch/) > [Being the church that Jesus intended means that we must participate in God’s eternal purposes for his world. Renewal means more than reinventing ourselves;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-hirsch/being-the-church-that-jesus-intended-means-that-we-must-participate/) [Alan Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-hirsch/) > [“How did we ever get to believe that faithfulness involved simply retaining past forms and thinking? With the Creator God as our Father, how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-hirsch/how-did-we-ever-get-to-believe-that-faithfulness-involved-simply/) [Alan Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-hirsch/) [Explore all 79 Alan Hirsch quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-hirsch/) ## More Christendom quotes > [In the Christianity of Christendom the Cross has become something like the child’s hobby-horse and trumpet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-the-christianity-of-christendom-the-cross-has-become-something/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Scientific accuracy confirms the Bible is the Word of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-rogers/scientific-accuracy-confirms-the-bible-is-the-word-of-god/) [Adrian Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-rogers/) > [The first fact in the history of Christendom is a number of people who say they have seen the Resurrection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/the-first-fact-in-the-history-of-christendom-is-a-number-of-people/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [Christianity stands or falls with its revolutionary protest against violence, arbitrariness and pride of power and with its plea for the weak. Christians are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/christianity-stands-or-falls-with-its-revolutionary-protest-against/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [Christendom appears clearly to me to be one of those trifling, insignificant arts, which has never been of any substantial advantage to mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hicks/christendom-appears-clearly-to-me-to-be-one-of-those-trifling/) Edward Hicks > [I prayed for the first time in a very long time today. I explained to God that unless he wanted the Marxist-Islamic alliance and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anders-behring-breivik/i-prayed-for-the-first-time-in-a-very-long-time-today-i-explained-to/) Anders Behring Breivik > [It is Mind which determines the change of Society, and it was because the mind at work was a Catholic mind that the slave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilaire-belloc/it-is-mind-which-determines-the-change-of-society-and-it-was-because/) [Hilaire Belloc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilaire-belloc/) > [I repeat that in this sense the most splendid court in Christendom is provincial, having authority to consult about Transalpine interests only, and not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-repeat-that-in-this-sense-the-most-splendid-court-in-christendom-is/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“But Christendom was not merely a community of warriors or even a community of the nobility. It was a civilization! Unfortunately, for generations everyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-stark/but-christendom-was-not-merely-a-community-of-warriors-or-even-a/) [Rodney Stark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-stark/) > [For a thousand years no king in Christendom has shown such greatness or given so high a type of manly virtue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-parker/for-a-thousand-years-no-king-in-christendom-has-shown-such-greatness/) [Theodore Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-parker/) > [Now that they talk about Islam as being a violent faith, when you look at the history of Christendom, the Crusades and the many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/now-that-they-talk-about-islam-as-being-a-violent-faith-when-you-look/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [“Some of the simplest of truths are also some of the most difficult of truths, but such is Christianity: 'If it's not about Christ,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/some-of-the-simplest-of-truths-are-also-some-of-the-most-difficult-of/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [To large numbers of American citizens life in certain parts of the country becomes intolerably hazardous. They may be seized on any pretext, however…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/to-large-numbers-of-american-citizens-life-in-certain-parts-of-the/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [The religion of Christ is peace and good-will,--the religion of Christendom is war and ill-will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-savage-landor/the-religion-of-christ-is-peace-and-good-will-the-religion-of/) [Walter Savage Landor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-savage-landor/) > [The Mass is the greatest blasphemy of God, and the highest idolatry upon earth, an abomination the like of which has never been in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/the-mass-is-the-greatest-blasphemy-of-god-and-the-highest-idolatry/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) [Browse all 118 Christendom quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christendom/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Put simply, the church finds itself in a post-Christendom era, and it had better do some serious reflection or face increasing decline and eventual irrelevance.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alan Hirsch" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-hirsch/put-simply-the-church-finds-itself-in-a-post-christendom-era-and-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Christendom" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-hirsch/put-simply-the-church-finds-itself-in-a-post-christendom-era-and-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f0/alan-hirsch-8667_christendom_put-simply-the-church-finds-itself-in-a_2711969.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f0/alan-hirsch-8667_christendom_put-simply-the-church-finds-itself-in-a_2711969.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f0/alan-hirsch-8667_christendom_put-simply-the-church-finds-itself-in-a_2711969.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Put simply, the church finds itself in a post-Christendom era, and it had better do some serious reflection…” — Alan Hirsch", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Alan Hirsch", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-hirsch/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Put simply, the church finds itself...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-hirsch/put-simply-the-church-finds-itself-in-a-post-christendom-era-and-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-hirsch/put-simply-the-church-finds-itself-in-a-post-christendom-era-and-it/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```