--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have learned to prize holy ignorance…" description: "\"I have learned to prize holy ignorance more highly than religious certainty and to seek companions who have arrived at the same place. We are a motley ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f21/barbara-brown-taylor-3225_belief_i-have-learned-to-prize-holy-ignorance-m_549170.png" --- # I have learned to prize holy ignorance more highly than… ![“I have learned to prize holy ignorance more highly than religious certainty and to seek companions who have arrived at the same place. We are a motley crew, distinguished not only by our inability to explain ourselves to those who are more certain of their beliefs than we are but in many cases by…” quote by Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f21/barbara-brown-taylor-3225_belief_i-have-learned-to-prize-holy-ignorance-m_549170.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f21/barbara-brown-taylor-3225_belief_i-have-learned-to-prize-holy-ignorance-m_549170.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f21/barbara-brown-taylor-3225_belief_i-have-learned-to-prize-holy-ignorance-m_549170.png) > “I have learned to prize holy ignorance more highly than religious certainty and to seek companions who have arrived at the same place. We are a motley crew, distinguished not only by our inability to explain ourselves to those who are more certain of their beliefs than we are but in many cases by our distance from the centers of our faith communities as well.” [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She values open-minded humility over rigid belief and seeks like-minded companions who share this stance. **In simple terms:** Prefer humility over certainty. Key Takeaway Embrace open-mindedness. Themes faith humility community spirituality identity Mood thoughtful reflective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - academic circles - faith discussions - interfaith gatherings - personal reflection - spiritual retreats Key Concepts existential doubt inclusive spirituality Questions to Reflect On - How does humility shape your spiritual journey? - What benefits arise from sharing doubts with others? A Different Perspective Rigid certainty can alienate seekers and limit growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) [Certainty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certainty/) [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Companion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/companion/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Holy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holy/) [Ignorance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignorance/) [Prize](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prize/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) ## Related quotes > [I have learned to prize holy ignorance more highly than religious certainty and to seek companions who have arrived at the same place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/i-have-learned-to-prize-holy-ignorance-more-highly-than-religious-2/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) > [“Faith is the mortar that fills the cracks in the evidence and the gaps in the logic, and thus it is faith that keeps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/faith-is-the-mortar-that-fills-the-cracks-in-the-evidence-and-the/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [There are few things more dangerous than inbred religious certainty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bart-d-ehrman/there-are-few-things-more-dangerous-than-inbred-religious-certainty/) [Bart D. Ehrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bart-d-ehrman/) > [To discover, or recover, the sense of religious certainty one must worship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-harkness/to-discover-or-recover-the-sense-of-religious-certainty-one-must/) [Georgia Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-harkness/) > [I grew up in the church. My mother was highly religious. I was singing at the age of five for big congregations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carmen-cusack/i-grew-up-in-the-church-my-mother-was-highly-religious-i-was-singing/) [Carmen Cusack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carmen-cusack/) > [I believe in God; I'm not saying I'm highly religious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-phelps/i-believe-in-god-i-m-not-saying-i-m-highly-religious/) [Michael Phelps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-phelps/) > [Once a nation's population becomes prosperous and secure, for example through economic security and universal health care, much of the population loses interest in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-s-paul/once-a-nation-s-population-becomes-prosperous-and-secure-for-example/) [Gregory S. 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There is no reliable formula for originality,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-scott/writing-that-flirts-with-incoherence-can-just-as-readily-flounder-as/) [Joanna Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-scott/) > [The actions of the University in my case make it abundantly clear that the Administration's rhetoric about Harvard's desire to attract and retain the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-geller/the-actions-of-the-university-in-my-case-make-it-abundantly-clear/) [Margaret Geller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-geller/) > [Building great public schools and universities, a strong health care system, including keeping the Affordable Care Act, and then an economy that works well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-castro/building-great-public-schools-and-universities-a-strong-health-care/) [Joaquin Castro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-castro/) > [The ensouled is distinguished from the unsouled by its being alive. Now since being alive is spoken of in many ways, even if only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/the-ensouled-is-distinguished-from-the-unsouled-by-its-being-alive/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) ## More by Barbara Brown Taylor > [The poets began drifting away from churches as the jurists grew louder and more insistent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/the-poets-began-drifting-away-from-churches-as-the-jurists-grew/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) > [I decided I got to say whether I was Christian or not, and so I've relaxed enormously since then. I'm the one who gets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/i-decided-i-got-to-say-whether-i-was-christian-or-not-and-so-i-ve/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) > [Having been brought up with a definition of faith as adherence to a set of beliefs, I have more and more begun to turn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/having-been-brought-up-with-a-definition-of-faith-as-adherence-to-a/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) > [I don't miss the ministry, because I'm completely engaged in it. 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I learned that from my father, I think, who loved his own company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/i-love-being-alone-i-learned-that-from-my-father-i-think-who-loved/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) > [There was no time anymore to be quiet or still or pray. So, in many ways, that's what led to my downward spin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/there-was-no-time-anymore-to-be-quiet-or-still-or-pray-so-in-many/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) > [The beauty in the losing is a loss finally of self-consciousness. There's a gorgeous moment that can happen in all kinds of places. 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