--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Accumulating orthodoxy makes it harder…" description: "\"Accumulating orthodoxy makes it harder year-by-year to be a Christian than it was in Jesus' day.\" — Brian D. McLaren" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3d/brian-d-mclaren-8226_christian_accumulating-orthodoxy-makes-it-harder-y_2527142.png" --- # Accumulating orthodoxy makes it harder year-by-year to be… ![“Accumulating orthodoxy makes it harder year-by-year to be a Christian than it was in Jesus' day.” quote by Brian D. McLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3d/brian-d-mclaren-8226_christian_accumulating-orthodoxy-makes-it-harder-y_2527142.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3d/brian-d-mclaren-8226_christian_accumulating-orthodoxy-makes-it-harder-y_2527142.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3d/brian-d-mclaren-8226_christian_accumulating-orthodoxy-makes-it-harder-y_2527142.png) > “Accumulating orthodoxy makes it harder year-by-year to be a Christian than it was in Jesus' day.” [Brian D. McLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-d-mclaren/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Rigid doctrines increase difficulty of living as a Christian compared to early Christianity’s flexible practice. **In simple terms:** Strict rules make modern Christianity harder. Key Takeaway Embrace flexible, personal faith. Themes faith tradition modernity Mood thoughtful critical Type theological observational When to use this quote - church participation - personal study - community building Key Concepts theology institutional critique Questions to Reflect On - How does tradition shape personal belief? - Can modern Christianity adapt to be more inclusive? A Different Perspective Not all traditions become more restrictive; some evolve. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian/) [Jesus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jesus/) [Orthodoxy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/orthodoxy/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) ## Related quotes > [“If Mere Christianity helps make Christianity comprehensible, Orthodoxy makes it weird again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leah-libresco/if-mere-christianity-helps-make-christianity-comprehensible-orthodoxy/) Leah Libresco > [Lent is my favorite time of year to not be Christian.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/lent-is-my-favorite-time-of-year-to-not-be-christian/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I have dreams where everything will disappear or go away, so I'm always working harder each year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/engelbert-humperdinck/i-have-dreams-where-everything-will-disappear-or-go-away-so-i-m/) [Engelbert Humperdinck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/engelbert-humperdinck/) > [I've found that entrepreneurship only gets harder every year, and as your team gets bigger, the stakes get higher.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-hyman/i-ve-found-that-entrepreneurship-only-gets-harder-every-year-and-as/) [Jennifer Hyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-hyman/) > [I just feel like it gets harder and harder every year with Ace getting older and time away from my husband and even family…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennie-finch/i-just-feel-like-it-gets-harder-and-harder-every-year-with-ace/) [Jennie Finch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennie-finch/) > [I don't think we've got the gospel right yet.I don't think the liberals have it right. But I don't think we have it right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-d-mclaren/i-don-t-think-we-ve-got-the-gospel-right-yet-i-don-t-think-the/) [Brian D. McLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-d-mclaren/) > [We must never underestimate our power to be wrong when talking about God, when thinking about God, when imagining God, whether in prose or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-d-mclaren/we-must-never-underestimate-our-power-to-be-wrong-when-talking-about/) [Brian D. McLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-d-mclaren/) > [“A generous orthodoxy is like that. It acknowledges that we’re all a mess. It sees in our worst failures the possibility of our deepest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-d-mclaren/a-generous-orthodoxy-is-like-that-it-acknowledges-that-we-re-all-a/) [Brian D. McLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-d-mclaren/) > [“If, for you, orthodox means finally “getting it right” or “getting it straight,” mine is a pretty disappointing, curvy orthodoxy. But if, for you,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-d-mclaren/if-for-you-orthodox-means-finally-getting-it-right-or-getting-it/) [Brian D. McLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-d-mclaren/) > [Orthodoxy is the grave of intelligence, no matter what orthodoxy it may be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/orthodoxy-is-the-grave-of-intelligence-no-matter-what-orthodoxy-it/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [“The huge modern heresy is to alter the human soul to fit modern social conditions, instead of altering modern social conditions to fit the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/the-huge-modern-heresy-is-to-alter-the-human-soul-to-fit-modern/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [The greatest danger to Christianity is, I contend, not heresies, not heterodoxies, not atheists, not profane secularism - no, but the kind of orthodoxy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/the-greatest-danger-to-christianity-is-i-contend-not-heresies-not/) [Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) > [“He realized how easy it was to present an appearance of orthodoxy while having no grasp whatever of what orthodoxy meant. In a way,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/he-realized-how-easy-it-was-to-present-an-appearance-of-orthodoxy/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [Heresy is only another word for freedom of thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-greene/heresy-is-only-another-word-for-freedom-of-thought/) [Graham Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-greene/) > [“And we cannot keep our balance. Myth gives way to Reason. Revelation to Orthodoxy. We must dance or go mad.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-cheetham/and-we-cannot-keep-our-balance-myth-gives-way-to-reason-revelation-to/) Tom Cheetham ## More by Brian D. McLaren > [I love writers who are insightful enough to be cynical but choose not to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-d-mclaren/i-love-writers-who-are-insightful-enough-to-be-cynical-but-choose-not/) [Brian D. McLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-d-mclaren/) > [“I have a confession to make.121 Almost every time I tune in to religious radio or TV, I want to change my religion. I”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-d-mclaren/i-have-a-confession-to-make-121-almost-every-time-i-tune-in-to/) [Brian D. McLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-d-mclaren/) > [“If, for you, orthodox means finally “getting it right” or “getting it straight,” mine is a pretty disappointing, curvy orthodoxy. But if, for you,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-d-mclaren/if-for-you-orthodox-means-finally-getting-it-right-or-getting-it/) [Brian D. McLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-d-mclaren/) > [That in itself is an act of peacemaking, because we're seeking to align our wills with God's will, our dreams with God's dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-d-mclaren/that-in-itself-is-an-act-of-peacemaking-because-we-re-seeking-to/) [Brian D. McLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-d-mclaren/) > [“The wise preacher of Ecclesiastes might say, “There is a time for everything—a time to be laid-back and a time to be outraged; a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-d-mclaren/the-wise-preacher-of-ecclesiastes-might-say-there-is-a-time-for/) [Brian D. McLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-d-mclaren/) > [Since I was introduced to the practice of God's presence, which in turn led me into the contemplative way, I have nearly always felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-d-mclaren/since-i-was-introduced-to-the-practice-of-god-s-presence-which-in/) [Brian D. McLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-d-mclaren/) > [“There’s a lot of dirty theology out there, the religious counterpart to dirty politics and dirty business, I suppose. You might call it spiritual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-d-mclaren/there-s-a-lot-of-dirty-theology-out-there-the-religious-counterpart/) [Brian D. McLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-d-mclaren/) > [“For me, Carol, we can't be faithful to God unless we're faithful to the facts, faithful to the data if you will. And so,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-d-mclaren/for-me-carol-we-can-t-be-faithful-to-god-unless-we-re-faithful-to-the/) [Brian D. McLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-d-mclaren/) > [The scarily brilliant Romantic poet and visionary William Blake dared to say what many of us have perhaps thought but kept to ourselves: “A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-d-mclaren/the-scarily-brilliant-romantic-poet-and-visionary-william-blake-dared/) [Brian D. McLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-d-mclaren/) > [“A generous orthodoxy is like that. It acknowledges that we’re all a mess. It sees in our worst failures the possibility of our deepest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-d-mclaren/a-generous-orthodoxy-is-like-that-it-acknowledges-that-we-re-all-a/) [Brian D. McLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-d-mclaren/) > [“Why is it that the choice among churches always seems to be the choice between intelligence on ice and ignorance on fire? —as quoted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-d-mclaren/why-is-it-that-the-choice-among-churches-always-seems-to-be-the-2/) [Brian D. McLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-d-mclaren/) > [“globalism (for better or worse) transforms personal and ethnic identities, creating hyphenated and cosmopolitan identities—in which people consider themselves first and foremost citizens of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-d-mclaren/globalism-for-better-or-worse-transforms-personal-and-ethnic/) [Brian D. McLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-d-mclaren/) > [We must never underestimate our power to be wrong when talking about God, when thinking about God, when imagining God, whether in prose or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-d-mclaren/we-must-never-underestimate-our-power-to-be-wrong-when-talking-about/) [Brian D. McLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-d-mclaren/) > [“We must, therefore, never underestimate our power to be wrong when talking about God, when thinking about God, when imagining God—whether in prose or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-d-mclaren/we-must-therefore-never-underestimate-our-power-to-be-wrong-when/) [Brian D. McLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-d-mclaren/) > [You know what, the thing that breaks my heart is that there's no way I can answer it without hurting someone on either side.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-d-mclaren/you-know-what-the-thing-that-breaks-my-heart-is-that-there-s-no-way-i/) [Brian D. McLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-d-mclaren/) [Explore all 82 Brian D. McLaren quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-d-mclaren/) ## More Christian quotes > [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. 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I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/) [Browse all 14,306 Christian quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Accumulating orthodoxy makes it harder year-by-year to be a Christian than it was in Jesus' day.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Brian D. 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