--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My theology, briefly, is that the…" description: "\"My theology, briefly, is that the universe was dictated but not signed.\" — Christopher Morley" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f54/christopher-morley-2772_dictated_my-theology-briefly-is-that-the-universe_2044641.png" --- # My theology, briefly, is that the universe was dictated… ![“My theology, briefly, is that the universe was dictated but not signed.” quote by Christopher Morley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f54/christopher-morley-2772_dictated_my-theology-briefly-is-that-the-universe_2044641.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f54/christopher-morley-2772_dictated_my-theology-briefly-is-that-the-universe_2044641.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f54/christopher-morley-2772_dictated_my-theology-briefly-is-that-the-universe_2044641.png) > “My theology, briefly, is that the universe was dictated but not signed.” [Christopher Morley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-morley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The universe follows a plan but leaves room for interpretation and surprise. **In simple terms:** The cosmos is guided yet unpredictable. Key Takeaway Embrace uncertainty in life. Themes philosophy cosmology uncertainty Mood contemplative curious Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - personal reflection - scientific inquiry - artistic creation Key Concepts determinism free will creative interpretation Questions to Reflect On - How does this view affect your sense of control? - What does “not signed” imply about destiny? A Different Perspective The metaphor may oversimplify complex scientific theories. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dictated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dictated/) [Theology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theology/) [Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe/) ## Related quotes > [I can never consent to being dictated to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tyler/i-can-never-consent-to-being-dictated-to/) [John Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tyler/) > [“It's just that sometimes our future is dictated by what we are, as opposed to what we want.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/it-s-just-that-sometimes-our-future-is-dictated-by-what-we-are-as/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [Our driver policy was partly dictated by who was available because of other contracts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-surtees/our-driver-policy-was-partly-dictated-by-who-was-available-because-of/) [John Surtees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-surtees/) > [I lived my whole life in the kitchen. Not only that, but it's the passion, it's the love for cooking and food. It's dictated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-achatz/i-lived-my-whole-life-in-the-kitchen-not-only-that-but-it-s-the/) [Grant Achatz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-achatz/) > [The '60s weren't my cup of tea. I never bought that philosophy that, you know, we're all brothers and that'll solve everything. And I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-everly/the-60s-weren-t-my-cup-of-tea-i-never-bought-that-philosophy-that-you/) [Phil Everly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-everly/) > [All I want is for people to listen to it with unbiased ears, and decide for themselves. I just don't want them to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-chisholm/all-i-want-is-for-people-to-listen-to-it-with-unbiased-ears-and/) [Melanie Chisholm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-chisholm/) > [Only occasionally do I read new fiction. Most of my reading is heavily dictated by what I'm writing at the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-mawer/only-occasionally-do-i-read-new-fiction-most-of-my-reading-is-heavily/) [Simon Mawer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-mawer/) > [“You are a leader until you are dictated by your own words.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/you-are-a-leader-until-you-are-dictated-by-your-own-words/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [Something in us is telling us we're moving too fast, at a pace dictated by machines rather than by anything human, and that unless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/something-in-us-is-telling-us-we-re-moving-too-fast-at-a-pace/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [To be honest with you, my physical state is usually dictated by the project I'm working on at a given time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-bomer/to-be-honest-with-you-my-physical-state-is-usually-dictated-by-the/) [Matt Bomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-bomer/) > [So much of comics are dictated by characters talking to one another - or in focused spaces where 'the camera' has to stay in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-lee/so-much-of-comics-are-dictated-by-characters-talking-to-one-another/) [Jim Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-lee/) > [But, in North Korea, it's just the opposite. There's one story. It's written by the Kim regime. And 23 million people are conscripted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-johnson/but-in-north-korea-it-s-just-the-opposite-there-s-one-story-it-s/) [Adam Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-johnson/) > [Music is always key to me, whether it's 'Miami Vice' or not 'Miami Vice.' It's dictated by the story, about what Crockett and Tubbs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mann/music-is-always-key-to-me-whether-it-s-miami-vice-or-not-miami-vice/) [Michael Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mann/) > [Politicians, in many cases - their moral code will be dictated by what can get them reelected, what they can get away with. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-leibovich/politicians-in-many-cases-their-moral-code-will-be-dictated-by-what/) [Mark Leibovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-leibovich/) > [I'm always dictated to be what I want to do, and I have a love affair with every movie I've done, and some of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-scott/i-m-always-dictated-to-be-what-i-want-to-do-and-i-have-a-love-affair/) [Tony Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-scott/) ## More by Christopher Morley > [Beware of the conversationalist who adds "in other words." He is merely starting afresh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-morley/beware-of-the-conversationalist-who-adds-in-other-words-he-is-merely/) [Christopher Morley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-morley/) > [That's what this country needs -- more books!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-morley/that-s-what-this-country-needs-more-books/) [Christopher Morley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-morley/) > [Between ourselves, there is no such thing, abstractly, as a 'good' book. A book is 'good' only when it meets some human hunger or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-morley/between-ourselves-there-is-no-such-thing-abstractly-as-a-good-book-a/) [Christopher Morley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-morley/) > [All cities are mad: but the madness is gallant. All cities are beautiful: but the beauty is grim.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-morley/all-cities-are-mad-but-the-madness-is-gallant-all-cities-are/) [Christopher Morley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-morley/) > [People like to imagine that because all our mechanical equipment moves so much faster, that we are thinking faster, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-morley/people-like-to-imagine-that-because-all-our-mechanical-equipment/) [Christopher Morley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-morley/) > [“There are three ingredients in the good life: learning, earning, and yearning. A man should be learning as he goes; and he should be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-morley/there-are-three-ingredients-in-the-good-life-learning-earning-and/) [Christopher Morley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-morley/) > [A critic is a gong at a railroad crossing clanging loudly and vainly as the train goes by.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-morley/a-critic-is-a-gong-at-a-railroad-crossing-clanging-loudly-and-vainly/) [Christopher Morley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-morley/) > [Friendships do not grow up in any carefully tended and contemplated fashion… They begin haphazard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-morley/friendships-do-not-grow-up-in-any-carefully-tended-and-contemplated/) [Christopher Morley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-morley/) > [The real purpose of books is to trap the mind into doing its own thinking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-morley/the-real-purpose-of-books-is-to-trap-the-mind-into-doing-its-own/) [Christopher Morley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-morley/) > [If we discovered that we had only five minutes left to say all that we wanted to say, every telephone booth would be occupied…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-morley/if-we-discovered-that-we-had-only-five-minutes-left-to-say-all-that/) [Christopher Morley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-morley/) > [The censure of a dog is something no man can stand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-morley/the-censure-of-a-dog-is-something-no-man-can-stand/) [Christopher Morley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-morley/) > [High heels were invented by a woman who had been kissed on the forehead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-morley/high-heels-were-invented-by-a-woman-who-had-been-kissed-on-the/) [Christopher Morley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-morley/) > [The courage of the poet is to keep ajar the door that leads into madness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-morley/the-courage-of-the-poet-is-to-keep-ajar-the-door-that-leads-into/) [Christopher Morley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-morley/) > [“Calling us men doesn't make us men. No creature on earth has a right to think himself a human being if he doesn't know at least…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-morley/calling-us-men-doesn-t-make-us-men-no-creature-on-earth-has-a-right/) [Christopher Morley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-morley/) > [A human being: an ingenious assembly of portable plumbing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-morley/a-human-being-an-ingenious-assembly-of-portable-plumbing/) [Christopher Morley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-morley/) [Explore all 150 Christopher Morley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-morley/) ## More Dictated quotes > [I can never consent to being dictated to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tyler/i-can-never-consent-to-being-dictated-to/) [John Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tyler/) > [Politicians, in many cases - their moral code will be dictated by what can get them reelected, what they can get away with. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-leibovich/politicians-in-many-cases-their-moral-code-will-be-dictated-by-what/) [Mark Leibovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-leibovich/) > [Music is always key to me, whether it's 'Miami Vice' or not 'Miami Vice.' It's dictated by the story, about what Crockett and Tubbs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mann/music-is-always-key-to-me-whether-it-s-miami-vice-or-not-miami-vice/) [Michael Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mann/) > [But, in North Korea, it's just the opposite. There's one story. It's written by the Kim regime. And 23 million people are conscripted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-johnson/but-in-north-korea-it-s-just-the-opposite-there-s-one-story-it-s/) [Adam Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-johnson/) > [So much of comics are dictated by characters talking to one another - or in focused spaces where 'the camera' has to stay in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-lee/so-much-of-comics-are-dictated-by-characters-talking-to-one-another/) [Jim Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-lee/) > [To be honest with you, my physical state is usually dictated by the project I'm working on at a given time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-bomer/to-be-honest-with-you-my-physical-state-is-usually-dictated-by-the/) [Matt Bomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-bomer/) > [Something in us is telling us we're moving too fast, at a pace dictated by machines rather than by anything human, and that unless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/something-in-us-is-telling-us-we-re-moving-too-fast-at-a-pace/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [“You are a leader until you are dictated by your own words.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/you-are-a-leader-until-you-are-dictated-by-your-own-words/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [Only occasionally do I read new fiction. Most of my reading is heavily dictated by what I'm writing at the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-mawer/only-occasionally-do-i-read-new-fiction-most-of-my-reading-is-heavily/) [Simon Mawer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-mawer/) > [All I want is for people to listen to it with unbiased ears, and decide for themselves. I just don't want them to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-chisholm/all-i-want-is-for-people-to-listen-to-it-with-unbiased-ears-and/) [Melanie Chisholm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-chisholm/) > [The '60s weren't my cup of tea. I never bought that philosophy that, you know, we're all brothers and that'll solve everything. And I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-everly/the-60s-weren-t-my-cup-of-tea-i-never-bought-that-philosophy-that-you/) [Phil Everly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-everly/) > [I lived my whole life in the kitchen. Not only that, but it's the passion, it's the love for cooking and food. It's dictated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-achatz/i-lived-my-whole-life-in-the-kitchen-not-only-that-but-it-s-the/) [Grant Achatz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-achatz/) > [Our driver policy was partly dictated by who was available because of other contracts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-surtees/our-driver-policy-was-partly-dictated-by-who-was-available-because-of/) [John Surtees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-surtees/) > [“It's just that sometimes our future is dictated by what we are, as opposed to what we want.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/it-s-just-that-sometimes-our-future-is-dictated-by-what-we-are-as/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [I'm always dictated to be what I want to do, and I have a love affair with every movie I've done, and some of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-scott/i-m-always-dictated-to-be-what-i-want-to-do-and-i-have-a-love-affair/) [Tony Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-scott/) [Browse all 35 Dictated quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dictated/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My theology, briefly, is that the universe was dictated but not signed.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Christopher Morley" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-morley/my-theology-briefly-is-that-the-universe-was-dictated-but-not-signed/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dictated" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-morley/my-theology-briefly-is-that-the-universe-was-dictated-but-not-signed/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f54/christopher-morley-2772_dictated_my-theology-briefly-is-that-the-universe_2044641.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f54/christopher-morley-2772_dictated_my-theology-briefly-is-that-the-universe_2044641.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f54/christopher-morley-2772_dictated_my-theology-briefly-is-that-the-universe_2044641.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“My theology, briefly, is that the universe was dictated but not signed.” — Christopher Morley", "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": "Christopher Morley", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-morley/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "My theology, briefly, is that the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-morley/my-theology-briefly-is-that-the-universe-was-dictated-but-not-signed/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-morley/my-theology-briefly-is-that-the-universe-was-dictated-but-not-signed/#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 } } ] } ```