--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In a world of finite gods (often…" description: "\"“In a world of finite gods (often supported by one pantheistic deity), cyclical views of history, sub-biblical understandings of sin, multiplied idolat..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0d/d-a-carson-2-12097_history_in-a-world-of-finite-gods-often-supporte_685685.jpg" --- # In a world of finite gods (often supported by one… ![“In a world of finite gods (often supported by one pantheistic deity), cyclical views of history, sub-biblical understandings of sin, multiplied idolatry, dualism that declares all that is material to be bad and all that is spiritual to be good, tribal deities, and not a little superstition, Paul…” quote by D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0d/d-a-carson-2-12097_history_in-a-world-of-finite-gods-often-supporte_685685.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0d/d-a-carson-2-12097_history_in-a-world-of-finite-gods-often-supporte_685685.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0d/d-a-carson-2-12097_history_in-a-world-of-finite-gods-often-supporte_685685.jpg) > ““In a world of finite gods (often supported by one pantheistic deity), cyclical views of history, sub-biblical understandings of sin, multiplied idolatry, dualism that declares all that is material to be bad and all that is spiritual to be good, tribal deities, and not a little superstition, Paul paints a worldview of the true God, a linear view of history, the nature of sin and idolatry, impending judgment, the unity of the human race and the oneness of God-all as the necessary framework without which his proclamation of Jesus makes no sense. What does that mean for evangelism today?”” [D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Paul contrasts dualistic, cyclical worldviews with a linear, monotheistic narrative, emphasizing sin, judgment, and unity as essential for understanding Jesus. **In simple terms:** Paul argues a single, linear God‑centered history is needed to grasp the gospel. Key Takeaway Recognize the need for a clear, unified worldview in evangelism. Themes theology evangelism history unity sin Mood thoughtful serious Type theological explanatory When to use this quote - preaching to multicultural audiences - interfaith dialogue - church teaching - mission strategy - biblical education Key Concepts Monotheism linear history judgment idolatry cultural context Questions to Reflect On - How does a linear worldview affect modern mission work? - What challenges arise when confronting dualistic beliefs? A Different Perspective Some may view linear history as overly simplistic for complex cultures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Human race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-race/) [True god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-god/) ## Related quotes > [“Robert Gooding-Williams says that his soul is envisioned as “an omnipresent, pantheistic deity” (Zarathustra’s Dionysian Modernism, 295). In fact, Zarathustra’s description of his soul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-k-seung/robert-gooding-williams-says-that-his-soul-is-envisioned-as-an/) T.K. Seung > [Pantheistic doctrine contains all of deism and pantheism except their arbitrary negations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/pantheistic-doctrine-contains-all-of-deism-and-pantheism-except-their/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I was never encouraged to believe anything. I was brought up in a profoundly agnostic or pantheistic community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moby/i-was-never-encouraged-to-believe-anything-i-was-brought-up-in-a/) [Moby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moby/) > [“For my purposes, the differences among animistic, pantheistic, and monotheistic religions can be ascribed to differences in the content of beliefs in the supernatural,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-atran/for-my-purposes-the-differences-among-animistic-pantheistic-and/) [Scott Atran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-atran/) > [“The metaphorical or pantheistic God of the physicists is light years away from the interventionist, miracle-wreaking, thought-reading, sin-punishing, prayer-answering God of the Bible, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-metaphorical-or-pantheistic-god-of-the-physicists-is-light-years/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [I believe the divine is part of the world, not in a pantheistic way but by way of the movement of the Spirit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-garrett/i-believe-the-divine-is-part-of-the-world-not-in-a-pantheistic-way/) [Peter Garrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-garrett/) > [“Islam, Christianity, and Buddhism each have founder figures— Muhammad, Jesus, and the Buddha, respectively. And in thinking about these founder figures, I believe we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/islam-christianity-and-buddhism-each-have-founder-figures-muhammad/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Maybe the God we see, the God who calls the daily shots, is merely a subGod. Maybe there’s a God above this subGod who’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/maybe-the-god-we-see-the-god-who-calls-the-daily-shots-is-merely-a/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [“I know the Unknown God," said the little priest, with an unconscious grandeur of certitude that stood up like a granite tower. "I know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/i-know-the-unknown-god-said-the-little-priest-with-an-unconscious/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [The true Resurrection is based not on the mythical lie of the guilty victim who deserves to die, but on the rectification of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-girard/the-true-resurrection-is-based-not-on-the-mythical-lie-of-the-guilty/) [Rene Girard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-girard/) > [The idea that any one of our religions represents the infallible word of the One True God requires an encyclopedic ignorance of history, mythology,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/the-idea-that-any-one-of-our-religions-represents-the-infallible-word/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [God alone is true; God alone is great; alone is God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edouard-rene-de-laboulaye/god-alone-is-true-god-alone-is-great-alone-is-god/) [Edouard Rene de Laboulaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edouard-rene-de-laboulaye/) > [“Women are odd. I really mean that. A woman doesn't know the effect she has on a man. Any woman affects every man with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-gash/women-are-odd-i-really-mean-that-a-woman-doesn-t-know-the-effect-she/) [Jonathan Gash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-gash/) > [“A true God given vision brings provision. Invest in ur vision”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ikechukwu-joseph/a-true-god-given-vision-brings-provision-invest-in-ur-vision/) [Ikechukwu Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ikechukwu-joseph/) > [“not the writings that come from prophets inspired by the one true God revealed in Jesus Christ, then why do we find those passages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/not-the-writings-that-come-from-prophets-inspired-by-the-one-true-god/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) ## More by D.A. Carson > [“again. Here is a sober lesson. Even after times of spectacular revival, reformation, or covenantal renewal, the people of God are never more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/again-here-is-a-sober-lesson-even-after-times-of-spectacular-revival/) [D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/) > [“Looking closely at what these young people believe, one discovers that they have evidently never been taught the gospel of Jesus Christ. The absence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/looking-closely-at-what-these-young-people-believe-one-discovers-that/) [D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/) > [“If chastening were merely a matter of remedial education to morally neutral people, the timing and severity would not matter very much; we would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/if-chastening-were-merely-a-matter-of-remedial-education-to-morally/) [D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/) > [“The initial impetus to cross lines of race and heritage with the Gospel of Jesus Christ arose not from a committee planning world evangelization,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/the-initial-impetus-to-cross-lines-of-race-and-heritage-with-the/) [D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/) > [“The greatest intercessors have always recognized that far more connects them with the common lot of sinners than what distinguishes them—and in any case…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/the-greatest-intercessors-have-always-recognized-that-far-more/) [D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/) > [“we cannot imagine that the church gathers for worship on Sunday morning if by this we mean that we then engage in something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/we-cannot-imagine-that-the-church-gathers-for-worship-on-sunday/) [D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/) > [“Be patient; it is better to be a chastened saint than a carefree sinner.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/be-patient-it-is-better-to-be-a-chastened-saint-than-a-carefree-sinner/) [D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/) > [“Where there is flagrant disavowal of the truths essential to the gospel, where there is persistent and high-handed disobedience to the commands of Jesus,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/where-there-is-flagrant-disavowal-of-the-truths-essential-to-the/) [D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/) > [“To appeal…to some ill-defined and sentimental notion of love as the ground for contravening Scripture may be a lot of things, but it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/to-appeal-to-some-ill-defined-and-sentimental-notion-of-love-as-the/) [D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/) > [“genuinely righteous people invariably become more aware of their personal guilt and need for forgiveness than those who have become so foul and hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/genuinely-righteous-people-invariably-become-more-aware-of-their/) [D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/) > [“By the time of the Mosaic covenant, the peace offering (Lev 17:11ff.) was the divinely prescribed means of maintaining a harmonious relationship between God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/by-the-time-of-the-mosaic-covenant-the-peace-offering-lev-17-11ff-was/) [D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/) > [“The truth of the matter is that meeting God is either transcendentally wonderful, or utterly horrific. If God meets sinners—sinners like you and me—in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/the-truth-of-the-matter-is-that-meeting-god-is-either/) [D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/) > [“Christians do not restrict their moral horizons to immediate results; they make their ethical decisions from an eternal perspective (p. 52).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/christians-do-not-restrict-their-moral-horizons-to-immediate-results/) [D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/) > [“Forbearance and genuine tenderheartedness are much tougher than niceness, and sometimes…tough love is confrontational (p. 54).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/forbearance-and-genuine-tenderheartedness-are-much-tougher-than/) [D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/) > [“IN THE MOST CRUCIAL EVENTS IN REDEMPTIVE HISTORY, God takes considerable pains to ensure that no one can properly conclude that these events have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/in-the-most-crucial-events-in-redemptive-history-god-takes/) [D.A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/) [Explore all 56 D.A. Carson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/) ## More History quotes > [Histories never conclude; they just pause their prose. Their stories are, if they are truthful, untidy affairs, resistant to windings-up and sortings-out. They beat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-schama/histories-never-conclude-they-just-pause-their-prose-their-stories/) [Simon Schama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-schama/) > [It is said that history turns on small hinges. A human career, too, results from an accumulating series of decisions about large and small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/it-is-said-that-history-turns-on-small-hinges-a-human-career-too/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [The history of mankind interests us only as it exhibits a steady gain of truth and right, in the incessant conflict which it records…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-history-of-mankind-interests-us-only-as-it-exhibits-a-steady-gain/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [In the entire history of the universe, let alone in your own history, there has never been another day just like today, and there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/in-the-entire-history-of-the-universe-let-alone-in-your-own-history/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [The NBA is my history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penny-hardaway/the-nba-is-my-history/) [Penny Hardaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penny-hardaway/) > [History has often showed us the strength of the forces that are unleashed by the yearning for freedom. It moved people to overcome their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-merkel/history-has-often-showed-us-the-strength-of-the-forces-that-are/) [Angela Merkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-merkel/) > [We find few historians who have been diligent enough in their search for truth; it is their common method to take on trust what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/we-find-few-historians-who-have-been-diligent-enough-in-their-search/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [What is history after all? History is facts which become lies in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-cocteau/what-is-history-after-all-history-is-facts-which-become-lies-in-the/) [Jean Cocteau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-cocteau/) > [Things live and die, and then someone processes them into edible portions. This is a complete telling of the story, 'Food.' The basic plot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-fahrenthold/things-live-and-die-and-then-someone-processes-them-into-edible/) [David Fahrenthold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-fahrenthold/) > [History is a certain way, but you just change the point of view a little bit, and you discover a whole new side of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-schroeder/history-is-a-certain-way-but-you-just-change-the-point-of-view-a/) [Allison Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allison-schroeder/) > [We're at a point in history were we have to become a part of the neighborhood of inhabited planets, like a neighborhood of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-mitchell/we-re-at-a-point-in-history-were-we-have-to-become-a-part-of-the/) [Edgar Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-mitchell/) > [Today is a reality, tomorrow's a promise, and yesterday's history!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-blanks/today-is-a-reality-tomorrow-s-a-promise-and-yesterday-s-history/) [Billy Blanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-blanks/) > [Truth be told from compulsive liars with a history/Everything must change 2nd chances are a mystery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-dash/truth-be-told-from-compulsive-liars-with-a-history-everything-must/) C-DASH > [Every army in the history of the world has always had some deserters, usually much greater than we have today, because once again every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-hilferty/every-army-in-the-history-of-the-world-has-always-had-some-deserters/) [Bryan Hilferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-hilferty/) > [“To those great geniuses now in petticoats, who shall write novels for the beloved reader's children, these men and things will be as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/to-those-great-geniuses-now-in-petticoats-who-shall-write-novels-for/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) [Browse all 27,263 History quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“In a world of finite gods (often supported by one pantheistic deity), cyclical views of history, sub-biblical understandings of sin, multiplied idolatry, dualism that declares all that is material to be bad and all that is spiritual to be good, tribal deities, and not a little superstition, Paul paints a worldview of the true God, a linear view of history, the nature of sin and idolatry, impending judgment, the unity of the human race and the oneness of God-all as the necessary framework without which his proclamation of Jesus makes no sense. What does that mean for evangelism today?”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "D.A. Carson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/in-a-world-of-finite-gods-often-supported-by-one-pantheistic-deity/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "History" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/in-a-world-of-finite-gods-often-supported-by-one-pantheistic-deity/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0d/d-a-carson-2-12097_history_in-a-world-of-finite-gods-often-supporte_685685.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0d/d-a-carson-2-12097_history_in-a-world-of-finite-gods-often-supporte_685685.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0d/d-a-carson-2-12097_history_in-a-world-of-finite-gods-often-supporte_685685.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In a world of finite gods (often supported by one pantheistic deity), cyclical views of history…” — D.A. Carson", "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": "D.A. Carson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson-2/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“In a world of finite gods...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/in-a-world-of-finite-gods-often-supported-by-one-pantheistic-deity/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson-2/in-a-world-of-finite-gods-often-supported-by-one-pantheistic-deity/#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 } } ] } ```