--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: God is not only the ultimate reality that…" description: "\"“God is not only the ultimate reality that the intellect and the will seek but is also the primordial reality with which all of us are always engaged i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a9/david-bentley-hart-4691_every-moment_god-is-not-only-the-ultimate-reality-tha_2272247.png" --- # God is not only the ultimate reality that the intellect… ![“God is not only the ultimate reality that the intellect and the will seek but is also the primordial reality with which all of us are always engaged in every moment of existence and consciousness, apart from which we have no experience of anything whatsoever.” quote by David Bentley Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a9/david-bentley-hart-4691_every-moment_god-is-not-only-the-ultimate-reality-tha_2272247.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a9/david-bentley-hart-4691_every-moment_god-is-not-only-the-ultimate-reality-tha_2272247.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a9/david-bentley-hart-4691_every-moment_god-is-not-only-the-ultimate-reality-tha_2272247.png) > ““God is not only the ultimate reality that the intellect and the will seek but is also the primordial reality with which all of us are always engaged in every moment of existence and consciousness, apart from which we have no experience of anything whatsoever.”” [David Bentley Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bentley-hart/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human existence is constantly intertwined with a fundamental reality that we cannot experience without it. **In simple terms:** We are always connected to a deeper reality. Key Takeaway Recognize and honor this underlying presence. Themes spirituality existence philosophy Mood reflective contemplative Type philosophical spiritual When to use this quote - daily meditation - ethical decision making - mindful listening - creative contemplation Key Concepts metaphysics consciousness divine reality Questions to Reflect On - How does recognizing this reality change your daily choices? - In what ways can you experience this connection? A Different Perspective The concept may be too abstract for practical application. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Every moment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every-moment/) [Existence Consciousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence-consciousness-588729/) [God Ultimate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-ultimate-839303/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Philosophy of Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-of-mind/) [Primordial Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/primordial-reality-5271076/) [Reality Intellect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality-intellect-5271077/) [Ultimate reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ultimate-reality/) ## Related quotes > [An idol is anything put in the place of God as the ultimate reality - the eternal, self-existent, uncaused cause of everything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pearcey/an-idol-is-anything-put-in-the-place-of-god-as-the-ultimate-reality/) [Nancy Pearcey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pearcey/) > [One can study what exists and how consciousness functions; but one cannot analyze (or “prove”) existence as such, or consciousness as such. These are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/one-can-study-what-exists-and-how-consciousness-functions-but-one/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [Before perception, before a preceiver, existence was - is. This is the consciousness that we refer to as nirvana, God, eternity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/before-perception-before-a-preceiver-existence-was-is-this-is-the/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [ The witness of the three states of consciousness \[waking, dream and deep sleep\] and of the nature of Existence-Consciousness-Bliss is the Self ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adi-shankara/the-witness-of-the-three-states-of-consciousness-waking-dream-and/) [Adi Shankara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adi-shankara/) > [What do I think happens when we die? I think we enter into another stage of existence or another state of consciousness that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-moody/what-do-i-think-happens-when-we-die-i-think-we-enter-into-another/) [Raymond Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-moody/) > [When we pause to think, we are compelled to admit the existence of consciousness as the primal and surest fact. What we know of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horatio-dresser/when-we-pause-to-think-we-are-compelled-to-admit-the-existence-of/) [Horatio Dresser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horatio-dresser/) > [From within, from the very most interior center of existence and consciousness, the fact of oneness evermore proves to be the overriding truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-hodson/from-within-from-the-very-most-interior-center-of-existence-and/) [Geoffrey Hodson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-hodson/) > [ Thus one should know oneself to be of the nature of Existence-Consciousness-Bliss\[Sat-Chit-Ananda\]. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adi-shankara/thus-one-should-know-oneself-to-be-of-the-nature-of-existence/) [Adi Shankara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adi-shankara/) > [The highest force in existence is consciousness, and you are that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaggi-vasudev/the-highest-force-in-existence-is-consciousness-and-you-are-that/) [Jaggi Vasudev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaggi-vasudev/) > [“The existence of consciousness is both one of the most familiar and one of the most astounding things about the world. No conception of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-nagel/the-existence-of-consciousness-is-both-one-of-the-most-familiar-and/) [Thomas Nagel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-nagel/) > [If there is something I am arguing, it is a critique of science. Science has consistently denied the existence of consciousness other than human.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-ehrenreich/if-there-is-something-i-am-arguing-it-is-a-critique-of-science/) [Barbara Ehrenreich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-ehrenreich/) > [But if there is a just God, there is ultimate justice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/but-if-there-is-a-just-god-there-is-ultimate-justice/) [Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/) > [God is the ultimate experience of silence, of beauty, of bliss, a state of inner celebration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/god-is-the-ultimate-experience-of-silence-of-beauty-of-bliss-a-state/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [God cannot be found outside you, because there is no God who can ever be outside you. God is the ultimate fragrance of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/god-cannot-be-found-outside-you-because-there-is-no-god-who-can-ever/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [In Islam, we believe that it is God himself who is the ultimate guide - Al Hadi - one of the names of God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seyyed-hossein-nasr/in-islam-we-believe-that-it-is-god-himself-who-is-the-ultimate-guide/) [Seyyed Hossein Nasr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seyyed-hossein-nasr/) ## More by David Bentley Hart > [“What makes today’s popular atheism so depressing is neither its conceptual boorishness nor its self-righteousness but simply its cultural inevitability. It is the final,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bentley-hart/what-makes-today-s-popular-atheism-so-depressing-is-neither-its/) [David Bentley Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bentley-hart/) > [“The claim that there cannot be an infinite regress of contingent ontological causes raises a truly difficult challenge to pure materialism; but to imagine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bentley-hart/the-claim-that-there-cannot-be-an-infinite-regress-of-contingent/) [David Bentley Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bentley-hart/) > [“The very notion of nature as a closed system entirely sufficient to itself is plainly one that cannot be verified, deductively or empirically, from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bentley-hart/the-very-notion-of-nature-as-a-closed-system-entirely-sufficient-to/) [David Bentley Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bentley-hart/) > [“naturalism, alone among all considered philosophical attempts to describe the shape of reality, is radically insufficient in its explanatory range.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bentley-hart/naturalism-alone-among-all-considered-philosophical-attempts-to/) [David Bentley Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bentley-hart/) > [Christianity has from its beginning portrayed itself as a gospel of peace, a way of reconciliation (with God, with other creatures), and a new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bentley-hart/christianity-has-from-its-beginning-portrayed-itself-as-a-gospel-of/) [David Bentley Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bentley-hart/) > [“clarity is a precious thing, to the degree it can be achieved, if only because it can spare us the effort of needless boring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bentley-hart/clarity-is-a-precious-thing-to-the-degree-it-can-be-achieved-if-only/) [David Bentley Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bentley-hart/) > [Empiricism in the sciences is a method; naturalism in philosophy is a metaphysics; and the latter neither follows from nor underlies the former.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bentley-hart/empiricism-in-the-sciences-is-a-method-naturalism-in-philosophy-is-a/) [David Bentley Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bentley-hart/) > [“We trust, that is to say, that there is no substantial criterion by which to judge our choices that stands higher than the unquestioned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bentley-hart/we-trust-that-is-to-say-that-there-is-no-substantial-criterion-by/) [David Bentley Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bentley-hart/) > [For, after all, if it is from Christ that we are to learn how God relates himself to sin, suffering, evil, and death, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bentley-hart/for-after-all-if-it-is-from-christ-that-we-are-to-learn-how-god/) [David Bentley Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bentley-hart/) > [“All things are subject to time, moreover: they possess no complete identity in themselves, but are always in the process of becoming something else,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bentley-hart/all-things-are-subject-to-time-moreover-they-possess-no-complete/) [David Bentley Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bentley-hart/) > [true philosophical atheism must be regarded as a superstition, often nurtured by an infantile wish to live in a world proportionate to one's own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bentley-hart/true-philosophical-atheism-must-be-regarded-as-a-superstition-often/) [David Bentley Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bentley-hart/) > [“It goes without saying that one generally should not try to dissolve disparate creeds into one another, much less into some vague, syncretistic, doctrinally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bentley-hart/it-goes-without-saying-that-one-generally-should-not-try-to-dissolve/) [David Bentley Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bentley-hart/) > [God's pleasure--the beauty creation possesses in his regard--underlies the distinct being of creation, and so beauty is the first and truest word concerning all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bentley-hart/god-s-pleasure-the-beauty-creation-possesses-in-his-regard-underlies/) [David Bentley Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bentley-hart/) > [“The general argument from the contingent to the absolute, or from the conditioned to the unconditioned, is a powerful and cogent one. No attempt,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bentley-hart/the-general-argument-from-the-contingent-to-the-absolute-or-from-the/) [David Bentley Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bentley-hart/) > [“Simply said, one is contingent through and through, partaking of being rather than generating it out of some source within oneself; and the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bentley-hart/simply-said-one-is-contingent-through-and-through-partaking-of-being/) [David Bentley Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bentley-hart/) [Explore all 107 David Bentley Hart quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bentley-hart/) ## More Every moment quotes > [“Will you destroy something in order to make it beautiful? Will you avoid something in order to fall in love with it? Will you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanif-hassan-barbhuiya/will-you-destroy-something-in-order-to-make-it-beautiful-will-you/) [Hanif Hassan Barbhuiya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanif-hassan-barbhuiya/) > [“His expression is inscrutable. His eyes look strange with their pulsing pupils. “You’re not like other girls. You’re special.” Intoxicating warmth crawls over my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-jordan/his-expression-is-inscrutable-his-eyes-look-strange-with-their/) [Sophie Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-jordan/) > [ “\[Roger\] “Do you know how amazingly beautiful you are to me?” “As beautiful as you are to me.” She slid her gaze down then… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-l-saint/roger-do-you-know-how-amazingly-beautiful-you-are-to-me-as-beautiful/) [J.L. Saint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-l-saint/) > [“Are you sure?" he asked in a low voice. "Because if I had the chance... I would spend every moment of every day with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-monir/are-you-sure-he-asked-in-a-low-voice-because-if-i-had-the-chance-i/) [Alexandra Monir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-monir/) > [I'm getting to a point where everything is becoming streamlined in my life. I'm learning how to stand onstage for two hours and play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mayer/i-m-getting-to-a-point-where-everything-is-becoming-streamlined-in-my/) [John Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mayer/) > [This moment in which you experience stillness is every moment. Don't let the mind seduce you into the past or future. Stay in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adyashanti/this-moment-in-which-you-experience-stillness-is-every-moment-don-t/) [Adyashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adyashanti/) > [You'll never see me coming around the corner not smiling... I mean, I enjoy every moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquem-griffin/you-ll-never-see-me-coming-around-the-corner-not-smiling-i-mean-i/) [Shaquem Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquem-griffin/) > [I don't think it's always a sign of respect for persons (inside or outside of fiction) to pretend to be able to represent, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-lerner/i-don-t-think-it-s-always-a-sign-of-respect-for-persons-inside-or/) [Ben Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-lerner/) > [“You must enjoy and treasure every moment of your journey on earth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/you-must-enjoy-and-treasure-every-moment-of-your-journey-on-earth/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [Being a full-time mother is one of the biggest jobs in the world; it's like another career for me. I love every moment of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darcey-bussell/being-a-full-time-mother-is-one-of-the-biggest-jobs-in-the-world-it-s/) [Darcey Bussell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darcey-bussell/) > [Let us learn to accept and appreciate things now, and we'll find more happiness in every moment we live. Happiness comes when we stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/let-us-learn-to-accept-and-appreciate-things-now-and-we-ll-find-more/) [Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/) > [You and I are both life. There's just the experience of every moment. We like to call them moments. There isn't really such a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/you-and-i-are-both-life-there-s-just-the-experience-of-every-moment/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [The length of the journey has to be borne with, for every moment is necessary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-length-of-the-journey-has-to-be-borne-with-for-every-moment-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I can say that I love you every moment of my life but it doesn't mean I love you every second of my life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/just-me/i-can-say-that-i-love-you-every-moment-of-my-life-but-it-doesn-t-mean/) [Just Me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/just-me/) > [Life is a climb and it's a struggle getting to the top but the drop to the bottom can be quick and so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miley-cyrus/life-is-a-climb-and-it-s-a-struggle-getting-to-the-top-but-the-drop/) [Miley Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miley-cyrus/) [Browse all 2,606 Every moment quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every-moment/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“God is not only the ultimate reality that the intellect and the will seek but is also the primordial reality with which all of us are always engaged in every moment of existence and consciousness, apart from which we have no experience of anything whatsoever.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Bentley Hart" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bentley-hart/god-is-not-only-the-ultimate-reality-that-the-intellect-and-the-will/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Every moment" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bentley-hart/god-is-not-only-the-ultimate-reality-that-the-intellect-and-the-will/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a9/david-bentley-hart-4691_every-moment_god-is-not-only-the-ultimate-reality-tha_2272247.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a9/david-bentley-hart-4691_every-moment_god-is-not-only-the-ultimate-reality-tha_2272247.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a9/david-bentley-hart-4691_every-moment_god-is-not-only-the-ultimate-reality-tha_2272247.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“God is not only the ultimate reality that the intellect and the will seek but is also the primordial reality…” — David Bentley Hart", "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": "David Bentley Hart", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bentley-hart/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“God is not only the ultimate...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bentley-hart/god-is-not-only-the-ultimate-reality-that-the-intellect-and-the-will/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bentley-hart/god-is-not-only-the-ultimate-reality-that-the-intellect-and-the-will/#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 } } ] } ```