--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The desire we so often hear expressed…" description: "\"“The desire we so often hear expressed today for “episcopal figures,” “priestly men,” “authoritative personalities” springs frequently enough from a sp..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b85/dietrich-bonhoeffer-303_communion_the-desire-we-so-often-hear-expressed-to_2773269.jpg" --- # The desire we so often hear expressed today for “episcopal… ![“The desire we so often hear expressed today for “episcopal figures,” “priestly men,” “authoritative personalities” springs frequently enough from a spiritually sick need for the admiration of men, for the establishment of visible human authority, because the genuine authority of service appears to…” quote by Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b85/dietrich-bonhoeffer-303_communion_the-desire-we-so-often-hear-expressed-to_2773269.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b85/dietrich-bonhoeffer-303_communion_the-desire-we-so-often-hear-expressed-to_2773269.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b85/dietrich-bonhoeffer-303_communion_the-desire-we-so-often-hear-expressed-to_2773269.jpg) > ““The desire we so often hear expressed today for “episcopal figures,” “priestly men,” “authoritative personalities” springs frequently enough from a spiritually sick need for the admiration of men, for the establishment of visible human authority, because the genuine authority of service appears to be so unimpressive.”” [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People seek visible authority out of spiritual emptiness, but true authority lies in humble service, which often appears unremarkable. **In simple terms:** People crave visible authority but true power is humble service. Key Takeaway Value service over status. Themes spirituality authority service Mood contemplative serious Type theological philosophical When to use this quote - church leadership - political activism - personal growth Key Concepts theology psychology of leadership Questions to Reflect On - Why do we admire authority figures? - How can humble service be made more visible? A Different Perspective May underestimate the appeal of visible authority. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Authoritative Personalities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authoritative-personalities-3257253/) [Communion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communion/) [Discipleship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discipleship/) [Episcopal Figures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/episcopal-figures-3257250/) [Figures Priestly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/figures-priestly-3257252/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Men Authoritative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-authoritative-3257251/) [Priestly Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/priestly-men-3257249/) ## Related quotes > [“Discipleship means adherence to Christ, and, because Christ is the object of that adherence, it must take the form of discipleship. 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Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/cheap-grace-is-the-grace-we-bestow-on-ourselves-cheap-grace-is-the/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [“All that the follower of Jesus has to do is to make sure that his obedience, following and love are entirely spontaneous and unpremeditated.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/all-that-the-follower-of-jesus-has-to-do-is-to-make-sure-that-his/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [If our Christianity has ceased to be serious about discipleship, if we have watered down the gospel into emotional uplift which makes no costly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/if-our-christianity-has-ceased-to-be-serious-about-discipleship-if-we/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [Any honours that come our way are only stolen from him to whom alone they really belong, the Lord who sent us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/any-honours-that-come-our-way-are-only-stolen-from-him-to-whom-alone/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/christianity-without-discipleship-is-always-christianity-without/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [But discipleship never consists in this or that specific action: it is always a decision, either for or against Jesus Christ...Christ speaks to us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/but-discipleship-never-consists-in-this-or-that-specific-action-it-is/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [“So the call to discipleship is a commitment solely to the person of Jesus Christ, a breaking through of all legalisms by the grace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/so-the-call-to-discipleship-is-a-commitment-solely-to-the-person-of/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) ## More by Dietrich Bonhoeffer > [So the fool, as distinct from the scoundrel, is completely self- satisfied; in fact, he can easily become dangerous, as it does not take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/so-the-fool-as-distinct-from-the-scoundrel-is-completely-self/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [Why do Christians sing when they are together? 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This is the true catholic church that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/there-is-only-one-church-the-church-of-faith-ruled-by-the-word-of/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [“As Christians, we needn’t be at all ashamed of some impatience, longing, opposition to what is unnatural, and our full share of desire for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/as-christians-we-needn-t-be-at-all-ashamed-of-some-impatience-longing/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [Those who love their dream of a Christian community more than the Christian community itself become destroyers of that Christian community even though their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/those-who-love-their-dream-of-a-christian-community-more-than-the/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [“From now on there can be no more wars of faith. The only way to overcome our enemy is by loving him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/from-now-on-there-can-be-no-more-wars-of-faith-the-only-way-to/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [“The scriptures do not present us with a series of Christian types to be imitated according to choice; they preach to us in every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/the-scriptures-do-not-present-us-with-a-series-of-christian-types-to/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [We are not to simply bandage the wounds of victims beneath the wheels of injustice, we are to drive a spoke into the wheel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/we-are-not-to-simply-bandage-the-wounds-of-victims-beneath-the-wheels/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) [Explore all 711 Dietrich Bonhoeffer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) ## More Communion quotes > [To love is to be in communion with the other and to discover in that other the spark of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/to-love-is-to-be-in-communion-with-the-other-and-to-discover-in-that/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Not simply the righteousness of our Saviour, not simply the beauty of His holiness or the graces of His character, are we to put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adoniram-judson-gordon/not-simply-the-righteousness-of-our-saviour-not-simply-the-beauty-of/) [Adoniram Judson Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adoniram-judson-gordon/) > [“Is the Lord’s Supper only for Christians? 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Horton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-s-horton/) [Browse all 695 Communion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communion/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The desire we so often hear expressed today for “episcopal figures,” “priestly men,” “authoritative personalities” springs frequently enough from a spiritually sick need for the admiration of men, for the establishment of visible human authority, because the genuine authority of service appears to be so unimpressive.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dietrich Bonhoeffer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/the-desire-we-so-often-hear-expressed-today-for-episcopal-figures/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Communion" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/the-desire-we-so-often-hear-expressed-today-for-episcopal-figures/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b85/dietrich-bonhoeffer-303_communion_the-desire-we-so-often-hear-expressed-to_2773269.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b85/dietrich-bonhoeffer-303_communion_the-desire-we-so-often-hear-expressed-to_2773269.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b85/dietrich-bonhoeffer-303_communion_the-desire-we-so-often-hear-expressed-to_2773269.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The desire we so often hear expressed today for “episcopal figures,” “priestly men,” “authoritative…” — Dietrich Bonhoeffer", "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": "Dietrich Bonhoeffer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The desire we so often hear...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/the-desire-we-so-often-hear-expressed-today-for-episcopal-figures/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/the-desire-we-so-often-hear-expressed-today-for-episcopal-figures/#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 } } ] } ```