--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That this is really the case was made…" description: "\"“That this is really the case was made plain to me by the questions asked me, mostly by young men, about my Canterbury play, The Zeal of Thy House. The..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eff/dorothy-l-sayers-738_christian-philosophy_that-this-is-really-the-case-was-made-pl_2525149.jpg" --- # That this is really the case was made plain to me by the… ![“That this is really the case was made plain to me by the questions asked me, mostly by young men, about my Canterbury play, The Zeal of Thy House. The action of the play involves a dramatic presentation of a few fundamental Christian dogmas— in particular, the application to human affairs of the…” quote by Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eff/dorothy-l-sayers-738_christian-philosophy_that-this-is-really-the-case-was-made-pl_2525149.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eff/dorothy-l-sayers-738_christian-philosophy_that-this-is-really-the-case-was-made-pl_2525149.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eff/dorothy-l-sayers-738_christian-philosophy_that-this-is-really-the-case-was-made-pl_2525149.jpg) > ““That this is really the case was made plain to me by the questions asked me, mostly by young men, about my Canterbury play, The Zeal of Thy House. The action of the play involves a dramatic presentation of a few fundamental Christian dogmas— in particular, the application to human affairs of the doctrine of the Incarnation. That the Church believed Christ to be in any real sense God, or that the eternal word was supposed to be associated in any way with the word of creation; that Christ was held to be at the same time man in any real sense of the word; that the doctrine of the Trinity could be considered to have any relation to fact or any bearing on psychological truth; that the Church considered pride to be sinful, or indeed took notice of any sin beyond the more disreputable sins of the flesh—all these things were looked upon as astonishing and revolutionary novelties, imported into the faith by the feverish imagination of a playwright. I protested in vain against this flattering tribute to my powers of invention, referring my inquirers to the creeds, to the gospels, and to the offices of the Church; I insisted that if my play were dramatic it was so, not in spite of the dogma, but because of it—that, in short, the dogma was the drama. The explanation was, however, not well received; it was felt that if there were anything attractive in Christian philosophy I must have put it there myself.”” [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The playwright argues that Christian doctrines are central to drama, not peripheral novelties. **In simple terms:** Faith shapes the story’s core. Key Takeaway Recognize doctrine as narrative driver. Themes theology drama tradition Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - Stage productions - theological debates - literary criticism - faith education - artistic interpretation Key Concepts Incarnation Trinity pride dogma Questions to Reflect On - Why do people label doctrine as “novelty”? - How can drama convey complex belief without alienating? A Different Perspective Some audiences may resist theological depth in entertainment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christian Dogmas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian-dogmas-1288997/) [Christian philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian-philosophy/) [Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [Church Believed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church-believed-1288998/) [Doctrine Incarnation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doctrine-incarnation-1288996/) [Doctrine Trinity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doctrine-trinity-244243/) [Dogma Drama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dogma-drama-1288999/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Theology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theology/) [Young men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-men/) ## Related quotes > [The Christian faith is the most exciting drama that ever staggered the imagination of man - and the dogma is the drama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/the-christian-faith-is-the-most-exciting-drama-that-ever-staggered-2/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [The Christian faith is the most exciting drama that ever staggered the imagination of man-and the dogma is the drama ... The plot pivots…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/the-christian-faith-is-the-most-exciting-drama-that-ever-staggered/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [If you had told me 28 years ago that the largest organization in the world touching the lives of gays and lesbians would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/troy-perry/if-you-had-told-me-28-years-ago-that-the-largest-organization-in-the-2/) [Troy Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/troy-perry/) > [Let me make no bones about it: I write from the standpoint of Christian orthodoxy. 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Our hope in Christ is not that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-brent-laytham/the-christian-doctrine-of-incarnation-means-that-bodily-life-is-good/) [D. Brent Laytham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-brent-laytham/) > [“We sometimes do not appreciate the magnitude of the problem here. How could the eternal Word of the eternal Father take on limits? How…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilson/we-sometimes-do-not-appreciate-the-magnitude-of-the-problem-here-how/) [Douglas Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilson/) > [“The doctrine of the Incarnation is itself an invitation to all believers to love the earth, cherish it, find the divine in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/the-doctrine-of-the-incarnation-is-itself-an-invitation-to-all/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [“doctrine of the Incarnation requires nothing less. If Christ had merely assumed unfallen human nature, living out his earthly life in the situation of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kallistos-ware/doctrine-of-the-incarnation-requires-nothing-less-if-christ-had/) [Kallistos Ware](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kallistos-ware/) > [St. Paul would say to the philosophers that God created man so that he would seek the Divine, try to attain the Divine. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-urs-von-balthasar/st-paul-would-say-to-the-philosophers-that-god-created-man-so-that-he/) [Hans Urs von Balthasar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-urs-von-balthasar/) > [“To find a bond between people strong enough to replace the world was the main political task of early Christian philosophy, and it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/to-find-a-bond-between-people-strong-enough-to-replace-the-world-was/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [Moral theory develops from the divine command theory of medieval Christian philosophy, mixed up with a bit of ancient pagan virtue theory, to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-wilson/moral-theory-develops-from-the-divine-command-theory-of-medieval/) [Catherine Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-wilson/) > [“Hell, fears those who threaten its agenda through prayer, righteousness, and spiritual authority. Demons recognize true spiritual authority, not religious appearance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-greatest-of-all-romances-your-potters-call-henrietta-newton-martin/hell-fears-those-who-threaten-its-agenda-through-prayer-righteousness/) [The Greatest of All Romances- Your Potters Call Henrietta Newton Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-greatest-of-all-romances-your-potters-call-henrietta-newton-martin/) > [“Without the withering criticism by nominalism, medieval Christian philosophy and theology would not have relinquished their claim to the role of knowledge in discovering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seyyed-hossein-nasr/without-the-withering-criticism-by-nominalism-medieval-christian/) [Seyyed Hossein Nasr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seyyed-hossein-nasr/) ## More by Dorothy L. Sayers > [“The really essential factors of success in any undertaking are money and opportunity, and as a rule, the man who can make the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/the-really-essential-factors-of-success-in-any-undertaking-are-money/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [The trouble is. . .that everybody sneers at restrictions and demands freedom, till something annoying happens; then they demand angrily what has become of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/the-trouble-is-that-everybody-sneers-at-restrictions-and-demands/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [“ Peter! Were you looking for a horse-shoe?" "No; I was expecting the horse, but the shoe is a piece of pure, gorgeous luck."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/peter-were-you-looking-for-a-horse-shoe-no-i-was-expecting-the-horse/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [ “See that the mind is honest, first; the rest may follow or not as God wills. \[That\] the fundamental treason to the mind ...… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/see-that-the-mind-is-honest-first-the-rest-may-follow-or-not-as-god/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [But it is the mark of all movements, however well-intentioned, that their pioneers tend, by much lashing of themselves into excitement, to lose sight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/but-it-is-the-mark-of-all-movements-however-well-intentioned-that/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [We may argue eloquently that 'Honesty is the best Policy' - unfortunately, the moment honesty is adopted for the sake of policy it mysteriously…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/we-may-argue-eloquently-that-honesty-is-the-best-policy-unfortunately/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [One must not only die daily, but every day we must be born again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/one-must-not-only-die-daily-but-every-day-we-must-be-born-again/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [“By teaching them all to read, we have left them at the mercy of the printed word. By the invention of the film and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/by-teaching-them-all-to-read-we-have-left-them-at-the-mercy-of-the/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [ Perhaps \[the critics are right and\] the drama is played out now and Jesus is safely dead and buried. Perhaps. It is ironical and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/perhaps-the-critics-are-right-and-the-drama-is-played-out-now-and/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [... at no point have I yet found artistic truth and theological truth at variance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/at-no-point-have-i-yet-found-artistic-truth-and-theological-truth-at/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [I have never yet heard any middle-aged man or woman who worked with his or her brains express any regret for the passing of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/i-have-never-yet-heard-any-middle-aged-man-or-woman-who-worked-with/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [“That was the second time within five minutes that he had warned her off his private ground. His mood had changed since the early…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/that-was-the-second-time-within-five-minutes-that-he-had-warned-her/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [“To obey orders in this family has been my privilege for the last twenty years--a privilege which has been an unqualified pleasure, except perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/to-obey-orders-in-this-family-has-been-my-privilege-for-the-last/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [Those who make some other person their job... are dangerous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/those-who-make-some-other-person-their-job-are-dangerous/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [“Yes, and look at the corpses. Place always reminds me of that old thing in Punch, you know—‘Waiter, take away Lord Whatsisname, he’s been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/yes-and-look-at-the-corpses-place-always-reminds-me-of-that-old-thing/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) [Explore all 386 Dorothy L. Sayers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) ## More Christian philosophy quotes > [“Without the withering criticism by nominalism, medieval Christian philosophy and theology would not have relinquished their claim to the role of knowledge in discovering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seyyed-hossein-nasr/without-the-withering-criticism-by-nominalism-medieval-christian/) [Seyyed Hossein Nasr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seyyed-hossein-nasr/) > [“Hell, fears those who threaten its agenda through prayer, righteousness, and spiritual authority. Demons recognize true spiritual authority, not religious appearance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-greatest-of-all-romances-your-potters-call-henrietta-newton-martin/hell-fears-those-who-threaten-its-agenda-through-prayer-righteousness/) [The Greatest of All Romances- Your Potters Call Henrietta Newton Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-greatest-of-all-romances-your-potters-call-henrietta-newton-martin/) > [Moral theory develops from the divine command theory of medieval Christian philosophy, mixed up with a bit of ancient pagan virtue theory, to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-wilson/moral-theory-develops-from-the-divine-command-theory-of-medieval/) [Catherine Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-wilson/) > [“To find a bond between people strong enough to replace the world was the main political task of early Christian philosophy, and it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/to-find-a-bond-between-people-strong-enough-to-replace-the-world-was/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [St. Paul would say to the philosophers that God created man so that he would seek the Divine, try to attain the Divine. 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Corcoran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-j-corcoran/) > [“If the attitude of many non-Catholic modern philosophers toward Catholic thought could be summarized in a single sentence, it would be: It has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-b-sadler/if-the-attitude-of-many-non-catholic-modern-philosophers-toward/) [Gregory B. 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And it's a plan that nobody's going to tell you, 'Well, we want to diminish Christian philosophy in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-o-reilly/there-s-a-very-secret-plan-and-it-s-a-plan-that-nobody-s-going-to/) [Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-o-reilly/) > [“The God of St. Thomas and Dante is a God Who loves, the god of Aristotle is a god who does not refuse to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etienne-gilson/the-god-of-st-thomas-and-dante-is-a-god-who-loves-the-god-of/) [Étienne Gilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etienne-gilson/) [Browse all 23 Christian philosophy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian-philosophy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“That this is really the case was made plain to me by the questions asked me, mostly by young men, about my Canterbury play, The Zeal of Thy House. The action of the play involves a dramatic presentation of a few fundamental Christian dogmas— in particular, the application to human affairs of the doctrine of the Incarnation. That the Church believed Christ to be in any real sense God, or that the eternal word was supposed to be associated in any way with the word of creation; that Christ was held to be at the same time man in any real sense of the word; that the doctrine of the Trinity could be considered to have any relation to fact or any bearing on psychological truth; that the Church considered pride to be sinful, or indeed took notice of any sin beyond the more disreputable sins of the flesh—all these things were looked upon as astonishing and revolutionary novelties, imported into the faith by the feverish imagination of a playwright. I protested in vain against this flattering tribute to my powers of invention, referring my inquirers to the creeds, to the gospels, and to the offices of the Church; I insisted that if my play were dramatic it was so, not in spite of the dogma, but because of it—that, in short, the dogma was the drama. The explanation was, however, not well received; it was felt that if there were anything attractive in Christian philosophy I must have put it there myself.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dorothy L. 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