---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Modernity has abandoned the household…"
description: "\"“Modernity has abandoned the household gods, not because we have rejected the idolatry as all Christians must, but because we have rejected the very id..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fe/douglas-wilson-2686_christianity_modernity-has-abandoned-the-household-go_736599.png"
---

#  Modernity has abandoned the household gods, not because we…

![“Modernity has abandoned the household gods, not because we have rejected the idolatry as all Christians must, but because we have rejected the very idea of the household. We no longer worship Vesta, but have only turned away from her because our homes no longer have any hearths. Now we worship…” quote by Douglas Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fe/douglas-wilson-2686_christianity_modernity-has-abandoned-the-household-go_736599.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fe/douglas-wilson-2686_christianity_modernity-has-abandoned-the-household-go_736599.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fe/douglas-wilson-2686_christianity_modernity-has-abandoned-the-household-go_736599.png)

> ““Modernity has abandoned the household gods, not because we have rejected the idolatry as all Christians must, but because we have rejected the very idea of the household. We no longer worship Vesta, but have only turned away from her because our homes no longer have any hearths. Now we worship Motor Oil. If our rejection of the old idols were Christian repentance, God would bless it, but what is actually happening is that we are sinking below the level of the ancient pagans. But when we turn to Christ in truth, we find that He has ordained every day of marriage as a proclamation of his covenant with the church. A man who embraces what is expected of him will find a good wife and a welcoming hearth. He who loves his wife loves himself.””

[Douglas Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilson/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Modern life replaces sacred domestic rituals with material worship, losing spiritual depth and communal hearth.

**In simple terms:** We worship materialism over sacred household values.

Key Takeaway

Re‑center family life around spiritual purpose.

Themes

family faith materialism spirituality tradition

Mood

inspirational contemplative

Type

theological practical

When to use this quote

- marriage counseling
- church teaching
- family retreats
- personal devotion
- community building

Key Concepts

household gods covenant marriage hearth symbolism

Questions to Reflect On

- What modern practices replace spiritual hearths?
- How can families reclaim sacred traditions?

A Different Perspective

Reviving sacred rituals can restore meaning.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Good wife](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-wife/) [Idolatry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idolatry/)

## Related quotes

> [“In al-Qaeda we see a terrorist grouping with, in many ways, a medieval ideology, employing today's technology to great advantage. It works in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliza-manningham-buller/in-al-qaeda-we-see-a-terrorist-grouping-with-in-many-ways-a-medieval/)

Eliza Manningham-Buller

> [No one ever reached heaven without repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-c-ryle/no-one-ever-reached-heaven-without-repentance-toward-god-and-faith/)

[J. C. Ryle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-c-ryle/)

> [Man can be literally transformed by his own repentance and by God's gift of forgiveness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-w-kimball/man-can-be-literally-transformed-by-his-own-repentance-and-by-god-s/)

[Spencer W. Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-w-kimball/)

> [“We take a cavalier approach to Scripture at our own peril. If the scientific and historical accounts are true, then the commandments, promises and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-olson/we-take-a-cavalier-approach-to-scripture-at-our-own-peril-if-the/)

Craig Olson

> [The murders of Newtown are a warning to me - and you. Not a warning to see our schools as defenseless, but to see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/the-murders-of-newtown-are-a-warning-to-me-and-you-not-a-warning-to/)

[John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/)

> [“The more grievous the sin, the greater the repentance, God was bidding His time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mile-zola/the-more-grievous-the-sin-the-greater-the-repentance-god-was-bidding/)

[Émile Zola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mile-zola/)

> [Repentance is not something God demands of you before He will take you back and which He could let you off if He chose;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/repentance-is-not-something-god-demands-of-you-before-he-will-take/)

[C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/)

> [...we are not without hope of salvation, nor is it at all the right time for us to despair. All our life is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-palamas/we-are-not-without-hope-of-salvation-nor-is-it-at-all-the-right-time/)

[Gregory Palamas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-palamas/)

> [“case of Adam, however, had no analogy with this, but was altogether different. For, having been beguiled by another under the pretext of immortality,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-church-fathers/case-of-adam-however-had-no-analogy-with-this-but-was-altogether/)

The Church Fathers

> [“There must be a great national heart-turning, or repentance to God as an immediate preparation for the kingdom as seen in the Old Testament…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-sperry-chafer/there-must-be-a-great-national-heart-turning-or-repentance-to-god-as/)

[Lewis Sperry Chafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-sperry-chafer/)

> [The name 'Seventh-day Adventist' carries the true features of our faith in front and will convict the inquiring mind. Like an arrow from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-g-white/the-name-seventh-day-adventist-carries-the-true-features-of-our-faith/)

[Ellen G. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-g-white/)

> [“A generous orthodoxy is like that. It acknowledges that we’re all a mess. It sees in our worst failures the possibility of our deepest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-d-mclaren/a-generous-orthodoxy-is-like-that-it-acknowledges-that-we-re-all-a/)

[Brian D. McLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-d-mclaren/)

> [“ACT20.21 Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/act20-21-testifying-both-to-the-jews-and-also-to-the-greeks/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I think most of us are raised with preconceived notions of the choices we're supposed to make. We waste so much time making decisions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-bullock/i-think-most-of-us-are-raised-with-preconceived-notions-of-the/)

[Sandra Bullock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-bullock/)

> [I want to make my music and be a happy woman, a good wife, a good mom and one day hopefully have a child…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leann-rimes/i-want-to-make-my-music-and-be-a-happy-woman-a-good-wife-a-good-mom/)

[LeAnn Rimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leann-rimes/)

## More by Douglas Wilson

> [“The ground for the necessity of Christian schools lies in this very thing, that no fact can be known unless it be known in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilson/the-ground-for-the-necessity-of-christian-schools-lies-in-this-very/)

[Douglas Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilson/)

> [Throughout the country, I see the same design problems and solutions over and over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilson/throughout-the-country-i-see-the-same-design-problems-and-solutions/)

[Douglas Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilson/)

> [“You do not create ex nihilo. You rearrange and recombine. You are the same old flour and eggs in search of a new recipe.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilson/you-do-not-create-ex-nihilo-you-rearrange-and-recombine-you-are-the/)

[Douglas Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilson/)

> [“Sensory experience should not be draped on top of the story as sort of a last-minute decoration. Done right, it is woven into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilson/sensory-experience-should-not-be-draped-on-top-of-the-story-as-sort/)

[Douglas Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilson/)

> [“When the travesties scattered throughout our modern art museums are set alongside the glories of ancient Greece, the Christian heart should swell with pride.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilson/when-the-travesties-scattered-throughout-our-modern-art-museums-are/)

[Douglas Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilson/)

> [Immodest and attractive is easy. Modest and repulsive is easy too. But modest and attractive is an art form.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilson/immodest-and-attractive-is-easy-modest-and-repulsive-is-easy-too-but/)

[Douglas Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilson/)

> [“We were in desperate straits. Christ came to “ransom captive Israel” and to “disperse the gloomy clouds of night.” In our insolence, we were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilson/we-were-in-desperate-straits-christ-came-to-ransom-captive-israel-and/)

[Douglas Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilson/)

> [“This is why stories like this, with great evils in them, are necessary for children to read. Kids just got here—they are still figuring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilson/this-is-why-stories-like-this-with-great-evils-in-them-are-necessary/)

[Douglas Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilson/)

> [As you read, allow your reading to cluster around your interests.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilson/as-you-read-allow-your-reading-to-cluster-around-your-interests/)

[Douglas Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilson/)

> [“Every culture has blasphemy laws. They are not always called that, but no society allows citizens to rail against the reigning deity. In our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilson/every-culture-has-blasphemy-laws-they-are-not-always-called-that-but/)

[Douglas Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilson/)

> [“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/)

> [God picks us up where we are, not where we should have been](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilson/god-picks-us-up-where-we-are-not-where-we-should-have-been/)

[Douglas Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilson/)

> [“The fulfillment of the cultural mandate involves hard work, and men need to be hard in order to do the work.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilson/the-fulfillment-of-the-cultural-mandate-involves-hard-work-and-men/)

[Douglas Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilson/)

> [“There is no virtue or vice in a transitive verb, everything depends on the direct object. 'I LOVE' could be virtuous or not -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilson/there-is-no-virtue-or-vice-in-a-transitive-verb-everything-depends-on/)

[Douglas Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilson/)

> [“We are like fruitflies, measuring everything in terms of our own lifespan. But since our lifespans are so short, our perspective is entirely wrong.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilson/we-are-like-fruitflies-measuring-everything-in-terms-of-our-own/)

[Douglas Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilson/)

[Explore all 154 Douglas Wilson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilson/)

## More Christianity quotes

> [Christianity was never meant to be defined by its disciplines, but by its passions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-johnson/christianity-was-never-meant-to-be-defined-by-its-disciplines-but-by/)

[Bill Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-johnson/)

> [I think, here's what I've realized from interviewing people, and I've been very open about my Catholicism and my love of Christ and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mohr/i-think-here-s-what-i-ve-realized-from-interviewing-people-and-i-ve/)

[Jay Mohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mohr/)

> [“God hates Hell. He hates the idea of people going there. He hates it so much that He was willing to take on human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-minton/god-hates-hell-he-hates-the-idea-of-people-going-there-he-hates-it-so/)

[Evan Minton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-minton/)

> [“some of my good Baptist brethren in Georgia had done a little preaching from the pulpit against the KKK, I would have a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-moss/some-of-my-good-baptist-brethren-in-georgia-had-done-a-little/)

[Norman Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-moss/)

> [I pray that wherever we are and whatever duties we have in the priesthood of God, we will be united in the cause to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/i-pray-that-wherever-we-are-and-whatever-duties-we-have-in-the/)

[Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/)

> [Why do Christians sing when they are together? The reason is, quite simply, because in singing together it is possible for them to speak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/why-do-christians-sing-when-they-are-together-the-reason-is-quite/)

[Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/)

> [“every church can treat each discipleship class and each worship service as an opportunity for continual rehearsal of what the words, stories, symbols, rituals,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-arthur/every-church-can-treat-each-discipleship-class-and-each-worship/)

[Sarah Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-arthur/)

> [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/)

[Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/)

> [“A question for Christians who accept evolution: When did we gain a "soul"? Did Homo habilis have a soul? Homo ergaster? Did God only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-g-mcafee/a-question-for-christians-who-accept-evolution-when-did-we-gain-a/)

[David G. McAfee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-g-mcafee/)

> [The notion of a non-religious Christmas is ridiculous. But so is the insistence on the part of Christians that politicians and retailers carry out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-campos-duffy/the-notion-of-a-non-religious-christmas-is-ridiculous-but-so-is-the/)

[Rachel Campos-Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-campos-duffy/)

> [A real Christian in an odd number anyway. He feels supreme love for One whom he has never seen, talks familiarly every day to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-real-christian-in-an-odd-number-anyway-he-feels-supreme-love-for/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Because the truth is that gossip is as good as gospel in this town. You can save face but you won't ever save your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/because-the-truth-is-that-gossip-is-as-good-as-gospel-in-this-town/)

[Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/)

> [How else but through a broken heart may Lord Christ enter in?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/how-else-but-through-a-broken-heart-may-lord-christ-enter-in/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [Every saved person this side of heaven owes the gospel to every lost person this side of hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-platt/every-saved-person-this-side-of-heaven-owes-the-gospel-to-every-lost/)

[David Platt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-platt/)

> [I grew up in Synagogue in the boys' choir. We didn't listen to music in the house; only at temple. Then I went to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/i-grew-up-in-synagogue-in-the-boys-choir-we-didn-t-listen-to-music-in/)

[Mandy Patinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/)

[Browse all 14,385 Christianity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Modernity has abandoned the household gods, not because we have rejected the idolatry as all Christians must, but because we have rejected the very idea of the household. We no longer worship Vesta, but have only turned away from her because our homes no longer have any hearths. Now we worship Motor Oil. If our rejection of the old idols were Christian repentance, God would bless it, but what is actually happening is that we are sinking below the level of the ancient pagans. But when we turn to Christ in truth, we find that He has ordained every day of marriage as a proclamation of his covenant with the church. A man who embraces what is expected of him will find a good wife and a welcoming hearth. He who loves his wife loves himself.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Douglas Wilson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilson/modernity-has-abandoned-the-household-gods-not-because-we-have/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Christianity"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilson/modernity-has-abandoned-the-household-gods-not-because-we-have/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fe/douglas-wilson-2686_christianity_modernity-has-abandoned-the-household-go_736599.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fe/douglas-wilson-2686_christianity_modernity-has-abandoned-the-household-go_736599.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fe/douglas-wilson-2686_christianity_modernity-has-abandoned-the-household-go_736599.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Modernity has abandoned the household gods, not because we have rejected the idolatry as all Christians…” — Douglas Wilson",
                "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": "Douglas Wilson",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilson/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Modernity has abandoned the household gods,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilson/modernity-has-abandoned-the-household-gods-not-because-we-have/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilson/modernity-has-abandoned-the-household-gods-not-because-we-have/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
