--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is evident, indeed, that such a…" description: "\"It is evident, indeed, that such a doctrine, taken by itself in a literal manner, had no future. The world, in continuing to exist, caused it to crumbl..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/881/ernest-renan-11034_atheism_it-is-evident-indeed-that-such-a-doctrin_69052.jpg" --- # It is evident, indeed, that such a doctrine, taken by… ![“It is evident, indeed, that such a doctrine, taken by itself in a literal manner, had no future. The world, in continuing to exist, caused it to crumble. One generation of man at the most was the limit of its endurance. The faith of the first Christian generation is intelligible, but the faith of…” quote by Ernest Renan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/881/ernest-renan-11034_atheism_it-is-evident-indeed-that-such-a-doctrin_69052.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/881/ernest-renan-11034_atheism_it-is-evident-indeed-that-such-a-doctrin_69052.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/881/ernest-renan-11034_atheism_it-is-evident-indeed-that-such-a-doctrin_69052.jpg) > “It is evident, indeed, that such a doctrine, taken by itself in a literal manner, had no future. The world, in continuing to exist, caused it to crumble. One generation of man at the most was the limit of its endurance. The faith of the first Christian generation is intelligible, but the faith of the second generation is no longer so. After the death of John, or of the last survivor, whoever he might be, of the group which had seen the master, the word of Jesus was convicted of falsehood.” [Ernest Renan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-renan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The literal, unadapted doctrine cannot survive beyond its original context; as generations pass, its original meaning fades and becomes contested. **In simple terms:** Doctrines lose relevance when rigidly applied across eras. Key Takeaway Rigid literalism leads to doctrinal decay. Themes historical context interpretation generational change faith doctrinal rigidity Mood reflective critical thoughtful Type philosophical historical theological When to use this quote - theological debate - historical analysis - religious education - intergenerational dialogue Key Concepts doctrine faith generation truth Practical Applications - reinterpreting ancient texts - designing adaptive curricula Questions to Reflect On - How does literalism affect the transmission of ideas? - What mechanisms can preserve essential meanings across generations? A Different Perspective Some argue that core truths remain constant despite literal interpretation, suggesting continuity rather than collapse. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Atheism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheism/) [Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian/) [Christian Generation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian-generation-911641/) [Continuing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/continuing/) [Doctrine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doctrine/) [Doctrine Taken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doctrine-taken-911642/) [Endurance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/endurance/) [Evident](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evident/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Falsehood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/falsehood/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Generations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generations/) [Groups](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/groups/) [Intelligible Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligible-faith-911643/) [Jesus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jesus/) [Lasts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lasts/) [Limits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/limits/) [Literal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literal/) [Masters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/masters/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [Positive atheism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/positive-atheism/) [Survivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/survivor/) [Taken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taken/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [“Every Christian in this generation MUST become a preacher, and every preacher MUST speak for CHRIST.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carter-conlon/every-christian-in-this-generation-must-become-a-preacher-and-every/) [Carter Conlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carter-conlon/) > [“It is the vocation of the Christian in every generation to out-think all opposition.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elton-trueblood/it-is-the-vocation-of-the-christian-in-every-generation-to-out-think/) [Elton Trueblood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elton-trueblood/) > [Fast food may appear to be cheap food and, in the literal sense it often is, but that is because huge social and environmental…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prince-charles/fast-food-may-appear-to-be-cheap-food-and-in-the-literal-sense-it/) [Prince Charles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prince-charles/) > [The arts make vivid the fact that words do not, in their literal form or number, exhaust what we can know. 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