--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Religion, according to Alfred North…" description: "\"Religion, according to Alfred North Whitehead, is a phenomenon that begins in wonder and ends in wonder. Feelings of awe, reverence, and gratitude are ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a6/gary-a-kowalski-58159_awe_religion-according-to-alfred-north-white_880467.png" --- # Religion, according to Alfred North Whitehead, is a… ![“Religion, according to Alfred North Whitehead, is a phenomenon that begins in wonder and ends in wonder. Feelings of awe, reverence, and gratitude are primary, and these can never be learned from books. We gain them from sitting high on a cliff side, gazing at the sea, lost in reverie and…” quote by Gary A. Kowalski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a6/gary-a-kowalski-58159_awe_religion-according-to-alfred-north-white_880467.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a6/gary-a-kowalski-58159_awe_religion-according-to-alfred-north-white_880467.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a6/gary-a-kowalski-58159_awe_religion-according-to-alfred-north-white_880467.png) > “Religion, according to Alfred North Whitehead, is a phenomenon that begins in wonder and ends in wonder. Feelings of awe, reverence, and gratitude are primary, and these can never be learned from books. We gain them from sitting high on a cliff side, gazing at the sea, lost in reverie and listening to the laughter of children.” [Gary A. Kowalski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-a-kowalski/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Religion starts with awe and ends with awe; profound feelings of wonder cannot be taught, only experienced directly. **In simple terms:** Religion is rooted in awe, not doctrine. Key Takeaway Seek direct experiences of wonder. Themes wonder reverence gratitude spirituality Mood contemplative inspirational Type philosophical spiritual When to use this quote - nature walks - art appreciation - childhood play - meditation sessions Key Concepts philosophy religion experiential learning Questions to Reflect On - How can wonder coexist with critical thinking? - What practices nurture authentic reverence? A Different Perspective Relying solely on awe may neglect rational inquiry. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Awe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awe/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Gratitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gratitude/) [Laughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laughter/) [Phenomenon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/phenomenon/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Reverence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reverence/) [Reverie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reverie/) [Sea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sea/) [Wonder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonder/) ## Related quotes > [“In the words of the English philosopher Alfred North Whitehead, “Civilization advances by extending the number of operations which we can perform without thinking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerd-gigerenzer/in-the-words-of-the-english-philosopher-alfred-north-whitehead/) [Gerd Gigerenzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerd-gigerenzer/) > [“The true task of education, Alfred North Whitehead cautioned, is to abjure stale knowledge. “Knowledge does not keep any better than fish,” he said.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/the-true-task-of-education-alfred-north-whitehead-cautioned-is-to/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [Amid countless everyday miracles, I come in contact with something greater than myself and realize I am a part of it... 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It is an abstract concept and only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-anderson/where-numbers-only-represent-real-things-you-don-t-need-a-number-to/) [Chris Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-anderson/) > [“...the solitude was intoxicating. On my first night there I lay on my back on the sticky carpet for hours, in the murky orange…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tana-french/the-solitude-was-intoxicating-on-my-first-night-there-i-lay-on-my/) [Tana French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tana-french/) > [The reveries of youth, in which so much energy is wasted, are the yearnings of a Spirit made for what it has not found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ellery-channing/the-reveries-of-youth-in-which-so-much-energy-is-wasted-are-the/) [William Ellery Channing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ellery-channing/) ## More by Gary A. Kowalski > [It is not just that animals make the world more scenic or picturesque. 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Kowalski quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-a-kowalski/) ## More Awe quotes > [Because I've never had any higher education of any sort, I've never held in awe those who have had it or have a sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-corbyn/because-i-ve-never-had-any-higher-education-of-any-sort-i-ve-never/) [Jeremy Corbyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-corbyn/) > [Of course the Dharma-body of the Buddha was the hedge at the bottom of the garden. At the same time, and no less obviously,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/of-course-the-dharma-body-of-the-buddha-was-the-hedge-at-the-bottom/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [When I look at the human brain I'm still in awe of it. 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