--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sermons remain one of the last forms of…" description: "\"Sermons remain one of the last forms of public discourse where it is culturally forbidden to talk back.\" — Harvey Cox" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a92/harvey-cox-24811_discourse_sermons-remain-one-of-the-last-forms-of_885678.png" --- # Sermons remain one of the last forms of public discourse… ![“Sermons remain one of the last forms of public discourse where it is culturally forbidden to talk back.” quote by Harvey Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a92/harvey-cox-24811_discourse_sermons-remain-one-of-the-last-forms-of_885678.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a92/harvey-cox-24811_discourse_sermons-remain-one-of-the-last-forms-of_885678.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a92/harvey-cox-24811_discourse_sermons-remain-one-of-the-last-forms-of_885678.png) > “Sermons remain one of the last forms of public discourse where it is culturally forbidden to talk back.” [Harvey Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-cox/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Sermons persist as rare public forums where dissent is socially discouraged. **In simple terms:** Sermons are a dwindling space for open dialogue. Key Takeaway Protect and revitalize open public discourse. Themes speech public discourse culture Mood thoughtful critical Type philosophical observational When to use this quote - academic conferences - community meetings - media panels - political debates Key Concepts sociology media studies freedom of expression Questions to Reflect On - What venues can host honest debate today? - How can we encourage respectful dissent? A Different Perspective Modern platforms may replace traditional sermons. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Culturally Forbidden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culturally-forbidden-1097112/) [Discourse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discourse/) [Discourse Culturally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discourse-culturally-1097114/) [Forbidden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forbidden/) [Forbidden Talk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forbidden-talk-1097113/) [Public discourse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-discourse/) [Sermons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sermons/) [Sermons Remain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sermons-remain-1097111/) ## Related quotes > [The language we share is at the core of our identity as citizens, and our ticket to full participation in American political life. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-i-hayakawa/the-language-we-share-is-at-the-core-of-our-identity-as-citizens-and/) [S. I. Hayakawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-i-hayakawa/) > [Public discourse about climate change has resulted in the erroneous idea that it's all about cost, burden and sacrifice. 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Certainly, election years present a complicating factor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-poindexter/i-think-it-is-very-difficult-today-to-have-a-reasoned-public/) [John Poindexter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-poindexter/) > [“The public forum argument simultaneously insists that women be receptive, welcoming, and passive in the face of harassing comments while it excuses harassing behavior…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bailey-poland/the-public-forum-argument-simultaneously-insists-that-women-be/) [Bailey Poland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bailey-poland/) > [The public discourse on global warming has little in common with the standards of scientific discourse. 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Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-m-nichols/) > [Public discourse has been polluted now for decades by corporate-funded disinformation - not just with climate change but with a host of health, environmental…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-e-mann/public-discourse-has-been-polluted-now-for-decades-by-corporate/) [Michael E. Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-e-mann/) > [Trigger warnings are an instantiation of the West's zeitgeist of perpetual offense and victimhood that defines much of public discourse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gad-saad/trigger-warnings-are-an-instantiation-of-the-west-s-zeitgeist-of/) [Gad Saad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gad-saad/) > [ That is another theme in the book \[Dreams from My Father\]. How do we exercise more empathy in our public discourse? How do we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/that-is-another-theme-in-the-book-dreams-from-my-father-how-do-we/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [“It would be a great step toward a truly civil society if we understood that our public discourse isn’t based on “hard facts,” that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-truett-anderson/it-would-be-a-great-step-toward-a-truly-civil-society-if-we/) [Walter Truett Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-truett-anderson/) ## More by Harvey Cox > [Not to decide is to decide.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-cox/not-to-decide-is-to-decide/) [Harvey Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-cox/) > [Somewhere deep down we know that in the final analysis, we do decide things and that even our decisions to let someone else decide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-cox/somewhere-deep-down-we-know-that-in-the-final-analysis-we-do-decide/) [Harvey Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-cox/) > [Secularism is not only indifferent to alternative religious systems, but as a religious ideology it is opposed to any other religious systems. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-cox/secularism-is-not-only-indifferent-to-alternative-religious-systems/) [Harvey Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-cox/) > [“The values we rightly associate with the modern age - the "liberty, equality, and fraternity" of the French revolution - are all endangered today…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-cox/the-values-we-rightly-associate-with-the-modern-age-the-liberty/) [Harvey Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-cox/) > [There has never been a better raconteur than Jesus of Nazareth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-cox/there-has-never-been-a-better-raconteur-than-jesus-of-nazareth/) [Harvey Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-cox/) > [It is always the task of the intellectual to "think otherwise." This is not just a perverse idiosyncrasy. It is an absolutely essential feature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-cox/it-is-always-the-task-of-the-intellectual-to-think-otherwise-this-is/) [Harvey Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-cox/) > [All human beings have an innate need to hear and tell stories and to have a story to live by. religion, whatever else it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-cox/all-human-beings-have-an-innate-need-to-hear-and-tell-stories-and-to/) [Harvey Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-cox/) > [All human beings have an innate need to hear and tell stories and to have a story to live by. . . .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-cox/all-human-beings-have-an-innate-need-to-hear-and-tell-stories-and-to-2/) [Harvey Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-cox/) > [What we are seeking so frantically elsewhere may turn out to be the horse we have been riding all along.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-cox/what-we-are-seeking-so-frantically-elsewhere-may-turn-out-to-be-the/) [Harvey Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-cox/) > [The comic, more than the tragic, because it ignites hope, leads to more, not less, participation in the struggle for a just world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-cox/the-comic-more-than-the-tragic-because-it-ignites-hope-leads-to-more/) [Harvey Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-cox/) > [The real ecumenical crisis today is not between Catholics and Protestants but between traditional and experimental forms of church life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-cox/the-real-ecumenical-crisis-today-is-not-between-catholics-and/) [Harvey Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-cox/) > [God laughs, it seems, because God knows how it all turns out in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-cox/god-laughs-it-seems-because-god-knows-how-it-all-turns-out-in-the-end/) [Harvey Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-cox/) > ["Religion" can no more be equated with what goes on in churches than "education" can be reduced to what happens in schools or "health…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-cox/religion-can-no-more-be-equated-with-what-goes-on-in-churches-than/) [Harvey Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-cox/) > [We now live in a 'post-Christian' America . The Judeo-Christian ethic no longer guides our social institutions. Christian ideals and values no longer dominate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-cox/we-now-live-in-a-post-christian-america-the-judeo-christian-ethic-no/) [Harvey Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-cox/) > [Man must now assume the responsibility for his world. He can no longer shove it off on religious power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-cox/man-must-now-assume-the-responsibility-for-his-world-he-can-no-longer/) [Harvey Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-cox/) [Explore all 24 Harvey Cox quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-cox/) ## More Discourse quotes > [Preaching to the choir actually arms the choir with arguments and elevates the choir's discourse. 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But it is rude to argue about politics with people you disagree with.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-lessig/it-s-fine-to-talk-about-politics-with-people-you-agree-with-but-it-is/) [Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-lessig/) > [There is no question but that nominally religious scientists like Francis Collins and Kenneth R. Miller are doing lasting harm to our discourse by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/there-is-no-question-but-that-nominally-religious-scientists-like/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [When the only people in mainstream discourse who care about the working class are Wall Street investors, it really is time to ask where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-noah/when-the-only-people-in-mainstream-discourse-who-care-about-the/) [Timothy Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-noah/) > [ That is another theme in the book \[Dreams from My Father\]. How do we exercise more empathy in our public discourse? How do we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/that-is-another-theme-in-the-book-dreams-from-my-father-how-do-we/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I am interested in levels of brain discourse. How articulate are the voices in your head? You know, there's a different voice for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-enright/i-am-interested-in-levels-of-brain-discourse-how-articulate-are-the/) [Anne Enright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-enright/) > [Silence is the universal refuge, the sequel to all dull discourses and all foolish acts, a balm to our every chagrin, as welcome after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/silence-is-the-universal-refuge-the-sequel-to-all-dull-discourses-and/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [What makes power hold good, what makes it accepted, is simply the fact that it doesn't only weigh on us as a force that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-foucault/what-makes-power-hold-good-what-makes-it-accepted-is-simply-the-fact/) [Michel Foucault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-foucault/) > [I've watched politics for years. 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