--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Wherever Christianity has produced what…" description: "\"Wherever Christianity has produced what historians call a 'popular piety' claiming to be part of the national heritage, anti-Christian reaction among t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9d/j-i-packer-1856_anti-christian_wherever-christianity-has-produced-what_2617794.png" --- # Wherever Christianity has produced what historians call a… ![“Wherever Christianity has produced what historians call a 'popular piety' claiming to be part of the national heritage, anti-Christian reaction among the intelligentsia has followed.” quote by J. I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9d/j-i-packer-1856_anti-christian_wherever-christianity-has-produced-what_2617794.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9d/j-i-packer-1856_anti-christian_wherever-christianity-has-produced-what_2617794.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9d/j-i-packer-1856_anti-christian_wherever-christianity-has-produced-what_2617794.png) > “Wherever Christianity has produced what historians call a 'popular piety' claiming to be part of the national heritage, anti-Christian reaction among the intelligentsia has followed.” [J. I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Popular religious practices can become national symbols, prompting intellectual backlash from secular thinkers. **In simple terms:** Religion can become cultural heritage. Key Takeaway Balance tradition with critical inquiry. Themes religion culture intellectualism Mood analytical critical Type theoretical reflective When to use this quote - national holidays - public education - media representation - academic discourse - political movements Key Concepts theology history political science Questions to Reflect On - Why do intellectuals resist popular piety? - How can societies respect tradition while encouraging critique? A Different Perspective Reaction may suppress legitimate critique. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anti christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anti-christian/) [Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian/) [Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [Heritage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heritage/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Piety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/piety/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) ## Related quotes > [Popular piety is one of our strengths because it consists of prayers deeply rooted in people's hearts. These prayers even move the hearts of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-benedict-xvi/popular-piety-is-one-of-our-strengths-because-it-consists-of-prayers/) [Pope Benedict XVI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-benedict-xvi/) > [The emphasis on the "peripheries" is also a distinctively "Franciscan" way of expressing the pope's respect for untutored popular piety - a respect, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-weigel/the-emphasis-on-the-peripheries-is-also-a-distinctively-franciscan/) [George Weigel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-weigel/) > [The true Christian reaction to suffering and sorrow is not the attitude of self-pity, fatalism or resentment; it is the spirit which takes life's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-stewart/the-true-christian-reaction-to-suffering-and-sorrow-is-not-the/) [James Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-stewart/) > [Christianity ... has produced the iniquities of the Inquisition, the egotism and celibacy of the monasteries, the fury of religious wars, the ferocity of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ouida/christianity-has-produced-the-iniquities-of-the-inquisition-the/) [Ouida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ouida/) > [“For all these reasons, one cannot recount the history of modern science without acknowledging the crucial importance of Christianity. But this does not mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-l-numbers/for-all-these-reasons-one-cannot-recount-the-history-of-modern/) Ronald L. Numbers > [“After a few generations of warfare, though, the fanatics were either killed along with their backups, or were persuaded to modify their positions.  Most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-jon-williams/after-a-few-generations-of-warfare-though-the-fanatics-were-either/) [Walter Jon Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-jon-williams/) > [“The rising influence of lay piety is particularly marked upon the Mariological controversies of the late medieval period. Two rival positions developed: the maculist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alister-e-mcgrath/the-rising-influence-of-lay-piety-is-particularly-marked-upon-the/) [Alister E. McGrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alister-e-mcgrath/) > [I am as sure as I am of the fact of Christ's reign, that a comprehensive and centralised system of national education, separated from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archibald-alexander-hodge/i-am-as-sure-as-i-am-of-the-fact-of-christ-s-reign-that-a/) [Archibald Alexander Hodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archibald-alexander-hodge/) > [The degree and duration of the torment of these degenerate and anti-Christian people, should be no other than would be approved of by those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-newton/the-degree-and-duration-of-the-torment-of-these-degenerate-and-anti/) [Isaac Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-newton/) > [If Christians continue to rely on emotion and ignore evidence, they will continue to lose their children to secularism. As Ravi Zacharias points out,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-turek/if-christians-continue-to-rely-on-emotion-and-ignore-evidence-they/) [Frank Turek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-turek/) > [With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-weinberg/with-or-without-religion-you-would-have-good-people-doing-good-things/) [Steven Weinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-weinberg/) > [In the 20th century, evangelical Christians in America have naively accepted the role assigned to us by an anti-religious, anti-Christian consensus in our society.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/in-the-20th-century-evangelical-christians-in-america-have-naively/) [Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/) > [Atheism is a requirement for a complete human being. Religion is a crutch that is shackled to you, one you never really needed in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-yaciw/atheism-is-a-requirement-for-a-complete-human-being-religion-is-a/) Brent Yaciw > [“A time of ongoing cultural revolution when the adversaries of Christianity have made plain their intent to use the state machinery to promote radical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-woods-jr/a-time-of-ongoing-cultural-revolution-when-the-adversaries-of/) Thomas Woods Jr > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) ## More by J. I. Packer > [We need to discover all over again that worship is natural to the Christian, as it was to the godly Israelites who wrote the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer/we-need-to-discover-all-over-again-that-worship-is-natural-to-the/) [J. I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/) > [What matters supremely, therefore, is not, in the last analysis, the fact that I know God, but the larger fact which underlies it -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer/what-matters-supremely-therefore-is-not-in-the-last-analysis-the-fact/) [J. I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/) > [For what higher, more exalted, and more compelling goal can there be than to know God?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer/for-what-higher-more-exalted-and-more-compelling-goal-can-there-be/) [J. I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/) > [Fanciful spiritualizing, so far from yielding God's meaning, actually obscured it. The literal sense is itself the spiritual sense, coming from God and leading…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer/fanciful-spiritualizing-so-far-from-yielding-god-s-meaning-actually/) [J. I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/) > [Grace means God sending his only Son to the cross to descend into hell so that we guilty ones might be reconciled to God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer/grace-means-god-sending-his-only-son-to-the-cross-to-descend-into/) [J. I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/) > [God made life, and God alone can tell us its meaning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer/god-made-life-and-god-alone-can-tell-us-its-meaning/) [J. I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/) > [Revival is the visitation of God which brings to life Christians who have been sleeping and restores a deep sense of God's near presence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer/revival-is-the-visitation-of-god-which-brings-to-life-christians-who/) [J. I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/) > [Calvinism is the consistent endeavor to acknowledge the Creator as the Lord, working all things after the counsel of His will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer/calvinism-is-the-consistent-endeavor-to-acknowledge-the-creator-as/) [J. I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/) > [There are few things stressed more strongly in the Bible than the reality of God's work as Judge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer/there-are-few-things-stressed-more-strongly-in-the-bible-than-the/) [J. I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/) > [Maturity is a compound of wisdom, goodwill, resilience, and creativity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer/maturity-is-a-compound-of-wisdom-goodwill-resilience-and-creativity/) [J. I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/) > [The peace of God is first and foremost peace with God; it is the state of affairs in which God, instead of being against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer/the-peace-of-god-is-first-and-foremost-peace-with-god-it-is-the-state/) [J. I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/) > [Today, on our own turf, we face pagan ignorance about God every bit as deep as that which the early church faced in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer/today-on-our-own-turf-we-face-pagan-ignorance-about-god-every-bit-as/) [J. I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/) > [God is triune; there are within the Godhead three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit; and the work of salvation is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer/god-is-triune-there-are-within-the-godhead-three-persons-the-father/) [J. I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/) > [It is often the case, as all the saints know, that fellowship with the Father and the Son is most vivid and sweet, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer/it-is-often-the-case-as-all-the-saints-know-that-fellowship-with-the/) [J. I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/) > [A little knowledge OF God is worth more than a great deal of knowledge ABOUT him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer/a-little-knowledge-of-god-is-worth-more-than-a-great-deal-of/) [J. I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/) [Explore all 203 J. I. Packer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/) ## More Anti christian quotes > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“A time of ongoing cultural revolution when the adversaries of Christianity have made plain their intent to use the state machinery to promote radical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-woods-jr/a-time-of-ongoing-cultural-revolution-when-the-adversaries-of/) Thomas Woods Jr > [Atheism is a requirement for a complete human being. Religion is a crutch that is shackled to you, one you never really needed in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-yaciw/atheism-is-a-requirement-for-a-complete-human-being-religion-is-a/) Brent Yaciw > [In the 20th century, evangelical Christians in America have naively accepted the role assigned to us by an anti-religious, anti-Christian consensus in our society.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/in-the-20th-century-evangelical-christians-in-america-have-naively/) [Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/) > [With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-weinberg/with-or-without-religion-you-would-have-good-people-doing-good-things/) [Steven Weinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-weinberg/) > [If Christians continue to rely on emotion and ignore evidence, they will continue to lose their children to secularism. As Ravi Zacharias points out,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-turek/if-christians-continue-to-rely-on-emotion-and-ignore-evidence-they/) [Frank Turek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-turek/) > [The degree and duration of the torment of these degenerate and anti-Christian people, should be no other than would be approved of by those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-newton/the-degree-and-duration-of-the-torment-of-these-degenerate-and-anti/) [Isaac Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-newton/) > [I am as sure as I am of the fact of Christ's reign, that a comprehensive and centralised system of national education, separated from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archibald-alexander-hodge/i-am-as-sure-as-i-am-of-the-fact-of-christ-s-reign-that-a/) [Archibald Alexander Hodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archibald-alexander-hodge/) > [It is between fifty and sixty years since I read it (i.e. the Book of Revelations), and I then considered it merely the ravings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/it-is-between-fifty-and-sixty-years-since-i-read-it-i-e-the-book-of/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [If God is all knowing why did He create Satan whom He knew would fall?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-god-is-all-knowing-why-did-he-create-satan-whom-he-knew-would-fall/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We no longer live in a post-Christian society, we live in an anti-Christian society, one in which the Christian faith is dismissed or ridiculed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-mcdowell/we-no-longer-live-in-a-post-christian-society-we-live-in-an-anti/) [Josh McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-mcdowell/) > [The day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the Supreme Being as his father, in the womb of a virgin, will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/the-day-will-come-when-the-mystical-generation-of-jesus-by-the/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [My goal is to destroy Christianity as a world religion and be a recatalyst for the movement of Jesus Christ ... Some people are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-mcmanus/my-goal-is-to-destroy-christianity-as-a-world-religion-and-be-a/) [Erwin McManus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-mcmanus/) > [Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call on her tribunal for every fact, every opinion. Question with boldness even the existence of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/fix-reason-firmly-in-her-seat-and-call-on-her-tribunal-for-every-fact/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [As a teenager and a student, I totally cast away the Christian faith. I just believed it was stupid, and only stupid people could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederica-mathewes-green/as-a-teenager-and-a-student-i-totally-cast-away-the-christian-faith-i/) [Frederica Mathewes-Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederica-mathewes-green/) [Browse all 90 Anti christian quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anti-christian/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Wherever Christianity has produced what historians call a 'popular piety' claiming to be part of the national heritage, anti-Christian reaction among the intelligentsia has followed.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "J. I. Packer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer/wherever-christianity-has-produced-what-historians-call-a-popular/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Anti christian" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer/wherever-christianity-has-produced-what-historians-call-a-popular/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9d/j-i-packer-1856_anti-christian_wherever-christianity-has-produced-what_2617794.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9d/j-i-packer-1856_anti-christian_wherever-christianity-has-produced-what_2617794.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9d/j-i-packer-1856_anti-christian_wherever-christianity-has-produced-what_2617794.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Wherever Christianity has produced what historians call a 'popular piety' claiming to be part of the…” — J. I. Packer", "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": "J. I. Packer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Wherever Christianity has produced what historians...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer/wherever-christianity-has-produced-what-historians-call-a-popular/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer/wherever-christianity-has-produced-what-historians-call-a-popular/#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 } } ] } ```