--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The contemporary quarrel over church and…" description: "\"The contemporary quarrel over church and state is not really about whether a wall of separation of church and state should exist or not... The real que..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/102/james-davison-hunter-19534_christian_the-contemporary-quarrel-over-church-and_985430.jpg" --- # The contemporary quarrel over church and state is not… ![“The contemporary quarrel over church and state is not really about whether a wall of separation of church and state should exist or not... The real question is what does 'separation' mean?” quote by James Davison Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/102/james-davison-hunter-19534_christian_the-contemporary-quarrel-over-church-and_985430.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/102/james-davison-hunter-19534_christian_the-contemporary-quarrel-over-church-and_985430.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/102/james-davison-hunter-19534_christian_the-contemporary-quarrel-over-church-and_985430.jpg) > “The contemporary quarrel over church and state is not really about whether a wall of separation of church and state should exist or not... The real question is what does 'separation' mean?” [James Davison Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-davison-hunter/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The debate isn’t about the wall itself but about interpreting what separation truly entails. **In simple terms:** Focus on meaning of separation, not its existence. Key Takeaway Clarify and discuss the concept of separation. Themes religion politics law Mood analytical critical Type philosophical political When to use this quote - legislative debates - court cases - educational curricula Key Concepts separation of church and state public policy Questions to Reflect On - What does 'separation' mean to you? - How can societies agree on its implementation? A Different Perspective Interpretations can vary widely, causing conflict. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian/) [Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) [Church and state](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church-and-state/) [Divorce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divorce/) [Real questions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-questions/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) [Separation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/separation/) [Separation of church and state](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/separation-of-church-and-state/) [Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wall/) ## Related 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/) > [The separation of church and state is a misnomer. 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These two institutions screw us up enough on their own, so both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/i-m-completely-in-favor-of-the-separation-of-church-and-state-these/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [The civil Government, though bereft of every thing like an associated hierarchy, possesses the requisite stability, and performs its functions with complete success; whilst…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/the-civil-government-though-bereft-of-every-thing-like-an-associated/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) ## More by James Davison Hunter > [“pluralism today—at least in America—exists without a dominant culture,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-davison-hunter/pluralism-today-at-least-in-america-exists-without-a-dominant-culture/) [James Davison Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-davison-hunter/) > [“ideas are not free-floating in consciousness but are grounded in the social world in the most concrete ways.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-davison-hunter/ideas-are-not-free-floating-in-consciousness-but-are-grounded-in-the/) [James Davison Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-davison-hunter/) > [“We want character but without unyielding conviction; we want strong morality, but without the emotional burden of guilt or shame; we want virtue but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-davison-hunter/we-want-character-but-without-unyielding-conviction-we-want-strong/) [James Davison Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-davison-hunter/) > [“idealism ignores the way culture is generated,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-davison-hunter/idealism-ignores-the-way-culture-is-generated/) [James Davison Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-davison-hunter/) > [“There is little taste for 'high culture' especially in Evangelicalism, where the tendency has long been toward translation - making things accessible to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-davison-hunter/there-is-little-taste-for-high-culture-especially-in-evangelicalism/) [James Davison Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-davison-hunter/) > [“the character of American civilization is a bundle of contradictions,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-davison-hunter/the-character-of-american-civilization-is-a-bundle-of-contradictions/) [James Davison Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-davison-hunter/) > [“faithfulness works itself out in the context of complex social, political, economic, and cultural forces that prevail at a particular time and place.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-davison-hunter/faithfulness-works-itself-out-in-the-context-of-complex-social/) [James Davison Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-davison-hunter/) > [“idealism mistakenly imputes a logic and rationality to culture”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-davison-hunter/idealism-mistakenly-imputes-a-logic-and-rationality-to-culture/) [James Davison Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-davison-hunter/) > [“A final irony has to do with the idea of political responsibility. 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