--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What is even more striking than the…" description: "\"“What is even more striking than the negational character of this political culture is the absence of robust and constructive affirmations. Vibrant cul..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c6/james-davison-hunter-19534_christian-community_what-is-even-more-striking-than-the-nega_1737914.png" --- # What is even more striking than the negational character… ![“What is even more striking than the negational character of this political culture is the absence of robust and constructive affirmations. Vibrant cultures make space for leisure, philosophical reflection, scientific and intellectual mastery, and artistic and literary expression, among other…” quote by James Davison Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c6/james-davison-hunter-19534_christian-community_what-is-even-more-striking-than-the-nega_1737914.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c6/james-davison-hunter-19534_christian-community_what-is-even-more-striking-than-the-nega_1737914.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c6/james-davison-hunter-19534_christian-community_what-is-even-more-striking-than-the-nega_1737914.png) > ““What is even more striking than the negational character of this political culture is the absence of robust and constructive affirmations. Vibrant cultures make space for leisure, philosophical reflection, scientific and intellectual mastery, and artistic and literary expression, among other things. Within the larger Christian community in America, one can find such vitality in pockets here and there. Yet where they do exist, they are eclipsed by the greater prominence and vast resources of the political activists and their organizations. What is more, there are few if any places in the pronouncements and actions of the Christian Right or the Christian Left (none that I could find) where these gifts are acknowledged, affirmed, or celebrated. What this means is that rather than being defined by its cultural achievements, its intellectual and artistic vitality, its service to the needs of others, Christianity is defined to the outside world by its rhetoric of resentment and the ambitions of a will in opposition to others.”” [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 quote argues that American Christian culture lacks positive, constructive expressions, being overshadowed by political activism and defined by resentment rather than its artistic, intellectual, or service contributions. **In simple terms:** Christian culture is seen as dominated by politics, lacking celebration of its positive contributions. Key Takeaway Recognize and foster constructive cultural expressions within faith communities. Themes culture politics faith art intellectual life Mood reflective critical Type analytical observational When to use this quote - church programs - faith-based arts initiatives - community dialogue - educational workshops Key Concepts affirmation cultural vitality social critique Questions to Reflect On - How can Christian communities create spaces for artistic and intellectual expression? - What role should political activism play in faith contexts? A Different Perspective The critique may overlook existing vibrant Christian cultural contributions that are less visible publicly. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christian community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian-community/) [Christian right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian-right/) [Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [Church and state](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church-and-state/) [Outside world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outside-world/) [Political culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-culture/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Religious right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious-right/) ## Related quotes > [“death is not the total dissolution or our identity but the way to its fullest revelation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-j-m-nouwen/death-is-not-the-total-dissolution-or-our-identity-but-the-way-to-its/) [Henri J.M. Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-j-m-nouwen/) > [“It wasn't that the Gospel proved useful for my many worries but that the Gospel proved the uselessness of my worries and so refocused…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-j-m-nouwen/it-wasn-t-that-the-gospel-proved-useful-for-my-many-worries-but-that/) [Henri J.M. Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-j-m-nouwen/) > [“You were created with intention, not manufactured for approval.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-patrick/you-were-created-with-intention-not-manufactured-for-approval/) Deborah Patrick > [One of our ambitions as independents is to alter our political culture. We want to leave behind the bullying, intimidation and tribalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luciana-berger/one-of-our-ambitions-as-independents-is-to-alter-our-political/) [Luciana Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luciana-berger/) > [Burmese political culture lacks an understanding of negotiated compromise. 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Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-w-wood/) ## 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/) > [The contemporary quarrel over church and state is not really about whether a wall of separation of church and state should exist or not...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-davison-hunter/the-contemporary-quarrel-over-church-and-state-is-not-really-about/) [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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What if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/what-if-many-listeners-hold-a-profoundly-different-understanding-of/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [I have, by God’s grace, learned as a member of the Christian community what is the nature of God’s mercy, which does not leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-williams/i-have-by-god-s-grace-learned-as-a-member-of-the-christian-community/) [Rowan Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-williams/) > [“The undiscerning observer may think that this mixture of ideal and reality, of the human and spiritual, is most likely to be present where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/the-undiscerning-observer-may-think-that-this-mixture-of-ideal-and/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [“Comparing yourself to others does nothing for you. Society has conditioned us to value people who fit a secular mold of perfection".”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michele-woolley/comparing-yourself-to-others-does-nothing-for-you-society-has/) [Michele Woolley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michele-woolley/) > [“Perhaps theological attempts to explain the destruction of churches or of “Christian nations” are asking the wrong question, if they judge success and failure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-jenkins/perhaps-theological-attempts-to-explain-the-destruction-of-churches/) [Philip Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-jenkins/) > [“A Creative Minority is a Christian community in a web of stubbornly loyal relationships, knotted together in a living network of persons who are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-creative-minority-is-a-christian-community-in-a-web-of-stubbornly/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It is essential to realize that the Christian community in the past was not a pious ideal, but a juridical fact which underlay the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-henry-dawson/it-is-essential-to-realize-that-the-christian-community-in-the-past/) [Christopher Henry Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-henry-dawson/) > [“Rooting ourselves in the Christian community is essential. Endurance in prayer, fostering positive mindsets, and taking tangible actions serve as our training ground. Success…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norbertus-krisnu-prabowo/rooting-ourselves-in-the-christian-community-is-essential-endurance/) [Norbertus Krisnu Prabowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norbertus-krisnu-prabowo/) > [The Christian community is a community of the cross, for it has been brought into being by the cross, and the focus of its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stott/the-christian-community-is-a-community-of-the-cross-for-it-has-been/) [John Stott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stott/) > [If the Christian community responds to our music better because maybe we gained a little more credibility in the mainstream, then it's not ideal,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-martel/if-the-christian-community-responds-to-our-music-better-because-maybe/) [Marc Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-martel/) [Browse all 121 Christian community quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian-community/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“What is even more striking than the negational character of this political culture is the absence of robust and constructive affirmations. Vibrant cultures make space for leisure, philosophical reflection, scientific and intellectual mastery, and artistic and literary expression, among other things. Within the larger Christian community in America, one can find such vitality in pockets here and there. Yet where they do exist, they are eclipsed by the greater prominence and vast resources of the political activists and their organizations. What is more, there are few if any places in the pronouncements and actions of the Christian Right or the Christian Left (none that I could find) where these gifts are acknowledged, affirmed, or celebrated. 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