Ascending Quote by John Calvin
“Mingled vanity and pride appear in this, that when miserable men do seek after God, instead of ascending higher than themselves as they ought to do, they measure him by their own carnal stupidity, and neglecting solid inquiry, fly off to indulge their curiosity in vain speculation.”
About This Quote
Source Sermon: Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 1, Chapter 2, 1536
People often project their own limited understanding onto God, reducing divine mystery to petty speculation and neglecting deeper inquiry.
In simple terms: People misinterpret God by using their own shallow thinking.
Key Takeaway
Seek deeper, humble inquiry about the divine.
Themes
faith
pride
humility
knowledge
interpretation
Mood
reflective
serious
inquisitive
Type
theological
philosophical
When to use this quote
- personal prayer
- academic study
- spiritual counseling
- interfaith dialogue
Key Concepts
theology
anthropology
epistemology
Questions to Reflect On
- How does personal bias shape your view of the divine?
- What practices help you move beyond superficial understanding?
A Different Perspective
Such projection can lead to dogmatism and hinder genuine spiritual growth.
![“It is experience of ourselves, and finding what we are, that God commonly makes use of as the means of bringing us off from all dependence on ourselves. But men never get acquaintance with themselves so fast, as in the most earnest way of seeking [salvation]. They that are in this way have more to…” quote by Jonathan Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b22/jonathan-edwards-770_freedom_it-is-experience-of-ourselves-and-findin_3208458.jpg)
