Catholic Quote by John Shelby Spong
“If you want to be a Roman Catholic scholar and write, you've got to write in such a way that nobody understands what you're saying, and then you're thought to be profound.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Theological discussion, 2005, United States
Spong critiques academic Catholic writing as intentionally obscure, suggesting that incomprehensibility is mistaken for depth.
In simple terms: He says scholars write obscurely to seem profound.
Key Takeaway
Value clarity over needless complexity in scholarship.
Themes
theology
academia
communication
intellectual honesty
religion
Mood
analytical
critical
encouraging
Type
educational
theological
literary
When to use this quote
- seminar teaching
- academic publishing
- public theology
- faith education
Key Concepts
critical theory
literary analysis
pedagogy
Questions to Reflect On
- Why do we equate difficulty with profundity?
- How can scholars make ideas accessible without losing nuance?
A Different Perspective
Not all complex writing is intentionally obscure; some topics are inherently dense.
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