--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I'm asked to define God, I'm almost…" description: "\"When I'm asked to define God, I'm almost wordless.\" — John Shelby Spong" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/869/john-shelby-spong-1488_almost_when-i-m-asked-to-define-god-i-m-almost_1647915.png" --- # When I'm asked to define God, I'm almost wordless. ![“When I'm asked to define God, I'm almost wordless.” quote by John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/869/john-shelby-spong-1488_almost_when-i-m-asked-to-define-god-i-m-almost_1647915.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/869/john-shelby-spong-1488_almost_when-i-m-asked-to-define-god-i-m-almost_1647915.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/869/john-shelby-spong-1488_almost_when-i-m-asked-to-define-god-i-m-almost_1647915.png) > “When I'm asked to define God, I'm almost wordless.” [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Divine concepts elude precise definition, suggesting spirituality transcends language. **In simple terms:** God is beyond words. Key Takeaway Embrace mystery in faith. Themes spirituality language mystery faith philosophy Mood contemplative inquisitive Type theological philosophical When to use this quote - personal meditation - interfaith dialogue - creative worship - philosophical inquiry - poetic expression Key Concepts ineffability transcendence theology Questions to Reflect On - How does silence shape belief? - What role does language play in spirituality? A Different Perspective Attempting to define God can limit personal experience. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Almost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/almost/) [Asked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asked/) [Asked Define](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asked-define-625776/) [Define](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/define/) [Define God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/define-god-541390/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [God Wordless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-wordless-625775/) [Wordless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wordless/) ## Related quotes > [The first question she was asked was What do you do? as if that were enough to define you. Nobody ever asked you who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/the-first-question-she-was-asked-was-what-do-you-do-as-if-that-were/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [However you define God, and whether you believe in God or not, the world we live in has been shaped by the universal human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-winston/however-you-define-god-and-whether-you-believe-in-god-or-not-the/) [Robert Winston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-winston/) > [“We cannot begin to define God's knowledge. We know, simply and profoundly, that nothing is hidden from Him or incomprehensible to Him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-george/we-cannot-begin-to-define-god-s-knowledge-we-know-simply-and/) [Elizabeth George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-george/) > [If you can define what God is, I can tell you whether I believe in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sheen/if-you-can-define-what-god-is-i-can-tell-you-whether-i-believe-in-it/) [Michael Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sheen/) > [We do not define God - He defines us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-vader/we-do-not-define-god-he-defines-us/) [Randy Vader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-vader/) > [Let me say that I consider myself a deep believer in the reality of God. I might define God quite differently from the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/let-me-say-that-i-consider-myself-a-deep-believer-in-the-reality-of/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [God is a presence that I can never define but I could never deny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/god-is-a-presence-that-i-can-never-define-but-i-could-never-deny/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [“To say that some kind of god might exist is to vivify its being with mystery. To define a god into existence because it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-ligotti/to-say-that-some-kind-of-god-might-exist-is-to-vivify-its-being-with/) [Thomas Ligotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-ligotti/) > [I define God as an energy. A spiritual energy. 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But what I feel, and what touches me, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/i-wouldn-t-even-like-to-begin-to-define-god-i-have-absolutely-no-idea/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [“I came to define God by His handiwork: a craftsman who builds the hope of eternity into our genes, a master electrician and chemist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-bradley-hagerty/i-came-to-define-god-by-his-handiwork-a-craftsman-who-builds-the-hope/) [Barbara Bradley Hagerty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-bradley-hagerty/) > [We each define our god, and from this definition, we set the criteria for self-love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-taylor/we-each-define-our-god-and-from-this-definition-we-set-the-criteria/) [Jeremy Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-taylor/) > [We grew up going to church, and I believe in God. I don't know that I have the ability to define what or who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzodinma-iweala/we-grew-up-going-to-church-and-i-believe-in-god-i-don-t-know-that-i/) [Uzodinma Iweala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzodinma-iweala/) ## More by John Shelby Spong > [The way that I see Christianity is that its role is to enhance the life of every person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/the-way-that-i-see-christianity-is-that-its-role-is-to-enhance-the/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [The Sins of Scripture is an interesting title; most people don't put sins and scripture together in the same title. It jars people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/the-sins-of-scripture-is-an-interesting-title-most-people-don-t-put/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [“When a human life is open to all that humanity can be, humanity and divinity flow together as one. 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Sometimes, you're just in the wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/some-people-think-prayer-stops-bullets-or-rockets-or-land-mines-it/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [The Hebrew scriptures say it's okay to enslave anybody except your fellow Jews. It says you should enslave only your neighbors. I say to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/the-hebrew-scriptures-say-it-s-okay-to-enslave-anybody-except-your/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [ I know Jerry \[Falwell\] fairly well, and he's probably not bright enough to recognize all of the implications of what he said. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/i-know-jerry-falwell-fairly-well-and-he-s-probably-not-bright-enough/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [Benedict XVI kept saying that homosexuals are deviant. They're not deviant. 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