---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Given that religious faith is an…"
description: "\"Given that religious faith is an intrinsic element of human experience, it is best to approach and engage the subject with a sense of history and a cri..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a79/jon-meacham-2863_approach_given-that-religious-faith-is-an-intrins_2454879.png"
---

#  Given that religious faith is an intrinsic element of…

![“Given that religious faith is an intrinsic element of human experience, it is best to approach and engage the subject with a sense of history and a critical sensibility.” quote by Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a79/jon-meacham-2863_approach_given-that-religious-faith-is-an-intrins_2454879.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a79/jon-meacham-2863_approach_given-that-religious-faith-is-an-intrins_2454879.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a79/jon-meacham-2863_approach_given-that-religious-faith-is-an-intrins_2454879.png)

> “Given that religious faith is an intrinsic element of human experience, it is best to approach and engage the subject with a sense of history and a critical sensibility.”

[Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Faith should be examined historically and critically, not taken at face value.

**In simple terms:** Study religion with context and analysis.

Key Takeaway

Analyze belief systems critically.

Themes

history critical thinking religion analysis

Mood

thoughtful analytical

Type

advice philosophical

When to use this quote

- academic research
- interfaith dialogue
- personal reflection

Key Concepts

historical perspective critical sensibility

Questions to Reflect On

- How can we respect faith while being critical?
- What historical lessons inform modern belief?

A Different Perspective

Overemphasis on critique may alienate believers.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Approach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/approach/) [Elements](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elements/) [Experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experience/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human/) [Human experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-experience/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) [Religious faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious-faith/) [Sensibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sensibility/)

## Related quotes

> [“Faith is intrinsic to humanity and the freedom to practice one's religion is a right no power can deny”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aysha-taryam/faith-is-intrinsic-to-humanity-and-the-freedom-to-practice-one-s/)

[Aysha Taryam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aysha-taryam/)

> [Even the sober desire for progress is sustained by faith—faith in the intrinsic goodness of human nature and in the omnipotence of science. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/even-the-sober-desire-for-progress-is-sustained-by-faith-faith-in-the/)

[Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/)

> [The press is critical at this time, and if you look at history, this is so critical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-boxer/the-press-is-critical-at-this-time-and-if-you-look-at-history-this-is/)

[Barbara Boxer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-boxer/)

> [“The Black Death is a vivid example of a critical juncture, a major event or confluence of factors disrupting the existing economic or political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daron-acemo-lu/the-black-death-is-a-vivid-example-of-a-critical-juncture-a-major/)

[Daron Acemoğlu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daron-acemo-lu/)

> [Politics can be relatively fair in the breathing spaces of history; at its critical turning points there is no other rule possible than the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/politics-can-be-relatively-fair-in-the-breathing-spaces-of-history-at/)

[Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/)

> [Economic activity is no longer an adversarial contest between embattled sellers and buyers "In the distributed economy, where collaboration trumps competition, inclusivity replaces exclusivity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-rifkin/economic-activity-is-no-longer-an-adversarial-contest-between/)

[Jeremy Rifkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-rifkin/)

> [While we remain a nation decisively shaped by religious faith, our politics and our culture are, in the main, less influenced by movements and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/while-we-remain-a-nation-decisively-shaped-by-religious-faith-our/)

[Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/)

> [“Whether or not one likes Huntington's formulation, one thing is clear: the evil that has finally reached our shores is not merely the evil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/whether-or-not-one-likes-huntington-s-formulation-one-thing-is-clear/)

[Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/)

> [My belief is that the various religious traditions have great potential to increase compassion, the sense of caring for one another, and the spirit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/my-belief-is-that-the-various-religious-traditions-have-great/)

[Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/)

> [“An atheist is someone who is disappointed in his search of god. He is a man who strongly needed god but couldn't find him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/an-atheist-is-someone-who-is-disappointed-in-his-search-of-god-he-is/)

[Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/)

> [“In your darkest times, never be afraid. The Lord's presence is always with you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/in-your-darkest-times-never-be-afraid-the-lord-s-presence-is-always/)

[Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/)

> [“Once you let them establish their ideology in you, they will drive you crazy”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/once-you-let-them-establish-their-ideology-in-you-they-will-drive-you/)

[Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/)

> [“Treat your husband like a king... you are the pray-er; Jesus is the answered.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-malz/treat-your-husband-like-a-king-you-are-the-pray-er-jesus-is-the/)

[Betty Malz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-malz/)

> [“Richard Dawkins regards faith as an evil to be eliminated; he takes all religious faith to be blind faith. (Dawkins says) ‘Scientific belief is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennox/richard-dawkins-regards-faith-as-an-evil-to-be-eliminated-he-takes/)

[John Lennox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennox/)

> [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/)

## More by Jon Meacham

> [Scripture is not inerrant; believers are called to interpret biblical texts in light of tradition and reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/scripture-is-not-inerrant-believers-are-called-to-interpret-biblical/)

[Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/)

> [As a southerner born after the epic events of the civil rights movement, I've always wondered how on earth people of good will could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/as-a-southerner-born-after-the-epic-events-of-the-civil-rights/)

[Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/)

> [We are now living in a post-Roosevelt, post-Reagan universe. What comes next will not be post-partisan, because faction is an intrinsic human impulse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/we-are-now-living-in-a-post-roosevelt-post-reagan-universe-what-comes/)

[Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/)

> [“his other hand. Sensitive to his guest’s affliction, Churchill realized that “every step” was”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/his-other-hand-sensitive-to-his-guest-s-affliction-churchill-realized/)

[Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/)

> [Too many activists have convinced themselves that they have a monopoly on truth. A little humility and a sense of history could move us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/too-many-activists-have-convinced-themselves-that-they-have-a/)

[Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/)

> [In the fullness of time, I suspect that bigotry against homosexuals will seem as repugnant as racial prejudice does today. Or so one hopes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/in-the-fullness-of-time-i-suspect-that-bigotry-against-homosexuals/)

[Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/)

> [Mysteries and thrillers are not the same things, though they are literary siblings. Roughly put, I would say the distinction is that mysteries emphasize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/mysteries-and-thrillers-are-not-the-same-things-though-they-are/)

[Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/)

> [“When Lincoln was running for the House of Representatives from Illinois, he was charged with being “a scoffer at religion,” wrote the historian William…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/when-lincoln-was-running-for-the-house-of-representatives-from/)

[Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/)

> [“The Man who has not Music in his Soul, Or is not touch’d with Concord of sweet Sounds, Is fit for Treason, Stratagems, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/the-man-who-has-not-music-in-his-soul-or-is-not-touch-d-with-concord/)

[Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/)

> [I am an Episcopalian who takes the faith of my fathers seriously, and I would, I think, be disheartened if my own young children…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/i-am-an-episcopalian-who-takes-the-faith-of-my-fathers-seriously-and/)

[Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/)

> [Only the most unapologetic biblical fundamentalists, for instance, take every biblical injunction literally. If we all took all scripture at the same level of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/only-the-most-unapologetic-biblical-fundamentalists-for-instance-take/)

[Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/)

> [“There was, of course, a more immediate point to frequent gatherings of lawmakers, diplomats, and cabinet officers at the president’s table. It tends to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/there-was-of-course-a-more-immediate-point-to-frequent-gatherings-of/)

[Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/)

> [“For Jefferson, William and Mary was largely about what university life is supposed to be about: reading books, enjoying the company of like-minded, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/for-jefferson-william-and-mary-was-largely-about-what-university-life/)

[Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/)

> [One wonders whether the Obama re-election campaign may be on the right track as it seeks to apply the you-break-it-you-own-it rule to Bush and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/one-wonders-whether-the-obama-re-election-campaign-may-be-on-the/)

[Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/)

> [Reagan is the Republican FDR, an exemplar of presidential greatness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/reagan-is-the-republican-fdr-an-exemplar-of-presidential-greatness/)

[Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/)

[Explore all 146 Jon Meacham quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/)

## More Approach quotes

> [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/)

[Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/)

> [I'm in a business where there's complete anarchy. You can't control it - you can only react to it. The control that people traditionally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-sorrell/i-m-in-a-business-where-there-s-complete-anarchy-you-can-t-control-it/)

[Martin Sorrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-sorrell/)

> [When you approach something to photograph it, first be still with yourself until the object of your attention affirms your presence. Then don't leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minor-white/when-you-approach-something-to-photograph-it-first-be-still-with/)

[Minor White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/minor-white/)

> [We do not want to be reminded that it is we, the indigenous people, who are poor and exploited in the land of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-biko/we-do-not-want-to-be-reminded-that-it-is-we-the-indigenous-people-who/)

[Steven Biko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-biko/)

> [One of the things I regret about not putting in that book or I think it's there but I didn't really elaborate on it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-warner/one-of-the-things-i-regret-about-not-putting-in-that-book-or-i-think/)

[Brad Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-warner/)

> [Ideal for the child and society in the best of times, Rudolf Steiner's brilliant process of education is critically needed and profoundly relevant now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-chilton-pearce/ideal-for-the-child-and-society-in-the-best-of-times-rudolf-steiner-s/)

[Joseph Chilton Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-chilton-pearce/)

> [I don't have any particular method, my approach is very simple. I try to understand the emotional graph of the character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pratik-gandhi/i-don-t-have-any-particular-method-my-approach-is-very-simple-i-try/)

[Pratik Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pratik-gandhi/)

> [“But young men have not only this frivolous ambition of being thought masters of execution, inciting them on the one hand, but also their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/but-young-men-have-not-only-this-frivolous-ambition-of-being-thought/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Everything, every part that you approach has to be somehow rooted in yourself. You have to somehow root everything so that it's not just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judi-dench/everything-every-part-that-you-approach-has-to-be-somehow-rooted-in/)

[Judi Dench](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judi-dench/)

> [Literature transforms and intensifies ordinary language, deviates systematically from everyday speech. If you approach me at a bus stop and murmur Thou still unravished…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-eagleton/literature-transforms-and-intensifies-ordinary-language-deviates/)

[Terry Eagleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-eagleton/)

> [The whole secret to mastering the game of golf - and this applies to the beginner as well as the pro - is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-palmer/the-whole-secret-to-mastering-the-game-of-golf-and-this-applies-to/)

[Arnold Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-palmer/)

> [The essence of Christianity...is an ever-new encounter with... the God who speaks to us, who approaches us and who befriends us!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-benedict-xvi/the-essence-of-christianity-is-an-ever-new-encounter-with-the-god-who/)

[Pope Benedict XVI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-benedict-xvi/)

> [Like a morning dream, life becomes more and more bright the longer we live, and the reason of everything appears more clear. What has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul/like-a-morning-dream-life-becomes-more-and-more-bright-the-longer-we/)

[Jean Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul/)

> [What begins as a Utopian vision, always - always - ends in bloodshed. Because you have to force a utopia on a free people.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-gutfeld/what-begins-as-a-utopian-vision-always-always-ends-in-bloodshed/)

[Greg Gutfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-gutfeld/)

> [The only two good words that can be said for a hurricane are that it gives sufficient warning of its approach, and that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-atherton/the-only-two-good-words-that-can-be-said-for-a-hurricane-are-that-it/)

[Gertrude Atherton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-atherton/)

[Browse all 3,949 Approach quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/approach/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Given that religious faith is an intrinsic element of human experience, it is best to approach and engage the subject with a sense of history and a critical sensibility.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jon Meacham"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/given-that-religious-faith-is-an-intrinsic-element-of-human/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Approach"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/given-that-religious-faith-is-an-intrinsic-element-of-human/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a79/jon-meacham-2863_approach_given-that-religious-faith-is-an-intrins_2454879.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a79/jon-meacham-2863_approach_given-that-religious-faith-is-an-intrins_2454879.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a79/jon-meacham-2863_approach_given-that-religious-faith-is-an-intrins_2454879.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Given that religious faith is an intrinsic element of human experience, it is best to approach and engage…” — Jon Meacham",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Jon Meacham",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Given that religious faith is an...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/given-that-religious-faith-is-an-intrinsic-element-of-human/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/given-that-religious-faith-is-an-intrinsic-element-of-human/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
