--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: An error in the doctrine of God will have…" description: "\"“An error in the doctrine of God will have inevitable consequences in the sphere of action, of moral behaviour, of the polity of the Church, and of bas..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e4/joseph-p-farrell-30695_church-fathers_an-error-in-the-doctrine-of-god-will-hav_1045947.png" --- # An error in the doctrine of God will have inevitable… ![“An error in the doctrine of God will have inevitable consequences in the sphere of action, of moral behaviour, of the polity of the Church, and of basic culture and social organization. A change in the doctrine of the Trinity in either of these directions cannot help but have political…” quote by Joseph P. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e4/joseph-p-farrell-30695_church-fathers_an-error-in-the-doctrine-of-god-will-hav_1045947.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e4/joseph-p-farrell-30695_church-fathers_an-error-in-the-doctrine-of-god-will-hav_1045947.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e4/joseph-p-farrell-30695_church-fathers_an-error-in-the-doctrine-of-god-will-hav_1045947.png) > ““An error in the doctrine of God will have inevitable consequences in the sphere of action, of moral behaviour, of the polity of the Church, and of basic culture and social organization. A change in the doctrine of the Trinity in either of these directions cannot help but have political consequences. Farrell, commenting on Nazianzen's connection between Trinity and Holy Monarchy”” [Joseph P. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-p-farrell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Changing core theological ideas reshapes moral behavior, church governance, and societal structures, often producing political effects. **In simple terms:** Altering doctrine changes actions and politics. Key Takeaway Recognize how beliefs influence systems. Themes theology politics culture ethics institutional change Mood reflective critical Type analytical theoretical When to use this quote - church leadership - policy making - educational curricula - public discourse Key Concepts Doctrine Trinity social organization Questions to Reflect On - How do theological shifts affect civic life? - Can doctrine be separated from politics? A Different Perspective Political impact may be indirect and contested. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Church fathers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church-fathers/) [Monarchy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monarchy/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) ## Related quotes > [“If you marry someone expecting them to be like a god, it is only inevitable that they will disappoint you. It's not that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/if-you-marry-someone-expecting-them-to-be-like-a-god-it-is-only/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [When you want to find Truth as God, the only inevitable means is love, that is nonviolence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/when-you-want-to-find-truth-as-god-the-only-inevitable-means-is-love/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“The word “inevitable” is fearful to the ego, but joyous to the spirit. God is inevitable, and you cannot avoid Him any more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foundation-for-inner-peace/the-word-inevitable-is-fearful-to-the-ego-but-joyous-to-the-spirit/) [Foundation for Inner Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foundation-for-inner-peace/) > [“We exist with or without God. We are the inevitable result of entropy. Life is not the point of the universe. Life is simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-brown/we-exist-with-or-without-god-we-are-the-inevitable-result-of-entropy/) [Dan Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-brown/) > [This philosophical postulate that the end of all being is the happiness of man has been sort-of covered over with evangelical terms and biblical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paris-reidhead/this-philosophical-postulate-that-the-end-of-all-being-is-the/) [Paris Reidhead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paris-reidhead/) > [Pantheism, n. The doctrine that everything is God, in contradistinction to the doctrine that God is everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/pantheism-n-the-doctrine-that-everything-is-god-in-contradistinction/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [Is it our task to force the biblical doctrine of God to answer to modern culture, or (is it our task) to address modern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-mohler/is-it-our-task-to-force-the-biblical-doctrine-of-god-to-answer-to/) [Albert Mohler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-mohler/) > [The religion of Jesus is founded in the Unity of God, and this principle chiefly gave it triumph over the rabble of heathen gods…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/the-religion-of-jesus-is-founded-in-the-unity-of-god-and-this/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“If some watcher or holy one who has spent his glad centuries by the sea of fire were to come to earth, how meaningless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-w-tozer/if-some-watcher-or-holy-one-who-has-spent-his-glad-centuries-by-the/) [A.W. Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-w-tozer/) > [Of all the doctrines of the Bible none is so offensive to human nature as the doctrine of God's sovereignty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-c-ryle/of-all-the-doctrines-of-the-bible-none-is-so-offensive-to-human/) [J. C. Ryle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-c-ryle/) > [“theology, the doctrine of God, which is always attacked and ridiculed by philosophy, which claims to be wisdom itself. And medicine, which always questions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-strindberg/theology-the-doctrine-of-god-which-is-always-attacked-and-ridiculed/) [August Strindberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-strindberg/) > [“Everything that happens in philosophy has, in the last instance, not only political consequences in theory, but also political consequences in politics: in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-althusser/everything-that-happens-in-philosophy-has-in-the-last-instance-not/) [Louis Althusser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-althusser/) > [The emerging 'environmentalization' of our civilization and the need for vigorous action in the interest of the entire global community will inevitably have multiple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-gorbachev/the-emerging-environmentalization-of-our-civilization-and-the-need/) [Mikhail Gorbachev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-gorbachev/) > [I believe there should be political consequences for politicians who commit voter suppression.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-kander/i-believe-there-should-be-political-consequences-for-politicians-who/) [Jason Kander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-kander/) > [Imperialist enterprise draws political consequences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-l-r-james/imperialist-enterprise-draws-political-consequences/) [C. L. R. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-l-r-james/) ## More by Joseph P. Farrell > [If you go in for argument take care of your temper. Your logic if you have any will take care of itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-p-farrell/if-you-go-in-for-argument-take-care-of-your-temper-your-logic-if-you/) [Joseph P. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-p-farrell/) > [Most people like praise . . . When it is really deserved, most people expand under it into richer and better selves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-p-farrell/most-people-like-praise-when-it-is-really-deserved-most-people-expand/) [Joseph P. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-p-farrell/) > [The secret of all power is - save your force. If you want high pressure you must choke off waste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-p-farrell/the-secret-of-all-power-is-save-your-force-if-you-want-high-pressure/) [Joseph P. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-p-farrell/) > [Epigram and truth are rarely commensurate. Truth has to get somewhat chiseled, as it were, before it will fit into an epigram.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-p-farrell/epigram-and-truth-are-rarely-commensurate-truth-has-to-get-somewhat/) [Joseph P. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-p-farrell/) > [There is an illusion that has much to do with... most of our unhappiness… We expect too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-p-farrell/there-is-an-illusion-that-has-much-to-do-with-most-of-our-unhappiness/) [Joseph P. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-p-farrell/) > [“one dinosaur, the iguanodon, which did”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-p-farrell/one-dinosaur-the-iguanodon-which-did/) [Joseph P. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-p-farrell/) > [“...carved marble figures in strata that "suggests the characters were made by intelligent humans from the distant past," a section of gold thread found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-p-farrell/carved-marble-figures-in-strata-that-suggests-the-characters-were/) [Joseph P. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-p-farrell/) > [We are odd compounds full of explosive material to which circumstances may at any time apply a spark, with results undreamed of even by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-p-farrell/we-are-odd-compounds-full-of-explosive-material-to-which/) [Joseph P. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-p-farrell/) > [The man who most vividly realizes a difficulty is the man most likely to overcome it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-p-farrell/the-man-who-most-vividly-realizes-a-difficulty-is-the-man-most-likely/) [Joseph P. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-p-farrell/) > [Take my advice, dear reader, don’t talk epigrams even if you have the gift. I know, to those have, the temptation is almost irresistible.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-p-farrell/take-my-advice-dear-reader-don-t-talk-epigrams-even-if-you-have-the/) [Joseph P. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-p-farrell/) > [When a man thinks he is reading the character of another, he is often unconsciously betraying his own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-p-farrell/when-a-man-thinks-he-is-reading-the-character-of-another-he-is-often/) [Joseph P. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-p-farrell/) > [When a man thinks he is reading the character of another, he is often unconsciously betraying his own; and this is especially the case…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-p-farrell/when-a-man-thinks-he-is-reading-the-character-of-another-he-is-often-2/) [Joseph P. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-p-farrell/) [Explore all 13 Joseph P. Farrell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-p-farrell/) ## More Church fathers quotes > [ “\[On the Human Soul\] While the Bible offers a clear distinction that the soul is separate from the body and discusses the idea of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-goedken/on-the-human-soul-while-the-bible-offers-a-clear-distinction-that-the/) [Brian Goedken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-goedken/) > [Baptize first the children; and if they can speak for themselves, let them do so. Otherwise, let their parents or other relatives speak for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hippolytus-of-rome/baptize-first-the-children-and-if-they-can-speak-for-themselves-let/) Hippolytus of Rome > [“The Ancient Church Fathers, including disciples of the twelve apostles, were firmly premillennial, pretribulational, and very pro-Israel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-johnson/the-ancient-church-fathers-including-disciples-of-the-twelve-apostles/) Ken Johnson > [The Church received from the apostles the tradition of giving baptism even to infants. The apostles, to whom were committed the secrets of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/origen/the-church-received-from-the-apostles-the-tradition-of-giving-baptism/) [Origen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/origen/) > [“what the Scriptures teach unsettled by their encounter with the book of Providence. This is often the case when it comes to the early…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/what-the-scriptures-teach-unsettled-by-their-encounter-with-the-book/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [“But the work which most richly embroidered the gospel narratives and was destined to exert a tremendous influence on later Mariology was the Protoevangelium…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-n-d-kelly/but-the-work-which-most-richly-embroidered-the-gospel-narratives-and/) J.N.D. Kelly > [“The Theology of The Holy Trinity has been well established for 1700 years. In my opinion, it is hyper-evident by the New Testament manuscripts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-alan-woods/the-theology-of-the-holy-trinity-has-been-well-established-for-1700/) [R. Alan Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-alan-woods/) > [ \[Naaman\] dipped himself," it says, "seven times in Jordan." It was not for nothing that Naaman of old, when suffering from leprosy, was purified… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irenaeus-of-lyons/naaman-dipped-himself-it-says-seven-times-in-jordan-it-was-not-for/) [Irenaeus of Lyons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irenaeus-of-lyons/) > [It took time for the church to come to terms with the ignominy of the cross. Church fathers forbade its depiction in art until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/it-took-time-for-the-church-to-come-to-terms-with-the-ignominy-of-the/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > ['Eat my flesh,' Jesus says, 'and drink my blood.' The Lord supplies us with these intimate nutrients, he delivers over his flesh and pours…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clement-of-alexandria/eat-my-flesh-jesus-says-and-drink-my-blood-the-lord-supplies-us-with/) [Clement of Alexandria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clement-of-alexandria/) > [Because I know that the early Greeks and Romans and the early Europeans at that age did not see racism as we see it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immortal-technique/because-i-know-that-the-early-greeks-and-romans-and-the-early/) [Immortal Technique](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immortal-technique/) > [The Christian test was a willingness to believe in the one Jesus Christ and His Message of salvation. What was demanded was not criticism…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-j-boorstin/the-christian-test-was-a-willingness-to-believe-in-the-one-jesus/) [Daniel J. Boorstin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-j-boorstin/) > [Cyprian was not issuing a new decree but was keeping to the most solid belief of the Church in order to correct some who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-augustine/cyprian-was-not-issuing-a-new-decree-but-was-keeping-to-the-most/) [Saint Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-augustine/) > [“By the early fifth century, the Church that had begun as a tiny group of fishermen and other poor people meeting in modest abodes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-f-cantor/by-the-early-fifth-century-the-church-that-had-begun-as-a-tiny-group/) [Norman F. Cantor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-f-cantor/) > [“I’m now reading Tertullian, Cyprian, and others of the church fathers with great interest. In some ways they are more relevant to our time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/i-m-now-reading-tertullian-cyprian-and-others-of-the-church-fathers/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) [Browse all 50 Church fathers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church-fathers/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“An error in the doctrine of God will have inevitable consequences in the sphere of action, of moral behaviour, of the polity of the Church, and of basic culture and social organization. A change in the doctrine of the Trinity in either of these directions cannot help but have political consequences. Farrell, commenting on Nazianzen's connection between Trinity and Holy Monarchy”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joseph P. Farrell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-p-farrell/an-error-in-the-doctrine-of-god-will-have-inevitable-consequences-in/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Church fathers" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-p-farrell/an-error-in-the-doctrine-of-god-will-have-inevitable-consequences-in/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e4/joseph-p-farrell-30695_church-fathers_an-error-in-the-doctrine-of-god-will-hav_1045947.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e4/joseph-p-farrell-30695_church-fathers_an-error-in-the-doctrine-of-god-will-hav_1045947.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e4/joseph-p-farrell-30695_church-fathers_an-error-in-the-doctrine-of-god-will-hav_1045947.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“An error in the doctrine of God will have inevitable consequences in the sphere of action, of moral…” — Joseph P. Farrell", "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": "Joseph P. Farrell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-p-farrell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“An error in the doctrine of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-p-farrell/an-error-in-the-doctrine-of-god-will-have-inevitable-consequences-in/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-p-farrell/an-error-in-the-doctrine-of-god-will-have-inevitable-consequences-in/#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 } } ] } ```