--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I admit at the beginning that 'popular…" description: "\"“I admit at the beginning that 'popular religion,' 'demotic religion,' the pieties of the common folk, tends to sink to the lowest common denominator, ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b3/markham-shaw-pyle-22408_common-denominator_i-admit-at-the-beginning-that-popular-re_1928235.jpg" --- # I admit at the beginning that 'popular religion,' 'demotic… ![“I admit at the beginning that 'popular religion,' 'demotic religion,' the pieties of the common folk, tends to sink to the lowest common denominator, be it in syncretizing saints with old, half-forgotten pagan godlings, or in preferring the nasal whine and the revivalist shoutin' to solid sense…” quote by Markham Shaw Pyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b3/markham-shaw-pyle-22408_common-denominator_i-admit-at-the-beginning-that-popular-re_1928235.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b3/markham-shaw-pyle-22408_common-denominator_i-admit-at-the-beginning-that-popular-re_1928235.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b3/markham-shaw-pyle-22408_common-denominator_i-admit-at-the-beginning-that-popular-re_1928235.jpg) > ““I admit at the beginning that 'popular religion,' 'demotic religion,' the pieties of the common folk, tends to sink to the lowest common denominator, be it in syncretizing saints with old, half-forgotten pagan godlings, or in preferring the nasal whine and the revivalist shoutin' to solid sense and learning, regarding intellect as positively inimical to the workings of the Holy Ghost. But it is in American religious life, especially Protestant American religious life, that things bottom out completely.”” [Markham Shaw Pyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markham-shaw-pyle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage critiques how popular religion often simplifies complex beliefs, merging old and new elements, and can become intellectually shallow, especially in Protestant contexts. **In simple terms:** Popular religion can become overly simplistic and anti‑intellectual. Key Takeaway Seek depth over easy answers. Themes religion culture intellect popular belief Mood critical reflective Type analytical critical When to use this quote - church services - public debates - educational curricula Key Concepts syncretism cultural dilution intellectualism Questions to Reflect On - How can religious traditions stay meaningful yet accessible? - What role does intellect play in personal belief? A Different Perspective The critique may overlook the value of accessible faith expressions for many people. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Common denominator](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common-denominator/) [Holy ghost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holy-ghost/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Pagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pagan/) [Prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer/) [Protestant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protestant/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religious life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious-life/) ## Related quotes > [Until we believe that we are as bad as God says we are, we can never believe that He will do for us what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/until-we-believe-that-we-are-as-bad-as-god-says-we-are-we-can-never/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [When you can discover where the fresh colors of the faded flower abide, or the music of the broken lyre, seek life among the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-bysshe-shelley/when-you-can-discover-where-the-fresh-colors-of-the-faded-flower/) [Percy Bysshe Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-bysshe-shelley/) > [Since the Enlightenment, popular religion has rejected the Enlightenment path and transformed itself into a bastion of resistance against reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-w-wood/since-the-enlightenment-popular-religion-has-rejected-the/) [Allen W. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-w-wood/) > [Popular religion is a coping mechanism for the anxieties of a dysfunctional social and economic environment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-s-paul/popular-religion-is-a-coping-mechanism-for-the-anxieties-of-a/) [Gregory S. Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-s-paul/) > [“Nay, if we should suppose, what never happens, that a popular religion were found, in which it was expressly declared, that nothing but morality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/nay-if-we-should-suppose-what-never-happens-that-a-popular-religion/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [Popular religion since the time of Kant and Fichte has gone in a direction they tried to prevent and that has been disastrous for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-w-wood/popular-religion-since-the-time-of-kant-and-fichte-has-gone-in-a/) [Allen W. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-w-wood/) > [The God of popular religion is not holy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul/the-god-of-popular-religion-is-not-holy/) [R. C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul/) > [Whatever helps you sleep is my opinion on the subject, and that's what I like about the western world's most popular religion, it has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roseanne-barr/whatever-helps-you-sleep-is-my-opinion-on-the-subject-and-that-s-what/) [Roseanne Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roseanne-barr/) > [The radical novelty of modern science lies precisely in the rejection of the belief, which is at the heart of all popular religion, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-adams/the-radical-novelty-of-modern-science-lies-precisely-in-the-rejection/) [Richard Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-adams/) > [“the ministries of the Church are regarded by the masses merely as dignities, her offices as posts of emolument—in short, popular religion may be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/the-ministries-of-the-church-are-regarded-by-the-masses-merely-as/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Why do we believe in and practice polygamy? Because the Lord introduced it to his servants in a revelation given to Joseph Smith, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brigham-young/why-do-we-believe-in-and-practice-polygamy-because-the-lord/) [Brigham Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigham-young/) > [I shall venture to affirm, that there never was a popular religion, which represented the state of departed souls in such a light,as would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/i-shall-venture-to-affirm-that-there-never-was-a-popular-religion/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [In our English popular religion the common conception of a future state of bliss is that of ... a kind of perfected middle-class home,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-arnold/in-our-english-popular-religion-the-common-conception-of-a-future/) [Matthew Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-arnold/) > [“...Catholic versus Protestant, essentially. It's that kind of fight. ... And it goes on to this day. Will we never learn? Who knows? Religion.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/catholic-versus-protestant-essentially-it-s-that-kind-of-fight-and-it/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [The protestant world is in great need of examples (like these) that will beckon us to the fullness of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-bickle/the-protestant-world-is-in-great-need-of-examples-like-these-that/) [Mike Bickle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-bickle/) ## More by Markham Shaw Pyle > [“In the past few years, genetics have confirmed that the hunter-gatherers were not overwhelmed by the new wave of sedentary farmers, and that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markham-shaw-pyle/in-the-past-few-years-genetics-have-confirmed-that-the-hunter/) [Markham Shaw Pyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markham-shaw-pyle/) > [“... in 1912, although he, more even than other members of the Senate and the House, thought himself presidential timber (a delusion from which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markham-shaw-pyle/in-1912-although-he-more-even-than-other-members-of-the-senate-and/) [Markham Shaw Pyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markham-shaw-pyle/) > [“Recent fads in history and biography have increasingly exalted the aridity of chronology and fact, and have, with some valid reason, rejected romanticizing and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markham-shaw-pyle/recent-fads-in-history-and-biography-have-increasingly-exalted-the/) [Markham Shaw Pyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markham-shaw-pyle/) > [ “Show me you care about our common tongue. Bring to your \[writing\] passion, deeply informed by knowledge of your subject. 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Red dirt never quite washes out, and pine pollen is tenacious as original sin. You can leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markham-shaw-pyle/but-that-s-the-thing-about-east-texas-red-dirt-never-quite-washes-out/) [Markham Shaw Pyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markham-shaw-pyle/) [Explore all 27 Markham Shaw Pyle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markham-shaw-pyle/) ## More Common denominator quotes > [“Yet the flip side of the coin was all the positive literature about radium. As early as 1914, specialists knew that radium could deposit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-moore/yet-the-flip-side-of-the-coin-was-all-the-positive-literature-about/) [Kate Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-moore/) > [Even if it's just a little thing, something like a song, there's still that sort of common language, that common denominator that we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonas-carpignano/even-if-it-s-just-a-little-thing-something-like-a-song-there-s-still/) [Jonas Carpignano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonas-carpignano/) > [“Der kleinste gemeinsame Nenner ist ein Klumpen Dreck, an den sich alle klammern müssen. // The lowest common denominator is a piece of dirt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/der-kleinste-gemeinsame-nenner-ist-ein-klumpen-dreck-an-den-sich-alle/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [As long as our culture continues to fawn over its downward-aspiring lowest common denominators, the United States will remain a social and political punch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-beal/as-long-as-our-culture-continues-to-fawn-over-its-downward-aspiring/) [Anthony Beal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-beal/) > [The common denominator is that we all need help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judah-smith/the-common-denominator-is-that-we-all-need-help/) [Judah Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judah-smith/) > [A lot of times, women complain about men around them. It's not always someone else's fault. If you're the common denominator in 57 different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karrine-steffans/a-lot-of-times-women-complain-about-men-around-them-it-s-not-always/) [Karrine Steffans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karrine-steffans/) > [I'm an anarchist. I'm implacably opposed to heirarchical systems of power and control. I also mistrust crowds, as they often operate according to their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-self/i-m-an-anarchist-i-m-implacably-opposed-to-heirarchical-systems-of/) [Will Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-self/) > [Actually I'm more culturally Muslim than religiously but being Muslim is an important part of my identity. As Muslim, I feel it's important to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aasif-mandvi/actually-i-m-more-culturally-muslim-than-religiously-but-being-muslim/) [Aasif Mandvi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aasif-mandvi/) > [There is something powerful in the whispering of obscenities, about those in power. There's something delightful about it, something naughty, secretive, forbidden, thrilling. 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In life, as in physics, both are the common denominator of all experiences.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-dutton/time-and-suffering-are-inseperable-in-life-as-in-physics-both-are-the/) [Christopher Dutton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-dutton/) > [Most of the time people are aiming so low on television. They're trying to reach that common denominator, especially on network television.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-mcdermott/most-of-the-time-people-are-aiming-so-low-on-television-they-re/) [Dylan McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-mcdermott/) > [Photography appears to be an easy activity; in fact it is a varied and ambiguous process in which the only common denominator among its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-cartier-bresson/photography-appears-to-be-an-easy-activity-in-fact-it-is-a-varied-and/) [Henri Cartier-Bresson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-cartier-bresson/) > [People are the common denominator of progress. So... no improvement is possible with unimproved people, and advance is certain when people are liberated and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/people-are-the-common-denominator-of-progress-so-no-improvement-is/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) [Browse all 295 Common denominator quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common-denominator/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I admit at the beginning that 'popular religion,' 'demotic religion,' the pieties of the common folk, tends to sink to the lowest common denominator, be it in syncretizing saints with old, half-forgotten pagan godlings, or in preferring the nasal whine and the revivalist shoutin' to solid sense and learning, regarding intellect as positively inimical to the workings of the Holy Ghost. 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