--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The fact is that there is a profound…" description: "\"The fact is that there is a profound spiritual hunger in the western world which, for a variety of reasons, its church is no longer able to assuage. So..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2e/melanie-phillips-42494_able_the-fact-is-that-there-is-a-profound-spi_42587.jpg" --- # The fact is that there is a profound spiritual hunger in… ![“The fact is that there is a profound spiritual hunger in the western world which, for a variety of reasons, its church is no longer able to assuage. So a book which suggests that there is a spiritual significance to the Christian story but that this has been suppressed by the church undoubtedly…” quote by Melanie Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2e/melanie-phillips-42494_able_the-fact-is-that-there-is-a-profound-spi_42587.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2e/melanie-phillips-42494_able_the-fact-is-that-there-is-a-profound-spi_42587.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2e/melanie-phillips-42494_able_the-fact-is-that-there-is-a-profound-spi_42587.jpg) > “The fact is that there is a profound spiritual hunger in the western world which, for a variety of reasons, its church is no longer able to assuage. So a book which suggests that there is a spiritual significance to the Christian story but that this has been suppressed by the church undoubtedly appeals to those who are anxious to square this circle.” [Melanie Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-phillips/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Western societies experience a deep, unfulfilled spiritual yearning that mainstream churches fail to satisfy, prompting interest in narratives that reveal hidden spiritual meanings within Christianity. **In simple terms:** Unmet spiritual need drives curiosity about suppressed Christian significance. Key Takeaway Hidden spiritual depth appeals to seekers. Themes spiritual hunger cultural disillusionment religious critique search for meaning alternative narratives Mood reflective curious skeptical Type analytical observational cultural critique When to use this quote - people feeling spiritual emptiness - readers questioning church authority - individuals exploring deeper Christian symbolism Key Concepts spiritual fulfillment institutional inadequacy mythic reinterpretation Practical Applications - writing books that reinterpret religious stories - developing curricula that address spiritual gaps Questions to Reflect On - How does institutional failure shape personal spirituality? - What are the risks of seeking meaning outside traditional structures? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Able](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) [Anxious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anxious/) [Appeals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appeals/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian/) [Christian Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian-story-460668/) [Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) [Circles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/circles/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [Hunger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hunger/) [Morality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morality/) [Profound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/profound/) [Profound spiritual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/profound-spiritual/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Significance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/significance/) [Significance Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/significance-christian-460666/) [Spiritual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spiritual/) [Spiritual hunger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spiritual-hunger/) [Spiritual Significance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spiritual-significance-460665/) [Squares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/squares/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Suppressed Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suppressed-church-460667/) [Variety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/variety/) [Western](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/western/) [Western world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/western-world/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [Christmas has a certain universal appeal that gives it meaning well beyond a day to celebrate the birth of Jesus, but Christians have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-josephson/christmas-has-a-certain-universal-appeal-that-gives-it-meaning-well/) [Michael Josephson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-josephson/) > [“But the christian story of God the Father putting his son to death, or employing people to do it, (for that is the plain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/but-the-christian-story-of-god-the-father-putting-his-son-to-death-or/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [In the Christian Story, mind and matter - invisible things and visible things - are both real. 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Indeed, the problem of evil is the reason… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-koukl/trouble-hardship-difficulty-pain-suffering-conflict-tragedy-evil-they/) [Greg Koukl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-koukl/) > [“This is where the Christian Story stands out dramatically from all the rest.5 The Story answers the question “Why?” It tells us why man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-koukl/this-is-where-the-christian-story-stands-out-dramatically-from-all/) [Gregory Koukl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-koukl/) > [“But the LOST narrative is uniquely intertwined with the Judeo-Christian story, and the beauty of Christianity is found in its unyielding proclamation that no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-seay/but-the-lost-narrative-is-uniquely-intertwined-with-the-judeo/) [Chris Seay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-seay/) > [Suffering is actually at the heart of the Christian story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/suffering-is-actually-at-the-heart-of-the-christian-story/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [Religion is not something separate and apart from ordinary life. 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To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/) [Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/) > [I wanted to remember in order to be able to return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-wanted-to-remember-in-order-to-be-able-to-return/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/) [Greg Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-perry/) > [I don't know if I would qualify as mainstream. 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