---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The natural/supernatural distinction…"
description: "\"The natural/supernatural distinction itself, and the near-equation of 'supernatural' with 'superstition', are scarecrows that Enlightenment thought has..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46e/n-t-wright-2-2245_argument_the-natural-supernatural-distinction-its_2810216.jpg"
---

#  The natural/supernatural distinction itself, and the…

![“The natural/supernatural distinction itself, and the near-equation of 'supernatural' with 'superstition', are scarecrows that Enlightenment thought has erected in its fields to frighten away anyone following the historical argument where it leads. It is high time the birds learned to take no notice.” quote by N. T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46e/n-t-wright-2-2245_argument_the-natural-supernatural-distinction-its_2810216.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46e/n-t-wright-2-2245_argument_the-natural-supernatural-distinction-its_2810216.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46e/n-t-wright-2-2245_argument_the-natural-supernatural-distinction-its_2810216.jpg)

> “The natural/supernatural distinction itself, and the near-equation of 'supernatural' with 'superstition', are scarecrows that Enlightenment thought has erected in its fields to frighten away anyone following the historical argument where it leads. It is high time the birds learned to take no notice.”

[N. T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright-2/)

## About This Quote

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

Enlightenment’s binary view of natural vs. supernatural limits inquiry; we should ignore such false dichotomies.

**In simple terms:** Binary thinking limits inquiry.

Key Takeaway

Question rigid categories.

Themes

philosophy science religion

Mood

thoughtful critical

Type

philosophical analytical

When to use this quote

- academic debate
- public discourse

Key Concepts

epistemology critical thinking

Questions to Reflect On

- What benefits arise from integration?
- How to balance skepticism?

A Different Perspective

It may oversimplify complex traditions.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Argument](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/argument/) [Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bird/) [Buddhism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buddhism/) [Distinction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distinction/) [Enlightenment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enlightenment/) [Equations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/equations/) [Fields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fields/) [Following](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/following/) [Historical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/historical/) [Natural](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/natural/) [Natural Supernatural](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/natural-supernatural-666914/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Scarecrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scarecrow/) [Supernatural Distinction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/supernatural-distinction-3515524/) [Supernatural Superstition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/supernatural-superstition-3515523/) [Superstition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/superstition/) [Superstition Scarecrows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/superstition-scarecrows-3515525/) [Superstitions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/superstitions/)

## Related quotes

> [The problem of the novelist who wishes to write about a man's encounter with God is how he shall make the experience--which is both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flannery-o-connor/the-problem-of-the-novelist-who-wishes-to-write-about-a-man-s/)

[Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/)

> [Mysticism occurs whenever a human being sees the separation between the natural and the supernatural, between the temporal and the eternal, as overcome.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-schweitzer/mysticism-occurs-whenever-a-human-being-sees-the-separation-between/)

[Albert Schweitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-schweitzer/)

> [That so many manage to accommodate belief systems encompassing both the natural and the supernatural is a testament not to the compatibility of science…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jacoby/that-so-many-manage-to-accommodate-belief-systems-encompassing-both/)

[Susan Jacoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jacoby/)

> [When I am writing, I do not distinguish between the natural and supernatural. Everything seems real. That is my world, you could say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/when-i-am-writing-i-do-not-distinguish-between-the-natural-and-2/)

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

> [Science operates in the natural, not the supernatural. In fact, I go so far as to state that there is no such thing as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-shermer/science-operates-in-the-natural-not-the-supernatural-in-fact-i-go-so/)

[Michael Shermer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shermer/)

> [“Religion, for Father Pavel, involved no escape from the natural into the supernatural, no repudiation of this world for the sake of a better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/religion-for-father-pavel-involved-no-escape-from-the-natural-into/)

[Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/)

> [“When I am writing, I do not distinguish between the natural and supernatural. Everything seems real. That is my world”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/when-i-am-writing-i-do-not-distinguish-between-the-natural-and/)

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

> [“As to my intense wish never to come into contact with the eldila myself, I am not sure whether I can make you understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/as-to-my-intense-wish-never-to-come-into-contact-with-the-eldila/)

[C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/)

> [“I am not sure whether I can make you understand it. It was something more than a prudent desire to avoid creatures alien in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/i-am-not-sure-whether-i-can-make-you-understand-it-it-was-something/)

[C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/)

> [The border between the natural and the supernatural, religion and philosophy, may not always be clear. But there are lines, and we should know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-baggini/the-border-between-the-natural-and-the-supernatural-religion-and/)

[Julian Baggini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-baggini/)

> [“The world of magic is double, natural, and supernatural. Magic is impossible in a purely materialist world, a purely sceptical world, a world of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-s-byatt/the-world-of-magic-is-double-natural-and-supernatural-magic-is/)

[A.S. Byatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-s-byatt/)

> [Though it has no thought of keeping watch, it's not for naught that the scarecrow stands in the grain field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dogen/though-it-has-no-thought-of-keeping-watch-it-s-not-for-naught-that/)

[Dogen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dogen/)

> [“I guess that was nice of Chiron, for the dogs' sake, but it kind of makes me wonder if he's got a Percy Jackson…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/i-guess-that-was-nice-of-chiron-for-the-dogs-sake-but-it-kind-of/)

[Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/)

> [Trump would either be the Scarecrow or the Joker.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-leahy/trump-would-either-be-the-scarecrow-or-the-joker/)

[Patrick Leahy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-leahy/)

> [I look at a picture like Scarecrow and think, 'Jesus, how could they have let us make that?' I mean, if you used technology…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vilmos-zsigmond/i-look-at-a-picture-like-scarecrow-and-think-jesus-how-could-they/)

[Vilmos Zsigmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vilmos-zsigmond/)

## More by N. T. Wright

> [Wherever St. Paul went, there was a riot. Wherever I go, they serve tea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright-2/wherever-st-paul-went-there-was-a-riot-wherever-i-go-they-serve-tea/)

[N. T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright-2/)

> [Rest you well, beloved Jesus, Caesar’s Lord and Israel’s King, In the brooding of the Spirit, in the darkness of the spring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright-2/rest-you-well-beloved-jesus-caesar-s-lord-and-israel-s-king-in-the/)

[N. T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright-2/)

> [Art is love creating the new world and justice is love rolling up its sleeves to heal the old one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright-2/art-is-love-creating-the-new-world-and-justice-is-love-rolling-up-its/)

[N. T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright-2/)

> [It is faith that looks up at the creator God and knows him to be the God of love. And it is faith that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright-2/it-is-faith-that-looks-up-at-the-creator-god-and-knows-him-to-be-the/)

[N. T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright-2/)

> [Scripture is, at its heart, the great story that we sing in order not just to learn it with our heads but to become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright-2/scripture-is-at-its-heart-the-great-story-that-we-sing-in-order-not/)

[N. T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright-2/)

> [Most of the things that really matter require faith. 'How do I know that my wife loves me?' 'How do I know that Mozart's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright-2/most-of-the-things-that-really-matter-require-faith-how-do-i-know/)

[N. T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright-2/)

> [Justice never means "treating everybody the same way", but "treating people appropriately".](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright-2/justice-never-means-treating-everybody-the-same-way-but-treating/)

[N. T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright-2/)

> [People often get upset when you teach them what is in the Bible rather than what they presume is in the Bible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright-2/people-often-get-upset-when-you-teach-them-what-is-in-the-bible/)

[N. T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright-2/)

> [The word "salvation" denotes rescue. Rescue? What from? Well, of course, ultimately death. And since it is sin that colludes with the forces of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright-2/the-word-salvation-denotes-rescue-rescue-what-from-well-of-course/)

[N. T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright-2/)

> [We cannot worship the suffering God today and ignore him tomorrow. We cannot eat and drink the body and blood of the passionate and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright-2/we-cannot-worship-the-suffering-god-today-and-ignore-him-tomorrow-we/)

[N. T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright-2/)

> [Part of Christian belief is to find out what's true about Jesus and let that challenge our culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright-2/part-of-christian-belief-is-to-find-out-what-s-true-about-jesus-and/)

[N. T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright-2/)

> [If you ask people in England where does Tom Wright sit on the theological spectrum, they say, "Well he's an evangelical of course," as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright-2/if-you-ask-people-in-england-where-does-tom-wright-sit-on-the/)

[N. T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright-2/)

> [True worship is open to God, adoring God, waiting for God, trusting God even in the dark.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright-2/true-worship-is-open-to-god-adoring-god-waiting-for-god-trusting-god/)

[N. T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright-2/)

> [Jesus of Nazareth ushers in not simply a new religious possibility, not simply a new ethic or a new way of salvation, but a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright-2/jesus-of-nazareth-ushers-in-not-simply-a-new-religious-possibility/)

[N. T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright-2/)

> [All our language about the future ... is like a set of signposts pointing into a bright mist ... the New Testament image of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright-2/all-our-language-about-the-future-is-like-a-set-of-signposts-pointing/)

[N. T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright-2/)

[Explore all 176 N. T. Wright quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright-2/)

## More Argument quotes

> [A flourishing, morally credible media is a vital component in the maintenance of genuinely public talk, argument about common good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-williams/a-flourishing-morally-credible-media-is-a-vital-component-in-the/)

[Rowan Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-williams/)

> [Preaching to the choir actually arms the choir with arguments and elevates the choir's discourse. There's a reason the right does it and does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/preaching-to-the-choir-actually-arms-the-choir-with-arguments-and/)

[Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/)

> [Lutherans, whose arguments and mistakes will not be difficult to contest or discover, do not want to attribute any value to works, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-servetus/lutherans-whose-arguments-and-mistakes-will-not-be-difficult-to/)

[Michael Servetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-servetus/)

> [Any comprehensive doctrine, religious or secular, can be introduced into any political argument at any time, but I argue that people who do this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-rawls/any-comprehensive-doctrine-religious-or-secular-can-be-introduced/)

[John Rawls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-rawls/)

> [As opposed to getting into arguments about, well, these folks have been treated fairly so now we're going to be doing things that, very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/as-opposed-to-getting-into-arguments-about-well-these-folks-have-been/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [There could be no more powerful argument against mixing religion and government than the success of independent African American churches in placing racial segregation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jacoby/there-could-be-no-more-powerful-argument-against-mixing-religion-and/)

[Susan Jacoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jacoby/)

> [The inner defenses are unconscious. They consist of a kind of magic aura which the mind builds around cherished belief. Arguments which penetrate into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/the-inner-defenses-are-unconscious-they-consist-of-a-kind-of-magic/)

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

> [On the stage, the characters express themselves more through words than images. So the arguments of the characters and the tension between characters -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/on-the-stage-the-characters-express-themselves-more-through-words/)

[Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/)

> [One argument goes that recessions are good for female artists because when money flies out the window, women are allowed in the house. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-saltz/one-argument-goes-that-recessions-are-good-for-female-artists-because/)

[Jerry Saltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-saltz/)

> [All of the barriers to innovation in the energy sector are arguments for a big commitment to public investment. Only the public sector can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-nordhaus/all-of-the-barriers-to-innovation-in-the-energy-sector-are-arguments/)

[Ted Nordhaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-nordhaus/)

> [“Arguments led by subjectivity are a waste of time. And, if they take place online, add to that, a waste of one’s keyboard.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/arguments-led-by-subjectivity-are-a-waste-of-time-and-if-they-take/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

> [If in the middle of an argument I suddenly fall silent it does not mean you have won... No it means you should probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hussein-nishah/if-in-the-middle-of-an-argument-i-suddenly-fall-silent-it-does-not/)

[Hussein Nishah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hussein-nishah/)

> [Don't get divorced after your first argument! I have a lot of friends that have one fight and that's it, they get divorced. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-ripa/don-t-get-divorced-after-your-first-argument-i-have-a-lot-of-friends/)

[Kelly Ripa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-ripa/)

> [“The motive behind my arguments have always been to come at truth. I am not interested in conquering anyone with my ideologies or seeking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crystal-evans/the-motive-behind-my-arguments-have-always-been-to-come-at-truth-i-am/)

[Crystal Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crystal-evans/)

> [In presenting a mathematical argument the great thing is to give the educated reader the chance to catch on at once to the momentary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edensor-littlewood/in-presenting-a-mathematical-argument-the-great-thing-is-to-give-the/)

[John Edensor Littlewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edensor-littlewood/)

[Browse all 3,479 Argument quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/argument/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The natural/supernatural distinction itself, and the near-equation of 'supernatural' with 'superstition', are scarecrows that Enlightenment thought has erected in its fields to frighten away anyone following the historical argument where it leads. It is high time the birds learned to take no notice.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "N. T. Wright"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright-2/the-natural-supernatural-distinction-itself-and-the-near-equation-of/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Argument"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright-2/the-natural-supernatural-distinction-itself-and-the-near-equation-of/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46e/n-t-wright-2-2245_argument_the-natural-supernatural-distinction-its_2810216.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46e/n-t-wright-2-2245_argument_the-natural-supernatural-distinction-its_2810216.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46e/n-t-wright-2-2245_argument_the-natural-supernatural-distinction-its_2810216.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The natural/supernatural distinction itself, and the near-equation of 'supernatural' with 'superstition'…” — N. T. Wright",
                "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": "N. T. Wright",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright-2/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The natural/supernatural distinction itself, and the...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright-2/the-natural-supernatural-distinction-itself-and-the-near-equation-of/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright-2/the-natural-supernatural-distinction-itself-and-the-near-equation-of/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
