--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The goal of religious thinking is exactly…" description: "\"“The goal of religious thinking is exactly the same as that of technological research -- namely, practical action. Whenever man is truly concerned with..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fba/rene-girard-8541_doctrine_the-goal-of-religious-thinking-is-exactl_1628076.jpg" --- # The goal of religious thinking is exactly the same as that… ![“The goal of religious thinking is exactly the same as that of technological research -- namely, practical action. Whenever man is truly concerned with obtaining concrete results, whenever he is hard pressed by reality, he abandons abstract speculation and reverts to a mode of response that becomes…” quote by René Girard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fba/rene-girard-8541_doctrine_the-goal-of-religious-thinking-is-exactl_1628076.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fba/rene-girard-8541_doctrine_the-goal-of-religious-thinking-is-exactl_1628076.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fba/rene-girard-8541_doctrine_the-goal-of-religious-thinking-is-exactl_1628076.jpg) > ““The goal of religious thinking is exactly the same as that of technological research -- namely, practical action. Whenever man is truly concerned with obtaining concrete results, whenever he is hard pressed by reality, he abandons abstract speculation and reverts to a mode of response that becomes increasingly cautious and conservative as the forces he hopes to subdue, or at least to outrun, draw ever nearer.”” [René Girard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-girard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Religious and technological pursuits both aim for practical results; when reality pressures us, we shift from abstract ideas to cautious, concrete actions. **In simple terms:** Both seek practical outcomes, turning to caution under pressure. Key Takeaway Focus on actionable results, not endless theory. Themes practicality religion technology human behavior Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - scientific research - policy making - personal decision making - crisis management Key Concepts instrumental rationality conservatism reality pressure Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance caution with bold experimentation? - When should abstract thinking be retained? A Different Perspective Caution can stifle innovation and lead to overly conservative choices. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Doctrine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doctrine/) [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [Pragmatism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pragmatism/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [I believe that prayer in public schools should be voluntary. It is difficult for me to see how religious exercises can be a requirement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-r-ford/i-believe-that-prayer-in-public-schools-should-be-voluntary-it-is/) [Gerald R. Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-r-ford/) > [Creativity and lateral thinking have exactly the same basis as humour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-de-bono/creativity-and-lateral-thinking-have-exactly-the-same-basis-as-humour/) [Edward de Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-de-bono/) > [“True humility isn’t thinking less of yourself. It’s thinking of yourself exactly the way God thinks of you; not more and not less.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/praying-medic/true-humility-isn-t-thinking-less-of-yourself-it-s-thinking-of/) [Praying Medic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/praying-medic/) > [Try to treat with equal love all the people with whom you have relations. 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Grayling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-c-grayling/) > [And if thy heart be straight with God then every creature shall be to thee a mirror of life and a book of holy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/and-if-thy-heart-be-straight-with-god-then-every-creature-shall-be-to/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [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/) ## More by René Girard > [If you scapegoat someone, it's a third party that will be aware of it. It won't be you. Because you will believe you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-girard/if-you-scapegoat-someone-it-s-a-third-party-that-will-be-aware-of-it/) [Rene Girard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-girard/) > [“There is no culture without a tomb and no tomb without a culture; in the end the tomb is the first and only cultural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-girard/there-is-no-culture-without-a-tomb-and-no-tomb-without-a-culture-in/) [René Girard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-girard/) > [The true Resurrection is based not on the mythical lie of the guilty victim who deserves to die, but on the rectification of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-girard/the-true-resurrection-is-based-not-on-the-mythical-lie-of-the-guilty/) [Rene Girard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-girard/) > [“The good son imitates the father with such passion that father and son become each other's chief stumbling block - a situation the indifferent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-girard/the-good-son-imitates-the-father-with-such-passion-that-father-and/) [René Girard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-girard/) > [Individualism is a formidable lie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-girard/individualism-is-a-formidable-lie/) [Rene Girard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-girard/) > [Instead of blaming victimization on the victims, the Gospels blame it on the victimizers. 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