--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He who does not have the church as his…" description: "\"He who does not have the church as his mother, does not have God as his father.\" — Saint Augustine" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f1/saint-augustine-328_christian_he-who-does-not-have-the-church-as-his-m_1266793.png" --- # He who does not have the church as his mother, does not… ![“He who does not have the church as his mother, does not have God as his father.” quote by Saint Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f1/saint-augustine-328_christian_he-who-does-not-have-the-church-as-his-m_1266793.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f1/saint-augustine-328_christian_he-who-does-not-have-the-church-as-his-m_1266793.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f1/saint-augustine-328_christian_he-who-does-not-have-the-church-as-his-m_1266793.png) > “He who does not have the church as his mother, does not have God as his father.” [Saint Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-augustine/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Without the Church as a nurturing mother, one lacks the spiritual foundation that makes God a paternal figure. **In simple terms:** The Church provides spiritual nurture; without it, divine connection weakens. Key Takeaway Seek community and spiritual grounding. Themes faith community spirituality identity belonging Mood reflective devotional Type theological philosophical When to use this quote - church attendance - faith formation - spiritual mentorship - charitable service Key Concepts ecclesiology anthropology theology Questions to Reflect On - What role does community play in your spiritual life? - Can one feel God’s fatherhood without the Church? A Different Perspective The claim may exclude those with personal faith outside institutional religion. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian/) [Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [God father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-father/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) ## Related quotes > [No one can have God as his father who does not have the Church as his mother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-augustine/no-one-can-have-god-as-his-father-who-does-not-have-the-church-as-his/) [Saint Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-augustine/) > [With the early Christians you couldn't have God as your father unless you have the church as your mother. This isn't accepting the church…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/with-the-early-christians-you-couldn-t-have-god-as-your-father-unless/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [He cannot have God for his Father who will not have the Church for his mother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/he-cannot-have-god-for-his-father-who-will-not-have-the-church-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“No one can have God for his Father, who has not the Church for his mother.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-one-can-have-god-for-his-father-who-has-not-the-church-for-his/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My grandmother went to church, but my mother had been inundated with church and decided that when she had children, she would not push…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-gaynor/my-grandmother-went-to-church-but-my-mother-had-been-inundated-with/) [Gloria Gaynor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-gaynor/) > [“This church with which we should be thinking is the home of all, not a small chapel that can hold only a small group…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/this-church-with-which-we-should-be-thinking-is-the-home-of-all-not-a/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [I didn't want to raise my daughter in the church because from what I experienced and what I saw, the church becomes everything -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leah-remini/i-didn-t-want-to-raise-my-daughter-in-the-church-because-from-what-i/) [Leah Remini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leah-remini/) > [I grew up in the church. 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I would see my mother smiling in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-perry/my-mother-was-truly-my-saving-grace-because-she-would-take-me-to/) [Tyler Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-perry/) > [Holy church-that mother who is also a queen because she is a king's bride.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-of-vila/holy-church-that-mother-who-is-also-a-queen-because-she-is-a-king-s/) [Teresa of Avila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-of-vila/) > [The Church is a mother, not an entrepreneur.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/the-church-is-a-mother-not-an-entrepreneur/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [I dream of a church that is a mother and shepherdess.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/i-dream-of-a-church-that-is-a-mother-and-shepherdess/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [One of the best family traditions is creative ways mothers and fathers discipline children while in church. My mother was an expert at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mollie-hemingway/one-of-the-best-family-traditions-is-creative-ways-mothers-and/) [Mollie Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mollie-hemingway/) > [Christ sits in the body at the right hand of God the Father, but we do not hold that the right hand of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-of-damascus/christ-sits-in-the-body-at-the-right-hand-of-god-the-father-but-we-do/) [John of Damascus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-of-damascus/) ## More by Saint Augustine > [Lust indulged became habit, and habit unresisted became necessity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-augustine/lust-indulged-became-habit-and-habit-unresisted-became-necessity/) [Saint Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-augustine/) > [The playthings of our elders are called business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-augustine/the-playthings-of-our-elders-are-called-business/) [Saint Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-augustine/) > [Do what you can and pray for what you cannot yet do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-augustine/do-what-you-can-and-pray-for-what-you-cannot-yet-do/) [Saint Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-augustine/) > [For I did not know that the soul needs to be enlightened by light from outside itself, so that it can participate in truth,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-augustine/for-i-did-not-know-that-the-soul-needs-to-be-enlightened-by-light/) [Saint Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-augustine/) > [My mother spoke of Christ to my father, by her feminine and childlike virtues, and, after having borne his violence without a murmur or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-augustine/my-mother-spoke-of-christ-to-my-father-by-her-feminine-and-childlike/) [Saint Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-augustine/) > [Wicked sons do not have the Holy Ghost in the same way as do beloved sons, and yet they do have Baptism. 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He either permits it to happen, or He brings it about Himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-augustine/nothing-therefore-happens-unless-the-omnipotent-wills-it-to-happen-he/) [Saint Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-augustine/) > [The reward of patience Is patience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-augustine/the-reward-of-patience-is-patience/) [Saint Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-augustine/) [Explore all 672 Saint Augustine quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-augustine/) ## More Christian quotes > [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. 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Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/) [Browse all 14,306 Christian quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "He who does not have the church as his mother, does not have God as his father.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Saint Augustine" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-augustine/he-who-does-not-have-the-church-as-his-mother-does-not-have-god-as/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Christian" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-augustine/he-who-does-not-have-the-church-as-his-mother-does-not-have-god-as/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f1/saint-augustine-328_christian_he-who-does-not-have-the-church-as-his-m_1266793.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f1/saint-augustine-328_christian_he-who-does-not-have-the-church-as-his-m_1266793.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f1/saint-augustine-328_christian_he-who-does-not-have-the-church-as-his-m_1266793.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“He who does not have the church as his mother, does not have God as his father.” — Saint Augustine", "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": "Saint Augustine", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-augustine/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "He who does not have the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-augustine/he-who-does-not-have-the-church-as-his-mother-does-not-have-god-as/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-augustine/he-who-does-not-have-the-church-as-his-mother-does-not-have-god-as/#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 } } ] } ```