--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is a wonderful thing to see a…" description: "\"It is a wonderful thing to see a first-rate philosopher at prayer. Tough-minded thinking and tenderhearted reverence are friends, not enemies. We have ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/930/soren-kierkegaard-578_art-work_it-is-a-wonderful-thing-to-see-a-first-r_930252.jpg" --- # It is a wonderful thing to see a first-rate philosopher at… ![“It is a wonderful thing to see a first-rate philosopher at prayer. Tough-minded thinking and tenderhearted reverence are friends, not enemies. We have for too long separated the head from the heart, and we are the lesser for it. We love God with the mind and we love God with the heart. In reality…” quote by Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/930/soren-kierkegaard-578_art-work_it-is-a-wonderful-thing-to-see-a-first-r_930252.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/930/soren-kierkegaard-578_art-work_it-is-a-wonderful-thing-to-see-a-first-r_930252.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/930/soren-kierkegaard-578_art-work_it-is-a-wonderful-thing-to-see-a-first-r_930252.jpg) > “It is a wonderful thing to see a first-rate philosopher at prayer. Tough-minded thinking and tenderhearted reverence are friends, not enemies. We have for too long separated the head from the heart, and we are the lesser for it. We love God with the mind and we love God with the heart. In reality, we are descending with the mind into the heart and there standing before God in ceaseless wonder and endless praise. As the mind and the heart work in concert, a kind of loving rationality pervades all we say and do. This brings unity to us and glory to God.” [Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote argues that intellectual rigor and heartfelt reverence should coexist, uniting mind and heart to deepen spiritual experience. **In simple terms:** Mind and heart must work together for true spirituality. Key Takeaway Cultivate both reason and compassion. Themes spirituality philosophy unity faith reason Mood contemplative hopeful Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - personal meditation - theological study - interfaith dialogue - creative writing Key Concepts dualism loving rationality integration Questions to Reflect On - How can you practice loving rationality daily? - What habits separate your mind from your heart? A Different Perspective Balancing intellect and emotion can be challenging in polarized cultures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-work/) [Concerts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concerts/) [Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) [Glory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/glory/) [Glory of god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/glory-of-god/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Philosopher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosopher/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Praise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/praise/) [Prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Rationality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rationality/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Reverence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reverence/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Unity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unity/) [Wonder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonder/) [Wonderful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonderful/) [Wonderful things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonderful-things/) ## Related quotes > [“Some people are bringing the business tricks of scarcity mentality into God's mind. 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Moreland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-p-moreland/) > [“The peace of God is with them whose mind and soul are in harmony, who are free from desire and wrath, who know their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-peace-of-god-is-with-them-whose-mind-and-soul-are-in-harmony-who/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ “\[W\]e seek to tell each person this truth: they are exactly what God had in mind when God made them—and then we watch, from… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-boyle/w-e-seek-to-tell-each-person-this-truth-they-are-exactly-what-god-had/) [Gregory Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-boyle/) > [If your relationship doesn't work with one person that just means God has someone else in mind for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-your-relationship-doesn-t-work-with-one-person-that-just-means-god/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Soren Kierkegaard > [Christianity does not oppose debauchery and uncontrollable passions and the like as much as it opposes... flat mediocrity, this nauseating atmosphere, this homey, civil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/christianity-does-not-oppose-debauchery-and-uncontrollable-passions/) [Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) > [Christians remind me of schoolboys who want to look up the answers to their math problems in the back of the book rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/christians-remind-me-of-schoolboys-who-want-to-look-up-the-answers-to/) [Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) > [People commonly travel the world over to see rivers and mountains, new stars, garish birds, freak fish, grotesque breeds of human; they fall into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/people-commonly-travel-the-world-over-to-see-rivers-and-mountains-new/) [Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) > [“A strange thing happened to me in my dream. 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Ironically, monotony is what keeps the heart working.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soumeet-lanka/monotony-kills-the-heart-ironically-monotony-is-what-keeps-the-heart/) [soumeet lanka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soumeet-lanka/) > [But I think you have to - whatever the environment looks like, it does enter into people's art work one way or another; it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-judd/but-i-think-you-have-to-whatever-the-environment-looks-like-it-does/) [Donald Judd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-judd/) > [The longest break I have taken in my life was 14 days. On the 15th day, I started getting impatient to start work again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajkumar-hirani/the-longest-break-i-have-taken-in-my-life-was-14-days-on-the-15th-day/) [Rajkumar Hirani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajkumar-hirani/) > [Whenever you start working on something, you have to go about it with the underlying assumption that this puzzle has a solution, right? 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