Again and again Quote by Susan Sontag
“Total experiences, of which there are many kinds, tend again and again to be apprehended only as revivals or translations of the religious imagination. To try to make a fresh way of talking at the most serious, ardent, and enthusiastic level, heading off the religious encapsulation, is one of the primary intellectual tasks of future thought.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: “The Imagination of Religion”, 1975
Thought attempts to reframe serious discourse beyond religious frameworks, but often reverts to familiar religious motifs.
In simple terms: New ideas still echo old beliefs.
Challenge entrenched metaphors.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- academic writing
- public debates
- media analysis
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- Can we truly escape religious metaphors?
- What new vocabularies could replace them?
Secular language may still carry hidden religious assumptions.