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Bible Quote by Wendell Berry

“The soul, in its loneliness, hopes only for "salvation." And yet what is the burden of the Bible if not a sense of the mutuality of influence, rising out of an essential unity, among soul and body and community and world? These are all the works of God, and it is therefore the work of virtue to…” quote by Wendell Berry
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““The soul, in its loneliness, hopes only for "salvation." And yet what is the burden of the Bible if not a sense of the mutuality of influence, rising out of an essential unity, among soul and body and community and world? These are all the works of God, and it is therefore the work of virtue to make or restore harmony among them. The world is certainly thought of as a place of spiritual trial, but it is also the confluence of soul and body, word and flesh, where thoughts must become deeds, where goodness must be enacted. This is the great meeting place, the narrow passage where spirit and flesh, word and world, pass into each other. The Bible's aim, as I read it, is not the freeing of the spirit from the world. It is the handbook of their interaction. It says that they cannot be divided; that their mutuality, their unity, is inescapable; that they are not reconciled in division, but in harmony. What else can be meant by the resurrection of the body? The body should be "filled with light," perfected in understanding. And so everywhere there is the sense of consequence, fear and desire, grief and joy. What is desirable is repeatedly defined in the tensions of the sense of consequence.””

Wendell Berry

About This Quote

Source Essay: “The Bible and the Body” (published in The New York Times, 1975)

The Bible teaches that spirit and body, soul and community are interdependent; true virtue seeks harmony among them, not separation.

In simple terms: Spirit and body must work together.

Key Takeaway

Seek harmony, not division.

Themes

spirituality community ethics

Mood

reflective inspirational

Type

philosophical spiritual

When to use this quote

  • personal growth
  • social activism
  • faith practice
  • ethical decision‑making

Key Concepts

interdependence holistic worldview

Questions to Reflect On

  • In what ways do you separate mind and body?
  • How can you foster unity in your community?
A Different Perspective

Harmony can be hard to achieve in a divided world.

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