--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In his own way the modernist becomes as…" description: "\"“In his own way the modernist becomes as irrelevant as the fundamentalist. The fundamentalist has something to say to his world, but he has lost the ab..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/427/william-e-hordern-89846_fundamentalism_in-his-own-way-the-modernist-becomes-as_3224329.jpg" --- # In his own way the modernist becomes as irrelevant as the… ![“In his own way the modernist becomes as irrelevant as the fundamentalist. The fundamentalist has something to say to his world, but he has lost the ability to say it. The modernist knows how to speak to his age, but he has nothing to say.” quote by William E. Hordern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/427/william-e-hordern-89846_fundamentalism_in-his-own-way-the-modernist-becomes-as_3224329.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/427/william-e-hordern-89846_fundamentalism_in-his-own-way-the-modernist-becomes-as_3224329.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/427/william-e-hordern-89846_fundamentalism_in-his-own-way-the-modernist-becomes-as_3224329.jpg) > ““In his own way the modernist becomes as irrelevant as the fundamentalist. The fundamentalist has something to say to his world, but he has lost the ability to say it. The modernist knows how to speak to his age, but he has nothing to say.”” [William E. Hordern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-e-hordern/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Argues that both modernists and fundamentalists lack relevance when they cannot speak meaningfully to their times; modernists may be articulate but have nothing substantive to say. **In simple terms:** Both groups fail when they lack meaningful content for their era. Key Takeaway Seek relevance by connecting ideas to current realities. Themes relevance communication culture ideology timeliness Mood analytical skeptical thoughtful Type Fundamentalism:1 Fundamentalist:1 Modernism:1 Fundamentalist Say:0 Modernist Irrelevant:0 Say Modernist:0 Irrelevant Fundamentalist:0 When to use this quote - teaching - writing - public speaking - media analysis Key Concepts Modernism fundamentalism critical theory public discourse Questions to Reflect On - What makes an idea truly relevant today? - How can one balance style and substance? A Different Perspective Being articulate without substance is ineffective. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fundamentalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fundamentalism/) [Fundamentalist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fundamentalist/) [Fundamentalist Say](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fundamentalist-say-5334853/) [Irrelevant Fundamentalist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/irrelevant-fundamentalist-6073586/) [Modernism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modernism/) [Modernist Irrelevant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modernist-irrelevant-6073584/) [Say Modernist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/say-modernist-6073585/) ## Related quotes > [Maybe scientists are fundamentalist when it comes to defining in some abstract way what is meant by 'truth'. But so is everybody else. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/maybe-scientists-are-fundamentalist-when-it-comes-to-defining-in-some/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [In our time, the great task for libertarians is to find an escape from politics in all its forms—from the totalitarian and fundamentalist catastrophes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/in-our-time-the-great-task-for-libertarians-is-to-find-an-escape-from/) [Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/) > [England is the breeding ground of fundamentalist Muslims. Its social logic is to allow all religions to preach openly. But this is illogic, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wole-soyinka/england-is-the-breeding-ground-of-fundamentalist-muslims-its-social/) [Wole Soyinka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wole-soyinka/) > [“The artist and the fundamentalist arise from societies at differing stages of development. The artist is the advanced model. His culture possesses affluence, stability,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pressfield/the-artist-and-the-fundamentalist-arise-from-societies-at-differing/) [Steven Pressfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pressfield/) > [I have been suspected of being what is called a Fundamentalist. That is because I never regard any narrative as unhistorical simply on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/i-have-been-suspected-of-being-what-is-called-a-fundamentalist-that/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [Being nice to people is, in fact, one of the incidental tenets of Christianity, as opposed to other religions whose tenets are more along…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/being-nice-to-people-is-in-fact-one-of-the-incidental-tenets-of/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) > [Unless one is a religious fundamentalist and believes that man was created in the image and likeness of God, it is foolish to believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-philippe-rushton/unless-one-is-a-religious-fundamentalist-and-believes-that-man-was/) [J. Philippe Rushton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-philippe-rushton/) > [There's a difference between being a fundamentalist and being al-Qaeda and being Muslim. It's absurd to think otherwise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-winklevoss/there-s-a-difference-between-being-a-fundamentalist-and-being-al/) [Tyler Winklevoss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-winklevoss/) > [I want you to just let a wave of intolerance wash over you. I want you to let a wave of hatred wash over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-terry/i-want-you-to-just-let-a-wave-of-intolerance-wash-over-you-i-want-you/) [Randall Terry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-terry/) > [For the fundamentalist who wants to believe every word of the Bible, however, life is a house of cards, with each card a tenet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morris-sullivan/for-the-fundamentalist-who-wants-to-believe-every-word-of-the-bible/) [Morris Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morris-sullivan/) > [My parents banned nothing, though the Christian fundamentalists in my tribe held book-and-record burnings every now and again. So, yes, fundamentalist assholes can also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/my-parents-banned-nothing-though-the-christian-fundamentalists-in-my/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [To be an atheist you have to have ten thousand times more imagination than if you are a religious fundamentalist. You must take the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-greenaway/to-be-an-atheist-you-have-to-have-ten-thousand-times-more-imagination/) [Peter Greenaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-greenaway/) > [“The artist and the fundamentalist both confront the same issue, the mystery of their existence as individuals. Each asks the same questions: Who am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pressfield/the-artist-and-the-fundamentalist-both-confront-the-same-issue-the/) [Steven Pressfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pressfield/) > [Hell hath no fury like a frustrated fundamentalist whose God condemned him to "hell" for having "impure thoughts."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-r-burch/hell-hath-no-fury-like-a-frustrated-fundamentalist-whose-god/) [Michael R. Burch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-r-burch/) > [As a Fundamentalist I had discovered while I was in college that it is possible to dismiss the entire Church as having gone off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-howard-3rd-duke-of-norfolk/as-a-fundamentalist-i-had-discovered-while-i-was-in-college-that-it/) [Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-howard-3rd-duke-of-norfolk/) ## More by William E. Hordern > [ “. . . be suspicious of any \[theological\] position that fulfills all our heart's desires.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-e-hordern/be-suspicious-of-any-theological-position-that-fulfills-all-our-heart/) [William E. Hordern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-e-hordern/) [Explore all 2 William E. Hordern quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-e-hordern/) ## More Fundamentalism quotes > [I am a woman, and as such, I experience the ever-increasing restrictions on our liberty in our country through the development of Islamic fundamentalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marine-le-pen/i-am-a-woman-and-as-such-i-experience-the-ever-increasing/) [Marine Le Pen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marine-le-pen/) > [“Despite the fact that, the idea of religion has been filled by the human society with all sorts of garbage, and thus been made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/despite-the-fact-that-the-idea-of-religion-has-been-filled-by-the/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [Christianity isn't the only group that has fundamentalists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-campolo/christianity-isn-t-the-only-group-that-has-fundamentalists/) [Tony Campolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-campolo/) > [Islamic fundamentalism is attacking us at home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marine-le-pen/islamic-fundamentalism-is-attacking-us-at-home/) [Marine Le Pen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marine-le-pen/) > [We have to review our foreign policy and stop rolling out the red carpet for countries we know to be funding fundamentalism: countries like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marine-le-pen/we-have-to-review-our-foreign-policy-and-stop-rolling-out-the-red/) [Marine Le Pen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marine-le-pen/) > [Critics of the war plans (including myself) have pointed to the disastrous political results that must be expected: Iraq would break into three parts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uri-avnery/critics-of-the-war-plans-including-myself-have-pointed-to-the/) [Uri Avnery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uri-avnery/) > [“When a person irrationally and quite pathologically sticks to the creeds of his scriptures too much, it can turn even a great human being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/when-a-person-irrationally-and-quite-pathologically-sticks-to-the/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [Fundamentalists are panicked by the apparent disintegration of the family, the disappearance of certainty and the decay of morality. 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In particular, I think that we should not rubbish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/i-have-no-religious-belief-myself-but-i-don-t-think-we-should-fight/) [Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/) [Browse all 437 Fundamentalism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fundamentalism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“In his own way the modernist becomes as irrelevant as the fundamentalist. The fundamentalist has something to say to his world, but he has lost the ability to say it. The modernist knows how to speak to his age, but he has nothing to say.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William E. 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