Quotes by Historians

In every deed of mischief he had a heart to resolve, a head to contrive, and a hand to execute. Edward Gibbon
Heart Every Resolve Mischief Had He Head Execute Hand Contrive Deed
Corruption, the most infallible symptom of constitutional liberty. Edward Gibbon
Corruption Liberty Symptom Constitutional Most Infallible
All that is human must retrograde if it does not advance. Edward Gibbon
Must Advance Retrograde Does Human
I understand by this passion the union of desire, friendship, and tenderness, which is inflamed by a single female, which prefers her to the rest of her sex, and which seeks her possession as the supreme or the sole happiness of our being. Edward Gibbon
Happiness Friendship Passion Sex Rest Single Our Sole Possession Seeks Tenderness Supreme Female Understand Inflamed Being Which Union Her Desire
The style of an author should be the image of his mind, but the choice and command of language is the fruit of exercise. Edward Gibbon
Fruit Language Mind Style Exercise Command His Author Choice Should Image
My English text is chaste, and all licentious passages are left in the decent obscurity of a learned language. Edward Gibbon
Language Chaste Obscurity Learned Passages Text Left Decent English
People who are comfortable with very clear boundaries and group definitions don't like the instability and ambiguity of people who say they are more advanced Christians, or they don't have to do what the bishop says. Elaine Pagels
People Group Bishop Say Says Definitions More Instability Advanced Clear Boundaries Like Comfortable Ambiguity Very Who Christians
I realized that conventional views of Christian faith that I'd heard when I was growing up were simply made up - and I realized that many parts of the story of the early Christian movement had been left out. Elaine Pagels
Faith Made Christian Out Had Simply Parts Were Been Heard Left Up Movement Conventional Story Realized Views Many Growing Growing Up Christian Faith Early
I have sympathy for anyone who finds consolation anywhere we can. And many people do find it in religious tradition as it has been. I mean, I love much of that tradition. But somehow, that just didn't speak to me in the way that it does to some. Elaine Pagels
Love Me People Speak Sympathy Way Consolation Has-Been Find Religious Finds Some Somehow Does Tradition Been Just Anyone Anywhere Mean Much Who Many
I got to thinking about the Book of Revelation that was written by a Jewish prophet who was also a follower of Jesus who hated the Roman Empire. I realized that the Book of Revelation could be a way to reflect on the issue of religion's relationship to politics. Elaine Pagels
Politics Religion Relationship Book Follower Reflect Roman Empire Thinking Way Hated About Prophet Could Written Empire Also Got Revelation Issue Roman Realized Who Jesus Jewish
We use the word 'synoptic' to talk about Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and it really means 'seeing together,' because they all have a similar perspective. Matthew and Luke - whoever wrote those Gospels - used Mark as a focus and as a basic story. So all of them have a lot in common. Elaine Pagels
Together Word Perspective Focus Mark Those Seeing About Similar Talk Wrote Because Gospels Lot Matthew Common Story Them Really Means Use Used Whoever Luke Basic
The Romans weren't trying to kill all the Jews, but they did destroy Jewish resistance to Roman rule. Jerusalem was turned into a Roman army camp, and it was a total devastation. Elaine Pagels
Army Jews Rule Destroy Total Devastation Were Camp Trying Did Roman Romans Turned Jerusalem Resistance Jewish
After Ann Godoff, who was editor-in-chief at Random House, left and went to Viking, I got to know Viking and the people there, and liked them very much. I also found a wonderful editor there, Wendy Wolf. It's a very congenial press. Elaine Pagels
People Wonderful Random Wolf Press Know Liked House Also Got Editor Left Very After Them Much Congenial Who Found
Unlike many deities of the ancient Near East, the God of Israel shared his power with no female divinity, nor was he the divine husband or lover of any. Elaine Pagels
God Husband Power Lover Unlike Ancient East Divine Divinity He Shared Female Israel His Nor Any Many Near
About the gnostic writers themselves and the setting in which they lived we know little, although gnostic Christians were influential enough to be denounced at length. Elaine Pagels
Setting Enough About Writers Know Although Were Influential Which Little Length Themselves Lived Christians
Really, I don't like to do any household chores. There was a time when I loved to cook, but that was when I wasn't writing books. Elaine Pagels
Time Writing Books Like Household Any Loved Really Cook Chores
For nearly 2,000 years, most people assumed that the only sources of tradition about Jesus and his disciples were the four gospels in the New Testament. Elaine Pagels
People Assumed About Only New Most Disciples Gospels Testament Tradition Were His Years Sources New Testament Nearly Four Jesus
What is clear is that the Gospel of Judas has joined the other spectacular discoveries that are exploding the myth of a monolithic Christianity and showing how diverse and fascinating the early Christian movement really was. Elaine Pagels
Myth Christian Christianity Other Diverse Joined Clear Judas Gospel How Discoveries Movement Exploding Really Showing Fascinating Spectacular Early
The Book of Revelation is the strangest book in the Bible, and the most controversial. Instead of stories and moral teaching, it offers only visions - dreams and nightmares, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, earthquakes, plagues and war. Elaine Pagels
War Dreams Bible Book Earthquakes Visions Moral Only Instead Most Revelation Offers Controversial Stories Apocalypse Teaching Strangest Four Nightmares
Orthodox theologians insisted that the rest of humankind were only transitory creatures, lost in sin - a view that would support what would become their dominant teaching about salvation, offered only through Christ, and, in particular, through the church they claimed to represent. Elaine Pagels
Christ Church Rest Become Lost Claimed Would About Insisted Only Through Support Sin Particular Were Dominant Offered Salvation Represent Transitory Theologians View Teaching Creatures Orthodox Humankind
There are some kinds of Christianity that insist you have to believe literally in doctrine. The Gnostic gospels open out the complexity and multiplicity of approaches to this. If you think the story of the virgin birth is mistranslated, for instance, it doesn't mean you have to throw out the whole thing. Elaine Pagels
You Insist Believe Think Christianity Birth Approaches Complexity Out Kinds Some Throw Open Instance Doctrine Gospels Literally Story Mean Whole Multiplicity Thing
Nations without a past are contradictions in terms. What makes a nation is the past, what justifies one nation against others is the past, and historians are the people who produce it. Eric Hobsbawm
People Nation Past Others One Nation Terms Without Makes Historians Contradictions Nations Against Justifies Produce Who
Utopianism is probably a necessary social device for generating the superhuman efforts without which no major revolution is achieved. Eric Hobsbawm
Revolution Superhuman Generating Device Major Without Efforts Achieved Which Social Necessary
As the global expansion of Indian and Chinese restaurants suggests, xenophobia is directed against foreign people, not foreign cultural imports. Eric Hobsbawm
People Indian Restaurants Directed Global Xenophobia Foreign Imports Cultural Expansion Against Chinese
There is not much that even the most socially responsible scientists can do as individuals, or even as a group, about the social consequences of their activities. Eric Hobsbawm
Group Consequences Responsible About Individuals Most Scientists Social Much Even Activities Socially
Some things you'll never know, and some things you'll wish you never knew. Eric Williams
You Wish Some Some Things Never Knew Know Things
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