Quotes by Theologians

Israel knew that there was no greater gift than to be given God's name, but that gift was a frightening reality that threatened to consume her. Israel, who would be tempted by the idolatrous presumption she possessed God's name, rightly never forgot she could not say God's name. Stanley Hauerwas

God Reality Gift Say Possessed Rightly Presumption Would Would-Be Threatened Tempted Given Could Consume Never Knew Name She Greater Israel Than Frightening Forgot Who Her

God is whoever raised Jesus from the dead, having before raised Israel from Egypt. There is no God but this God. Stanley Hauerwas

God Before Having Dead Israel Egypt Whoever Jesus Raised

The mentally ill may have shattered lives, but how that is different than the way sin distorts our ability to comprehend who we are as God's creatures is not clear. Stanley Hauerwas

God Our Way Ability Comprehend Mentally Clear Sin Shattered How Than May Different Ill Who Creatures Lives

To come to terms with our beginning requires a truthful story to acquire the skills to live in gratitude rather than resentment for the gift of life. Stanley Hauerwas

Life Gratitude Gift Beginning Live Our Rather Come Terms Truthful Than Story Acquire Skills Requires Resentment

I think the language of sacrifice is particularly important for societies like the United States in which war remains our most determinative common experience, because states like the United States depend on the story of our wars for our ability to narrate our history as a unified story. Stanley Hauerwas

War History Experience Language Sacrifice Important Depend Think Our States Ability Remains Like Most Particularly Because Common Story Which Unified Wars United United States Societies

Though the world may often appear to be more charitable than the church, it is crucial to remember that, for the church, the care of the poor cannot be separated from the worship of God. Stanley Hauerwas

God World Remember Care Church Worship Though Charitable More Crucial Than May Often Cannot Poor Separated Appear

Cities have always been the fireplaces of civilization, whence light and heat radiated out into the dark. Theodore Parker

Dark Light Out Cities Civilization Always Been Heat Whence

As society advances the standard of poverty rises. Theodore Parker

Poverty Society Rises Advances Standard

Because we cannot know what God is, but only what He is not, we cannot consider how He is but only how He is not. Thomas Aquinas

God Consider We Cannot Only He Know Because How Cannot

As regards the individual nature, woman is defective and misbegotten, for the active power of the male seed tends to the production of a perfect likeness in the masculine sex; while the production of a woman comes from defect in the active power. Thomas Aquinas

Nature Woman Sex Power Active Seed Perfect Individual Tends Masculine Likeness Male Regards While Production Defect Defective

The principal act of courage is to endure and withstand dangers doggedly rather than to attack them. Thomas Aquinas

Courage Dangers Rather Attack Principal Withstand Than Endure Them Act

All that is true, by whomsoever it has been said has its origin in the Spirit. Thomas Aquinas

Has-Been Spirit True Said Been Origin

I will for ever, at all hazards, assert the dignity, independence, and integrity of the English bar; without which, impartial justice, the most valuable part of the English constitution, can have no existence. Thomas Erskine

Justice Constitution Integrity Dignity Valuable Will Independence Impartial Hazards Part Most Without Existence Which Bar English Assert Ever

Great men are rarely isolated mountain peaks; they are the summits of ranges. Thomas Wentworth Higginson

Great Humor Men Rarely Great Men Isolated Mountain Peaks

When a thought takes one's breath away, a grammar lesson seems an impertinence. Thomas Wentworth Higginson

Intelligence Thought Breath Lesson Seems Takes Grammar Away

The test of an author is not to be found merely in the number of his phrases that pass current in the corner of newspapers... but in the number of passages that have really taken root in younger minds. Thomas Wentworth Higginson

Corner Minds Phrases Taken Merely Pass Passages Test His Author Current Younger Newspapers Root Really Found Number

What are Raphael's Madonnas but the shadow of a mother's love, fixed in permanent outline forever? Thomas Wentworth Higginson

Love Mother Raphael Shadow Outline Permanent Forever Fixed

Fields are won by those who believe in the winning. Thomas Wentworth Higginson

Believe Those Winning Won Fields Who

Mystery is but another name for ignorance; if we were omniscient, all would be perfectly plain! Tryon Edwards

Ignorance Omniscient Would Would-Be Mystery Perfectly Name Another Were Plain