"Of course, nobody would deny the importance of human beings for theological thinking, but the time span of history that theologians think about is a few thousand years of human culture rather than the fifteen billion years of the history of the universe"
- John Polkinghorne
About this Quote
This quote by John Polkinghorne speaks to the importance of human beings in doctrinal thinking. He acknowledges that human beings are important to doctrinal thinking, however he also points out that theologians tend to focus on the few thousand years of human culture instead of the fifteen billion years of the history of deep space. This recommends that theologians are restricted in their scope of understanding, as they are only able to think about a little portion of the universe's history. This quote motivates theologians to expand their viewpoint and think about the full scope of the universe's history when engaging in theological thinking. It likewise functions as a reminder that human beings are just a small part of deep space, which there is far more to think about when engaging in theological thinking.
"A lawyer without history or literature is a mechanic, a mere working mason; if he possesses some knowledge of these, he may venture to call himself an architect"
"We have our own history, our own language, our own culture. But our destiny is also tied up with the destinies of other people - history has made us all South Africans"
"Of course as children, we all, in all cultures and societies, learn behavior from observation, imitation, and encouragement of various kinds. So by the suggestion made, we all 'pretend' most of the time"
"Without culture, and the relative freedom it implies, society, even when perfect, is but a jungle. This is why any authentic creation is a gift to the future"
"It is humiliating to remain with our hands folded while others write history. It matters little who wins. To make a people great it is necessary to send them to battle even if you have to kick them in the pants. That is what I shall do"
