Sunday, September 6, 2015

Quote of the Day (Randall Balmer, on Faith and Rationalism)



“I believe because of the epiphanies, small and large, that have intersected my path—small, discrete moments of grace when I have sensed a kind of superintending presence outside of myself. I believe because these moments—a kind word, an insight, an anthem on Easter morning, a chill in the spine—are too precious to discard, and I choose not to trivialize them by reducing them to rational explanation. I believe because, for me, the alternative to belief is far too daunting. I believe because, at the turn of the twentieth century, belief itself is an act of defiance in a society still enthralled by the blandishments of Enlightenment rationalism.”— Randall Balmer, “The Generation of Faith,” in Searching for Your Soul: Writers of Many Faiths Share Their Personal Stories of Spiritual Discovery, edited by Katherine Kurs (1999)

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