Quote by William Robertson Smith
We are so accustomed to think of religion as a thing between individual men and God that we can hardly enter into the idea of a religion in which a whole nation in its national organisation appears as the religious unit.
Summary
This quote by German theologian and philosopher Friedrich Schleiermacher highlights our limited understanding of religion as being solely focused on individual relationships with God. Schleiermacher suggests that it is challenging for us to grasp the concept of a religion where an entire nation collectively embodies religious beliefs and practices. In this context, the primary unit of religion is not the individual but the nation itself in its social and organizational structures. This quote encourages us to expand our perspective on religious expressions beyond an individualistic framework and recognize the significance of communal and organized religious experiences.