Jaroslav Pelikan Quotes

#1. Tradition is the living faith of the dead, traditionalism is the dead faith of the living. And, I suppose I should add, it is traditionalism that gives tradition such a bad name.

Jaroslav Pelikan

#2. An agnostic position is one that leaves open the question whether there exists a god or gods, professing to find such a question unanswered or unanswerable. For the atheist, the question has been answered, and in the negative.

Jaroslav Pelikan

#3. If Christ is risen, nothing else matters. And if Christ is not risen-nothing else matters.

Jaroslav Pelikan

#4. The church is always more than a school. But the church cannot be less than a school.

Jaroslav Pelikan

#5. The only alternative to tradition is bad tradition

Jaroslav Pelikan

#6. Tradition is the living faith of dead people to which we must add our chapter while we have the gift of life. Traditionalism is the dead faith of living people who fear that if anything changes, the whole enterprise will crumble.

Jaroslav Pelikan

#7. Jesus Christ is too important to be left to the theologians.

Jaroslav Pelikan