“Science not only purifies the religious impulse of the dross of its anthropomorphism but also contributes to a religious spiritualization of our understanding of life.”
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Source: Science and Religion, 1941
About this quote
Scientific understanding can move religious feeling away from human-shaped images of divinity toward a more abstract sense of order and awe. The claim belongs to Einstein's distinctive philosophy of religion and requires that context.
When to use it
- A reader studies cosmic scale and replaces a literal image of divine action with a sense of lawful order.
- A science-and-religion seminar distinguishes anthropomorphic belief from philosophical reverence.
- A teacher presents the line alongside Einstein's rejection of a personal God to prevent a misleading reading.