During the 1950s denominations of the Lutheran, Presbyterian, Methodist, and Episcopalian kind had fitted the Light of the World with a lampshade so it wouldn’t produce distracting salvational glare and dampened the fires of perdition to avoid spiritual smoke inhalation. A stillness of the soul and quiet reverence during church had turned into sitting still and being quiet.
—P. J. O’Rourke, The Baby Boom: How It Got That Way (New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 2014), 52–53.
Post authored by:
R. Scott Clark
R.Scott Clark is the President of the Heidelberg Reformation Association, the author and editor of, and contributor to several books and the author of many articles. He has taught church history and historical theology since 1997 at Westminster Seminary California. He has also taught at Wheaton College, Reformed Theological Seminary, and Concordia University. He has hosted the Heidelblog since 2007.
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Maybe they were religiously tepid because they faced these things. Ultimately, it’s kind of like the “as long as they’re sincere” and the “God looks on the heart” people.
What’s the translation, Dr. C?
However great the greatest generation (which faced the Great Depression and fought World War II (and Korea) was, their religion was tepid. They were convinced of the importance of getting along (niceness) and that often took priority over truth.