Chapter 2, Location 666
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The cross of Christ is not, after all, simply an eternal validation of pain and death, but their overthrow. If all the tribulations of this world were to be written off as calculably necessary contributions to redemption -- part of the great "balance" of things -- then Christ's sacrifice would not be a unique saving act so much as the metaphysical ground for a universe of "sacrifice," wherein suffering and death are part of the sublime and inevitable fabric of finitude; and divine providence would be indistinguishable from fate.
— David Bentley Hart
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "The cross of Christ is not, after all, simply an eternal validation of pain and death, but their overthrow. If all the tribulations of this world were to be written off as calculably necessary contributions to redemption -- part of the great "balance" of things -- then Christ's sacrifice would not be a unique saving act so much as the metaphysical ground for a universe of "sacrifice," wherein suffering and death are part of the sublime and inevitable fabric of finitude; and divine providence would be indistinguishable from fate." in the context of "Chapter 2, Location 666" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "David Bentley Hart" (Quotes, The Doors of the Sea (2005))
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
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About David Bentley Hart
David Bentley Hart (born 1965) is an Eastern Orthodox theologian, philosopher, and cultural commentator. (See more at the David Bentley Hart bibliography.)
About David Bentley Hart
David Bentley Hart (born 1965) is an Eastern Orthodox theologian, philosopher, and cultural commentator. (See more at the David Bentley Hart bibliography.)
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