“Once the creator was removed from the creation, divinity became only a remote abstraction, a social weapon in the hands of the religious institutions. This split in public values produced or was accompanied by, as it was bound to be, an equally artificial and ugly division in people's lives, so that a man, while pursuing Heaven with the sublime appetite he thought of as his soul, could turn his heart against his neighbors and his hands against the world...Though Heaven is certainly more important than the earth if all they say about it is true, it is still morally incidental to it and dependent on it, and I can only imagine it and desire it in terms of what I know of the earth. (pg. 23, "A Native Hill")”

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About Wendell Berry

American poet and farmer, born 1934. He is best known for his lyrical essays on rural life, sustainability, and ecological responsibility, blending poetry with practical wisdom. His work often critiques industrial agriculture and advocates for small-scale farming as a moral and environmental necessity.

More from Wendell Berry (196 quotes) →
"Once the creator was removed from the creation, divinity became only…" — Wendell Berry | Daily Quotes