3 Quotes by Margaret Bendroth

Our ancestors have a lot to teach us. This is not because they were wiser or more devout than we are or “better” Christians, though we can’t rule out such possibilities. It is because they can point us toward what is essential. (p. 50)

We also believe that from our end of this undulating time line, we have a certain omnipotence. We can see the mistakes and blunders of the past far more clearly than the people who were living through them. (p. 77)

We assume that our ancestors don't have all that much to teach us; afer all, they were “old-fashioned” and bigoted and they rarely washed or changed their clothes. They could not possibly be as thoughtful or self-aware as we are today. . . I daresay that for many people this is the main reason history seems irrelevant.