"It is my conviction that the combination of these principles—voluntaryism, pluralism, protestantism, and moralism—is what makes it perfectly possible for an American to shift his affiliation from church to church with every shift in his economic or social status or with every move from neighborhood to neighborhood or town to town, and still be regarded as a profoundly religious person if he leads a reasonably moral life; that is, if he restricts his acquisitiveness to conventional business channels, marries his wives _seriatim_ rather than simultaneously, participates in some sort of social uplift movement, and, except when driving his car, keeps within the limits of the law."

"The theological task, therefore, is to integrate the present account of human agency within a comprehensive account of Christian belief and practice. It is false to say that progressive voices have not attempted to do just this. It would also be false to say that more traditional voices have not sought to bring the changes in moral practice now common in the West under the scrutiny of such an account. The problem is that progressives have made the connection by reducing Christian belief to rather vacuous account of divine and human love; and traditionalists have, as it were, “majored” in dogmatic assertions while remaining unaware of the moral gains that have come with our present map of the self."

"The Psalm (95/96) has this title: “When the house was being built after the captivity.” “What house?”, you ask. The Psalmist answers immediately: “Sing to the Lord a new song! Sing to the Lord, all the earth!” That’s what house. When all the earth sings the new song, it is the house of God. It is built by singing; it is being founded on believing; it is being erected by hoping; it is being completed by loving. It’s being built now, and it will be dedicated at the end of the world. Let the living stones rush together, then, toward the new song; let them rush together and be fitted together and thus become the structure that is God’s temple. Let them acknowledge the Savior and receive him as the one who dwells there."