Who said “Let us pardon him his hope of a vain apocalypse, and of a second coming in great triumph…”?

Verified

Ernest Renan. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceVie de Jésus (The Life of Jesus) (1863)

Evidence: Wikiquote · How we check

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“Let us pardon him his hope of a vain apocalypse, and of a second coming in great triumph upon the clouds of heaven. Perhaps these were the errors of others rather than his own; and if it be true that he himself shared the general illusion, what matters it, since his dream rendered him strong against death, and sustained him in a struggle to which he might otherwise have been unequal?”
VerifiedVie de Jésus (The Life of Jesus) (1863) · evidenceJesus Christ

Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: Vie de Jésus (The Life of Jesus) (1863).

APA

Renan, E. (n.d.). Let us pardon him his hope of a vain apocalypse, and of a second coming in great triumph upon the clouds of heaven. Perhaps these were the errors of others rather than his own; and if it be true that he himself shared the general illusion, what matters it, since his dream rendered him strong against death, and sustained him in a struggle to which he might otherwise have been unequal? [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/24600-let-us-pardon-him-his-hope-of-a/

MLA

Renan, Ernest. “Let us pardon him his hope of a vain apocalypse, and of a second coming in great triumph upon the clouds of heaven. Perhaps these were the errors of others rather than his own; and if it be true that he himself shared the general illusion, what matters it, since his dream rendered him strong against death, and sustained him in a struggle to which he might otherwise have been unequal?” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/24600-let-us-pardon-him-his-hope-of-a/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Renan, Ernest. “Let us pardon him his hope of a vain apocalypse, and of a second coming in great triumph upon the clouds of heaven. Perhaps these were the errors of others rather than his own; and if it be true that he himself shared the general illusion, what matters it, since his dream rendered him strong against death, and sustained him in a struggle to which he might otherwise have been unequal?” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/24600-let-us-pardon-him-his-hope-of-a/.