The Inner Path To God

Christianity is a very simple thing: Love other persons, as you love God. Be perfect as your father in heaven. Live in the Spirit of God, making the best things, in the best possible way, for the best purposes. Even a small child can understand these ideas, and even a great mind cannot improve upon them.

Also quoted as saying:

Christianity is a simple… very simple.  It is a pure and absolute religion. 

A  pure and absolute morality.  It is the love of humanity and the love of God.. without hindrance.  Its sanction is the voice of God in your heart… Christ and the Father within us… All this is very simple-a child could understand it.. Very beautiful… The loftiest minds could not find anything more lovely… try it… try it…

Theodore Parker Cited in a Calendar of Wisdom

Differing quotes but with similar meaning…

While in the pursuit of a professional standard of knowledge that gave me entrance into the academic “PhD boys club” of theology, I realized that the quality of my faith suffered. 

In fact, seminary, as it is structured as a graduate school of ministerial education, it was heavy on the research and academics, and only hesitant about developing more theological reflection; and inductive study, and all the various ways that promoted the more inspirational and uplifting parts of religious study, and its application to parish ministry and life!

As I see it, Parker, especially in the second version, advocates for an informed mysticism; that quickly moves our understanding beyond both the ideal and the pious, thereby avoiding the traps of perfectionism and unrealistic assessment of human progress.

In the second version, he offers us the more mystical invitation to the living heart of the matter: Love of others as ourselves, Love of God without limits, and he introduces the practice of reverent listening, and the validity of the intuitive to give us access to the transcendent and the imminent in our lives.