On vacation this weekend, I’ve been reading Mark Noll’s “Scandal of the Evangelical Mind.” He’s a Wheaton professor and mainly uses a historical lens to critique the current lack of evangelical intellectual acumen. Anyone else read this who has comments or thoughts on it? I read bits of Sider’s “Scandal of the Evangelical Conscience” this summer as well, where Sider takes ths premise Noll fought for and uses it to provide an entry point to critiquing the lack of Christian living that Sider, Barna, and others comment on.
Overall, Noll seems to be pointing out a truth that I have witnessed, and sometimes embody myself, from my church tradition – that is, unless something can be summarized in a pithy quote, explained in a three-point allegorical way, or sung to a short tune with drums, its hard to always keep the attention of evangelicals on intellectual matters. I can say this because I am one…. (and because I embrace my ADD tendancies). It also
7 thoughts on “The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind”
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Liz, I agree with you on the difficulty of keeping evangelicals’ interest when it comes to intellectual matters. Even utter the word “theology” and eyes glaze over. It’s frustrating and frankly, bewildering. Shouldn’t we be on the frontlines of intellectual culture, having an influence?
Yes, Karen, we should! A major piece of this motivation should also come from our own needs for discipleship and holistic living – none of us are complete without growth in our thoughts and intellect, as well as our emotions, spiritual experience, and relationships. Love God with all of who we are! Sometimes this call to a well-rounded piety – that includes head, heart, and hands – is hard to communicate to people – maybe its the “messaging” componant, as in how they hear it or what baggage comes with terms like “theology” or “intellect.” This summer at an event, a pastor shared his fears that another pastor’s committment to “critical thinking” might be double-speak for a committment to “liberal seminarian language” – we had some interesting discussions after that!
Henri Nouwen writes some awesome reflections on the origins of the University – as a place of reflection and rest. Tragically, it’s turned into a place of fierce competition that rarely pursues kingdom values of honoring God with our minds. Throughout history, the church has included intellectuals as part of the body to reflect and interpret the word of God. In evangelical circles, I believe there is a tension between intellect and faith. During my time in college, I wrestled with tons of tough questions about faith and Jesus. I had a few people respond to my questioning by telling me to JUST believe. My unbelief/questioning was perceived as sinful and I was wrong to act that way. The process of asking questions became a holy process for me, because it rooted my faith something deeper than those around me. I still ask TONS of questions, because I love critical thinking. And my relationship with God is shaped as a result of our wrestling matches. Questioning engages our faith in a larger dialogue with God and the world at large. Fear of mystery and the unknown often prevents us form asking tough questions about God and the church.
Amen, Hols.
Liz, I think this is the first time I’ve commented on your blog, but I’ve been reading it for a while. Having wanted to be an evangelical scholar for a few years now, I know exactly what you’re talking about. Evangelical and scholar almost don’t really go together in some people’s opinion. I’ve recently shed my evangelical identity, but not because I found it hard also to identify myself as a (future) scholar. Anyway, I hope evangelical scholarship/academics can start to be respected a bit more by the rest of the evangelical church.
What’s behind the “recently shed my evangelical identity” part? Anyway you look at it, its a misused, large, often misunderstood term, but for now I think it needs to be redeemed and redefined, not junked. Today I think that, anyway. (And I think we both commented on each other’s blogs for the first time at about the same time last night… interesting! Way to blog.)
Liz- Follow this link for an explanation of what “recently shed evangelical identity” means. I tend to define terms like evangelical, pentecostal, charismatic, anabaptist, baptist, etc. by the theology that makes them distinct, rather than by sub-cultural grouping within the larger Church. I’m not an evangelical because I don’t affirm (or deny) the inerrancy, inspiration, and infallibility of the NT canon.