J.P. Moreland and William Lane Craig wrote:
[T]he single most important institution shaping Western culture is the university. It is at the university that our future political leaders, our journalists, our teachers, our business executives, our lawyers, our artists, will be trained. It as at the university that they will formulate or, more likely, simply absorb the worldview that will shape their lives. And since these are the opinion-makers and leaders who shape our culture, the worldview that they imbibe at the university will be the one that shapes our culture. If the Christian worldview can be restored to a place of prominence and respect at the university, it will have a leavening effect throughout society. If we change the university, we can change our culture through those who shape culture.
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Now in one sense it is theology, not philosophy, which is the most important domain for thought and intellect. As the medievals rightly saw, theology is the queen of the sciences, to be studied as the crowning discipline only after one has been trained in the other disciplines. Unfortunately, the queen is currently in exile from the Western university. But her handmaid, philosophy, still has a place at the court and is thus strategically positioned so as to act on behalf of her queen.[1]
[1]J.P. Moreland and William Lane Craig, Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2003), 2-3.
Thinking to Believe 
October 2, 2009 at 7:45 pm
Great post. The debate between naturalist philosopher John Shook and theist philospher Doug Gievett is case in point.
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October 19, 2009 at 11:52 am
It does not appear from scripture that converting the mind will convert the heart. Likewise changing the university will not change society. Festus accused Paul of, Acts 26:24 “…Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad.”
Paul was a well educated man but he didn’t try to get to the top of education to change the world. Paul said a little later on, 1Cor 2:4 “And my speech and my preaching [was] not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:”
We shouldn’t look to shape the university, as much as, we should look to be a movement in society itself. We have answers that the University can’t provide. Answers to the human condition, the fundamentals of the heart. I do agree that we should scale to the highest peaks of education but we should not let go of what we are called to do.
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October 20, 2009 at 9:50 am
CS,
Surely you do not think that conversion of the heart and conversion of the mind are not related, do you? If the mind is not converted, how can the heart be? How could you give your life to God if you do not think God exists? Having said that, it is true that a change of mind does not necessarily mean a change in heart. One can know the truth, and yet still reject it. According to Paul in Romans 1, that is exactly what sinners are doing. But there are people who have genuine intellectual obstacles to faith, that once resolved, open the way for genuine faith to flourish. Apologetics is aimed at such people. And by experience we know that many such individuals are out there, and respond positively to God once they have become convinced that God exists, and Christianity is true.
Your approach seems to be an all-or-nothing approach. No one is saying that if you strive to take back the universities that this means you stop being a force in the culture at large. Christians need to influence every area of society, including academia, politics, etc. Moreland and Craig are merely pointing out that the university is the main shaker and mover for setting the intellectual climate of society. If Christians are not present in the university, then we are missing out on an opportunity to shape the thought of the next generation of Americans. Christianity can only stand to benefit if the culture thinks of Christianity as an intellectually plausible worldview. Right now, however, the university is proclaiming that it is not intellectually credible. That just makes our job on the streets (evangelizing) all the more difficult. For if people think Christianity is not intellectually credible, they will be less inclined to even consider our claims, or listen to the Gospel (just as you would dismiss someone who came to you preaching that Thor was God, because you consider such a religion to be intellectually incredible). An army seeks to take out the stronghold so as to make the fight easier. Right now the stronghold against Christianity in America is the university. If we can infiltrate the university, it will go a long way toward shaping our culture and making it easier for us to convert our neighbors. It’s not the only area we need to focus on, but it is an important one.
Jason
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October 21, 2009 at 12:19 pm
Jason,
No I do not think that conversion is without thought. After all the thread of God’s Word must be spun through the brain before it can be woven into the heart. However, there are questions that the mind has concerning the heart that can’t be answered but by the Word of God. Apologetics is needed in order to help cultivate the soil for God’s Word to sink in. But faith comes by hearing God’s Word. I’ve known people who had genuine obstacles to faith but when they heard the anointed preaching of God’s Word, their faith began to spring forth.
One thing I disagree with is, “theology is the queen of the sciences, to be studied as the crowning discipline only after one has been trained in the other disciplines.” The medieval era gave us the dark ages. I may be wrong but that period was not the height of proper theology, instead, it gave us twisted theology. Moreland and Craig are, no doubt, very smart and their quest may be noble and genuine, however, for them to reference the medieval times raises red flags for me.
Peter and John were perceived as unlearned and ignorant men but something was different, they had been with Jesus.
1Cor 1:26 “…consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.
1Cor 1:27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;” Paul said in the next chapter that when he came to them he didn’t try to learn anything else among them except Jesus Christ and him crucified. That is the crux of my argument. The cross does have intellectual aspects but it transcends simple wisdom of man and touches the heart. It answers the human condition.
Your argument is the same as the people who want to change Hollywood. It is not going to happen even though Hollywood is more of a shaping force to society than the University. Should we give up on Hollywood and the university? No. The university is not the strongest hold, yes it may be a strong hold but Hollywood, media, the breakdown of the family, the internet. Are bigger strong holds.
I live in the south, Tennessee. Many people here view Christianity as intellectually valid. They believe it to be credible. Churches are everywhere. We have a few really good universities too. But my point is this. Just because they think it to be credible doesn’t mean they all will believe and follow the truth. I’ve had more success with people who have never heard the message of the cross than I have with people who have lots of religious knowledge and believe Jesus to be credible. Yet, their families are failing, they have hang ups, and break downs. They need more than just intellectual knowledge but they need the supernatural Jesus Christ.
I am not saying we shouldn’t infiltrate the university, but can we? Can we infiltrate Hollywood and change it? The Oneness Movement has yet to be accepted amongst the church world. Those mean who have attained acceptance have usually backslid before or just after they received that acceptance. The first century church shaped society and it eventually made it to the higher levels of education. But somewhere along the way it became intellectually perverted.
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October 21, 2009 at 3:19 pm
CS,
Very true. I don’t know of any apologist who believes one can have saving faith through rational argumentation alone. We use argumentation to demonstrate the rational credibility of God’s special revelation so that the unbeliever will listen to it and be saved. But I do believe it is possible to come to a belief in God through rational argumentation alone. But that belief must be supplemented by revelation to produce saving faith.
I don’t think the Medeival ages were dark. That was an Englightenment opinion not borne out by the facts. But I don’t see why you would disagree that theology is the queen of the sciences (knowledge). If it is not, then it must be subservient to other disciplines which I don’t think you would hold.
Peter and John were said to be unlearned, not because they were intellectually ignorant, but because they did not have official training in the Torah.
You are right. Just because people believe Christianity to be intellectually credible does not mean they will believe and follow the truth. But two things should be pointed out. One can believe Christianity actually is true and still not follow it. Furthermore, while believing Christianity is intellectually credible is not sufficient for faith in Christ, it is necessary. In other words, if one does not believe Christianity is intellectually credible, they will never put their faith in Christ, even if they have an experience. I just listened to Christopher Hitchens and atheist philosopher Bede Russell say essentially that even if they witnessed someone’s leg grow back they would not believe it was God. They are convinced that theism is foolishness, and so any alternative explanation is better than believing in God. So seeing Christianity as a live option is necessary, but not sufficient for belief.
Of course. I don’t know anyone who says intellectual knowledge is all we need. We need the conviction of the Spirit and the transforming power of God. But apologetics is a means by which God can get to people’s hearts, since their hearts are often guarded by their heads. One works with the other, not against the other.
Yes, I think we can infiltrate the university. All that would be required is that more Christians actually develop a Christian worldview, and then seek higher education. This anti-intellectualism so prominent among conservatives is not going to work. It’s counter-productive. We abandoned the university to avoid answering the difficult challenges being posed by skeptics, and opted instead for religious feelings and experience (alone). If you abandon the places that shape the ideas and values of the next generation, is it any wonder that the next generation holds to anti-Christian ideas and values?
Of course, the university is not the only place we need to take back. We also need to take back the church!! Too many churches either aren’t teaching, aren’t teaching the truth, or are too afraid to teach the truth. As a result many Christians sitting on pews every week are buying into what they are hearing at the university and through Hollywood. There are many places we need to work in. There’s just few places that have bigger and more far-reaching ramifications than the university. One Christian scholar can affect the thinking of thousands of students. Just imagine if we added 1000 more Christian scholars in secular universities across the nation. How many would they influence? And how many of those who would not have otherwise converted to Christianity, would convert?
Jason
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October 26, 2009 at 9:50 am
Jason, Sorry for the slow reply. You’re other articles kinda derailed me. I think we are singing the same song and I may be off key a little, ok I’m shattering glass.
We have many with the brains but little with the drive or with the time. I readon another blog today, a writer told a OP to check his commentary again, then he said, “Oh I forgot you don’t have one.” I took that to mean we are ill educated and currently our scholars have not written a commentary.
We have a long way to go to even win back our churches, so we can only pray for God’s help in doing what is so needed!
Blessings. I thoroughly enjoy your blog.
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