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<\/a>Can an evangelical be intellectual?<\/p><\/div>\n
Can an intellectual be evangelical?<\/p>\n
According to Mark Noll, in his book The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind, \u201cit is simply impossible to be, with integrity, both evangelical and intellectual.\u201d (preface) \u00a0\u00a0According to the author, evangelicals have not focused in on four specific things: science, the arts, politics and culture\/society in general. \u00a0The reason these things have not been affected is because there is no attention paid by evangelicals to be intellectual in these areas.\u00a0 \u00a0There is not a singular evangelical periodical within the US that pursues any of these four disciplines.\u00a0 There is no scholarly work done at the research university level because none exist. \u00a0These are the short comings of evangelicalism.\u00a0\u00a0 There is no interest in developing the mind to the level that our secular counterparts have over the years.<\/p>\n
So, what is the scandal?<\/p>\n
The Scandal<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cWhat does it mean to think like a Christian about the nature and workings of the physical world, the character of human social structures like government and the economy, the meaning of the past, the nature of artistic creation and the circumstances attending our perception of the world outside ourselves.\u00a0 Failure to exercise the mind for Christ is these areas has become acute in the twentieth century.\u00a0 That failure (to exercise the mind) is the scandal of the evangelical mind.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Summary<\/strong><\/p>\n The author does a masterful job of undertaking a valuable social-historical survey of evangelicalism in the United States.\u00a0 From Jonathon Edwards to Charles Colson, Mark Noll carefully traces the history of American evangelicalism for the past 300 years.\u00a0 This snapshot gives a clear picture of how inept and lifeless evangelicals have become in the light of affecting society in any powerful way.\u00a0 Except for the spread of the Gospel.\u00a0 They seemed to have done that masterfully.<\/p>\n \u00a0Higher Education<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n The author pursues the history of the major universities that started as Christian (Harvard, Princeton, Yale and others) and because of their elevation of intellect they became Darwinian in thought and moved away from anything evangelical.\u00a0 While the author intended to make a strong argument for intellectual mind use, I believe he counter proved his point about just pursuing the mind. 111\u00a0 These institutions became non-Christian, non-evangelical or \u201csecular\u201d quickly.\u00a0\u00a0 The heart and the appeal of the gospel was quickly overtaken by science, society, arts and pursuit of significant social influence.\u00a0 So, the mind or depth of the mind gravitated toward the secular.<\/p>\n Creationism<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n The author displays a disdain for the Biblical view of Creation.\u00a0 He does not embrace it and traces it back to the Ellen G White and the Seventh Day Adventist instead of tracing it back to the book of Genesis. \u00a0This is where the mind gravitates toward an explanation instead of toward a belief.\u00a0 The acceptance of the intellectual or scientific viewpoint instead of taking any attempt at verifying scripture.\u00a0\u00a0 This is usually where the breakdown of theological intelligence causes me to pause.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n When I studied at Oral Roberts University (a presumptuously developed institution, which makes my thinking appear, na\u00efve, inept, or tendentious), I was confronted with the thought that some things are simply beyond my thoughts.\u00a0\u00a0 They would continue to be mysteries, no matter how much thought I put into it. \u00a0You know mysteries that I believe but I can\u2019t explain.<\/p>\n The Mystery like the Trinity.<\/p>\n The Mystery like the Incarnate Christ<\/p>\n The Mystery like the Resurrection<\/p>\n The Mystery like Creation<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
\nConclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n