J.P. Moreland
Can this man please be put on a podium with a loudspeaker while the entire Christian community is sat down and forced to listen to him at gunpoint?
For class, I'm having to read the book, "Love Your God With All Your Mind," which is a discussion of how Christianity in general has shied away from the intellectual centers of society and has, essentially, begun to dumb itself down to the prevalent thinkers of the age. The book is a sort of means to challenge Christians to start thinking again, and to overthrow the corrupt and often illogical thought-centers of our society.
The man is a genius. Every word I read in that first chapter struck home with me, and I couldn't help but think of things that could be done to help the cause. Christianity needs to make its return to intellectualism, not timidly back away from it as it has in the past two centuries. Christians need to start thinking again.
After reading it, though, I couldn't help but think about this: my mind is not being put to adequate use here. In a more "secular" setting, I could use this gift that God has given me more effectively, to demonstrate the logic behind why I believe what I believe, and show (as Moreland showed Paul did) that logically, the Gospel of Christ is the only true way. Schools of science, philosophy, mathematics, or any other field have suddenly become that much more relevant to me. They are places where I can go to learn and understand, and places that are horribly lacking the hope of the gospel. These are places that I want to go, places where I can actually make a difference.
At the same time I'm torn. I want to be here where I can solidify my beliefs and knowledge base of Christiandom, and where I can more adequately learn to be ready in season and out of season to give account for the hope that is within me.
This semester keeps me here, at the very least.
For class, I'm having to read the book, "Love Your God With All Your Mind," which is a discussion of how Christianity in general has shied away from the intellectual centers of society and has, essentially, begun to dumb itself down to the prevalent thinkers of the age. The book is a sort of means to challenge Christians to start thinking again, and to overthrow the corrupt and often illogical thought-centers of our society.
The man is a genius. Every word I read in that first chapter struck home with me, and I couldn't help but think of things that could be done to help the cause. Christianity needs to make its return to intellectualism, not timidly back away from it as it has in the past two centuries. Christians need to start thinking again.
After reading it, though, I couldn't help but think about this: my mind is not being put to adequate use here. In a more "secular" setting, I could use this gift that God has given me more effectively, to demonstrate the logic behind why I believe what I believe, and show (as Moreland showed Paul did) that logically, the Gospel of Christ is the only true way. Schools of science, philosophy, mathematics, or any other field have suddenly become that much more relevant to me. They are places where I can go to learn and understand, and places that are horribly lacking the hope of the gospel. These are places that I want to go, places where I can actually make a difference.
At the same time I'm torn. I want to be here where I can solidify my beliefs and knowledge base of Christiandom, and where I can more adequately learn to be ready in season and out of season to give account for the hope that is within me.
This semester keeps me here, at the very least.