In his book The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind, Mark Noll says that Christian colleges are not doing an adequate job of participating in and preparing students for intellectual conversations. Rather, he says that people are divided by their fields of discipline. Those who excel in theology or want to go into Christian service go to seminaries. Those who go to Christian colleges get a broad education. Those who go to research universities dig deep into a narrow topic. Certainly there must be some way that we can connect all of these areas into one.
I agree with Noll that a Christian college (depending on which one) does not supply by itself this synergism of fields. Students tend to spend time studying with those who have the same major as they do. How do we solve this problem? One way that a college student can supplement what he is already learning in college is to read books on a variety of subjects. However, it does not stop there—discussion of what the student reads must also take place. He could get together a group of students from various disciplines and discuss the ideas that he is reading.
I always thought to myself that there never seems to be both a good theologian and scientist. There are good theologians and good scientists, but I have never met a person who is exemplary in both fields. Perhaps this is what Noll is getting at.
1. Is this the idea that is spurring one of my previous pastors to take “radical” views on various Scripture topics?
2. Is this actually really an existent problem? How come I have not been made aware of this until now?
In reply to your second question - I think that yes, it is a widely existent problem, that many believers in American churches don't think about what they believe. They just accept what they are told. And this, I think, is the reason why so many young adults who grow up in churches fall away from their faith when they go to college. They are challenged with ideas that they've never thought of before, and it causes them to drop being a Christian. This is why it's important for Christians to use their minds - and to be able to defend and explain their beliefs! :)
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