The Christian scholar in the 21st century

Many Christian academics long to serve God more effectively, and they see their role as scholars as offering them important strategic opportunities for service.

I have developed some thoughts on how evangelical scholars can begin to develop their ministries more effectively and this is the central theme of the important conference 'God and the Academy: Charting a Course for the New Millennium' to be held on June 21-25 2002 at the Georgia Institute of Technology, USA.

Evangelicalism has always been suspicious of the academic world - and rightly so. There is much justified anxiety about the secularism, relativism and pluralism which seems to be endemic in much higher education today. Evangelicals and others have noted with growing concern the indications that the modern university seems to have more to do with elitism, ideological warfare and rampant anti-religious propaganda than with learning.

Write the books

Two of the most celebrated German liberal Protestant theologians of the 19th century, Albrecht Ritschl and Adolf Harnack, were discussing some recent political victories by the more conservative sections of the German Protestant churches. Ritschl reportedly advised Harnack: 'Never mind about the politics, get on with writing the books that will change the way people think. In the long term, that is what will be of decisive importance.' The sustained gains made by liberalism in German Protestantism before the First World War point to the wisdom of the comment: to win the long-term victories, you have to influence the way in which a rising generation thinks.

Evangelicals have started to learn this lesson over the past 50 years. John Stott, one of global evangelicalism's wisest and most discerning leaders, set up a programme at All Soul's to encourage emerging leaders to gain PhDs at educational institutions which were either evangelical, or sympathetic to evangelicalism. The results have been substantial.

Intellectually vacuous?

But evangelical seminaries have a far more vital role to play in the consolidation of evangelicalism. Evangelicalism needs to go further than its theological agenda to begin shaping discussion on a broader academic front.

But why should we want to do this? Would it not be a distraction from the real work of evangelism and pastoral care? I concede that we must ensure that these are not neglected, and that my dream has to do with supplementing these concerns, not replacing them. But the goals are laudable, and the results potentially enormously important.

Evangelicalism has been given a hard time in the liberal arts colleges, being depicted as intellectually vacuous, culturally destructive and spiritually simplistic. Evangelicalism is portrayed as something you grow out of, not something you grow up within. I am quite sure that evangelicalism, firmly grounded in the truth and relevance of the Christian gospel, has the potential to extend its influence within higher education. Not only would this invalidate the seductive stereotypes which are force-fed to our students; it could also lead to the values and beliefs of evangelicalism percolating into areas of our culture where it is at present completely absent.

Training the laity

It would also be potentially enabling to our lay people in their everyday work. Am I the only one uneasy that evangelicalism seems to have concentrated so much of its resources in educating future clergy while ignoring the laity? While I am thrilled by what has been achieved, I long for us to be able to give Christians running supermarkets, shops and corporations access to those same rich resources.

But what if we could have financiers who know as much about the Christian faith as they do about economic theory? And that they were able to relate them, and bring them together in such a way that we could talk about 'evangelical economic theory'? We need to link them with what is going on in the real world, and allow the gospel to bear on the issues that are facing those who live and work in our complex modern culture. We cannot allow the gospel to be squeezed out of that culture because it is seen to be of no relevance on account of our failure to make those connections in the first place.

A vision for the future

Back to academe. How can evangelical scholars - whether working in the areas of biology, history, theology, or physics - serve God within their fields?

First, we need a sense of vision. We need to realise that each of us can make a difference. Through God's good grace, we can help people capture a sense of the wonder and glory of the Christian gospel. Sometimes it will be through the things that we say; at other times, through the things that we do. We all need to start asking key questions such as: 'Why has God placed me here?'

The basic issue is building a vision of who God is, and how he can take and use us. We need to understand the wonderful fact that this God takes pleasure in using weak and foolish people such as ourselves to advance his kingdom. Believing that we can make a difference to people is not about being arrogant; it is about trusting in the grace and promises of God.

Second, we need to ask what special opportunities are open to us through the subject which we teach. For example, the physicist will be able to point to the remarkable ordering of the universe, and see this as pointing to the wisdom of God as its creator. A professor of Christian literature could introduce students to the writings of G.K. Chesterton or C.S. Lewis - important works in their own right, yet important also because they convey many of the central themes of Christianity.

Thirdly we must stress the importance of fellowship with other evangelical scholars. It is easy to become disheartened and discouraged. It helps to meet up with others, pray and find comfort in their company. And we can share wisdom and insights. What approaches have worked for us? One of the reasons why I believe the forthcoming 'God and the Academy' conference is so important is the opportunities it will bring for networking, dialogue, prayer and fellowship.

Role models

Fourthly, we need to identify role models; that is, scholars who have managed to bring together faith and learning in their own professional careers, and whose wisdom and example can be an inspiration to others. I do not mean that we blindly and woodenly imitate them. Rather, they come to be seen as an encouragement and inspiration. We could for example try to recover mentoring, which was considered most important at an earlier period in evangelical history.
So who are today's leading Christian scholars and role models in the fields of literature, history and cosmology, to mention just three possible disciplines? And who will perform these tasks in future? My own impression is that figures of excellence seem to just emerge, without any conscious attempt by others to encourage them.

Maybe we need to be more proactive here, by identifying future role models earlier, and encouraging them to deliberately plan for this possibility.

Teachers and researchers

Finally, evangelical scholars come in two different categories: teachers and researchers. Each has his/her own distinct gifts and both must be honoured. Many owe the beginnings of their attempts to relate faith and learning to those who first taught them and introduced them to the great themes which would shape their future careers.

Paul used the analogy of the human body to show that every member of the body of Christ has a role to play. We must not allow ourselves to value one member more than another. Whether we are committed to teaching or to research, we need to keep this broader perspective in mind. We all need each other; together, we can do things for God which we could not possibly manage on our own. And we need to be reminded once more of our total dependence upon the grace of God, in case we begin to get big ideas about our own importance!

A great challenge lies ahead. How can we bring our faith to the life of the academy? We must prepare for challenging times ahead. I believe that the June conference will help us to prepare for this great task. I hope we will come away with a sense of vision and wonder, which will give us a new sense of purpose on our lives as scholars.

The Rev. Dr. Alister McGrath is professor of theology at Oxford University. He also has a PhD in molecular physics and holds an Oxford DD in theology. He is principal of Wycliffe Hall, Oxford and the author of 40 books, the most recent being A Scientific Theology: Nature (T. & T. Clark, Edinburgh, 2001).