Too often, Christians think this is a one-or-the-other proposition, where they do receive a choice as to which one they will primarily commit to. We have not such a choice.

To the degree of which God gave you a brain and put you into a context with other people, you must pursue both.

Besides…

If you choose to love people yet do not with all your might search God’s truths, then you really don’t have much to offer. Certainly not wisdom. Such a Christian is merely equipped to say “Oh, I’m very sorry for you” (yet can give no wisdom) or “I’ll be praying for you” (and they won’t but if they do it will be quite whimsical) or “Let’s start an accountability group and project to one another that we believe the Christian life is a very trite list of do’s and do-not’s” (okay, maybe they don’t say this, but we know it’s true). The degree to which you close your mind to God is the degree to which you have nothing to offer his people and further propel this sad state the church is in – tell me how choosing EQ over IQ really loves his people…

It doesn’t. It may make you feel better or make them feel warm for a bit, but it does not love them. Not really.

Instead, such laziness (which it is, because anyone can pick up a book and can learn to a degree…and again, are responsible to that degree) condemns those you say you love.

I guess this is subclass of the “sacred vs. secular” split. The early church leaders (and Christ) appeared to embody both very well. As you said above: “Truly knowing God must in the end translate to loving God and loving our neighbors.” I really hope we (the body) can embrace these two very opposite things (or at least they appear to be opposite, on the surface) which will ultimately result in loving God, loving others and further the kingdom.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kxup3OS5ZhQ

A more recent way I’ve tried to handle these situations is to do what Timothy Keller explains in his book The Reason for God where he talks about getting someone who is doubting a belief to deconstruct their doubts and realize their doubt is really based on a belief already held.

I think this is especially powerful because it can show someone who is struggling with having beliefs in the first place that they actually already have some. The real question then becomes why they believe what they already believe and the issue is brought back into the “accessible” realm of reason.

I like what you are saying there and I believe your observations are spot on. Having (like you), spent some time in formal training (at Dallas Seminary), I always found it un-motivating when I was taking certain classes and I heard over and over again how a many of the classes were “not practical” and therefore not valuable. That sentiment was pretty consistent from very different folks (church members, church staff, teaching pastors, and other seminary students). Collectively the zeitgeist was “just memorize what you need to memorize and read what you need to read so you can get through these classes.” I was pretty immature and a little too impressionable when I entered seminary, so I might not be the best test case, but all of those comments certainly had a big impact on my motivation to truly learn certain subjects. However, I don’t know why I’m still a little hesitant to say that formal academic training is necessary for all Protestant pastors. I think my fear is that too much formal training would lead to pastors who can only communicate on a level that misses so many people. However, I will say (as you have also said), most local Protestant churches in American have much ground to make up in this area, so for now, any little bit of progress is good. Great list of the university presidents, by the way. Very interesting.

Coffee –

We are definitely going to have to plan something during the week of 9/28. It will be good to put faces and names together and have some off-line conversations.

1) I have been atypical.
2) The biggest influences have been some of the priests in Catholic school and CS Lewis
3) The benefits of “asking and thinking” are many. In addition to many others, I think it leads to the awareness that:

a) There is a Creator
b) I sin and I can’t stop on my own
c) I need Grace
d) “Asking and thinking” is not enough. I need revelation and a personal relationship with the Lord, as well.

4) In the long run “asking and thinking” pose no threat to the church.

I am interested to find out what the scope of the book is. I think that if it only deals with using reason to address the Word, or the existence of God then the scope will be too narrow in relation to the command given us in Matthew 22:37.

Did not Einstein love God with his mind when he discovered new wonders of God’s world and then shared those wonders with us?

Did not Wilberforce love God with his mind as he gave all those speeches in the cause of abolition?

Doesn’t a Bible translator love God with his mind as he performs his work?

Maybe it is because I feel so feeble in using my mind to understand Him that I am also beginning to see the commandment as a call to action.