2 minute read
Yes, intellectual pride is a real and serious spiritual problem for Jesus followers. It’s detrimental to human flourishing and, like all sins, impairs our connection with God. Having spent a lot of time on the campus of Christian college and universities, I can assure you that I’m well-aware of the problem and have little patience for this particular vice. I tend to confront these egotistical punks right away. At the same time (not “But”), there’s an equal problem in the opposite direction that seldom draws any attention whatsoever within Christian culture: anti-intellectual bullying.
Like the tacit racism that filtered into every crevice of Southern culture prior to the Civil Rights Movement, anti-intellectual bullying is such an enculturated reality within most churches that people sincerely don’t realize that others are being oppressed and driven away from Jesus altogether. It’s just the way it is. Question simplistic answers? Out come the soul-sucking clichés: intellectual pride, child-like faith, knowledge puffs up, heart knowledge vs. head knowledge, etc. And that’s only if you’re lucky enough to escape the wrath of the militantly ignorant.
Nobody comes right out and says it, of course, but Christian culture demands passive acceptance of this intellectual suppression at every possible turn. It’s about catering to the lowest common denominator. If you genuinely feel compelled to dig deeper than that, then shut up, stay out of sight, and deal with it on your own. What Christian culture will almost never do is validate that the foremost sacred pathway to God for some Jesus followers is Intellectual. It’s a need rather than a want, but they won’t go there because it would open an enormous can of worms.
To these anti-intellectual precedents I say three things. First, let’s distinguish between child-like faith and childish faith. One is a matter of trust. The other immaturity. Second, president Jed Bartlet on The West Wing said, “It’s not our job to appeal to the lowest common denominator… It’s our job to raise it.” Our faith communities should aspire to raise the bar, not lower it. Third, at the risk of sounding like Twisted Sister, we’re not gonna take it anymore. We’re grown-ass men and women. Our goal shouldn’t be to think, feel, believe, speak, and act like perpetual 6th graders.
The original beatniks loved the life of the mind and offered steady push-back against unthinking religion. Likewise, beatnik Christianity pushes back against the strong anti-intellectualism in Christian culture. It’s important to be accessible and humble, but that doesn’t mean dumbing down everything. I’m beyond tired of the norm being to divorce our minds from our faith. The next time I hear somebody complain about the sermon being “too intellectual” I’m going to suggest they pull a Billy Madison and go forward during next week’s children’s sermon.
