The Progressive Element Everywhere

Some devils would rather rule in Hell than serve in Heaven, but imagine preferring to rule a dumpster fire rather than rule in Hell or serve in Heaven. That is the right-wing version of the Progressive Element at Edgstow College.

Be warned.

Some Background

Every few months I read (or listen to the audiobook) That Hideous Strength to get the current news. If it is happening, then it happened first in this prophetic novel. Wonder why college and university costs so much? Don’t blame the professors. Any regionally accredited school has a lot of good teachers doing excellent research for not a great deal of money. Pray for the “adjuncts,” part-time teachers with excellent educations paid horrifically low wages so administrators and football coaches can live like gods. Put the blame where it belongs: bloated administration getting in the way of teaching and research.

It’s all in That Hideous Strength. 

How Could Conservative Christian Organizations Have a Progressive Element?

Power can corrupt. Any power is tempting, even if relative to a broader culture there is very little power there. In fact, smaller groups may not have much power, but accountability might be less. One reason to avoid at all costs groups cut off from the global community is that corruption is easier in small places than large ones.

Of course, when a large organization goes bad, when the insiders begin to run things for their own good, it can do more harm. To be an insider, a person who gets the treats, in many big organizations in the United States can cut against Christian values. When work demands sacrificing family for money in order to be an insider, that is bad and can harm many. When a big college or university falls into the thrall of unstated and unwritten values, then the organization can lose any focus on teaching and research.

As CS Lewis rightly observed, most hijacking of this sort in colleges in the 1940’s was coming from the social and political left. As a result, in the book Lewis focuses on the self-styled Progressive Element hell bent on destroying a decent little college. They have the power, or better, are able to sell the allure of being “in.”

The lure to give up what one really desires, one’s true self, to get inside status is a major theme of the novel. In the case of Mark Studdock , this is in a secular and leftist direction.

However, the novel also mentions conservative or religious groups that the Progressive Element admires because these people and groups are just like the Progressive Element in tactics. There is a mirrror right-wing inside circle that some people have sold their souls and values to join. Our values do not protect us at all from this temptation, because the temptation to be an insider cuts across all value schemes.

Let’s be plain: selling out one’s beliefs for money and insider power is destructive, a point Lewis also made in Abolition of Man. This sell-out is destructive when someone does it on the left or the right. To toady to a religious establishment for treats is just as noxious as sucking up to a socialist for benefits.

True religion, authentic scholarship, and healthy humanity cannot live if part of decision making is “How will this look to the insiders?”

American Christianity has money and some power. As a result, there are (by nature) people with access to this money and power and the temptation is do what it takes to be pals. Having been bold enough to resist the insiders lure and follow the argument at a secular graduate school, too many Christian leaders are tempted to get the money and power of a Christian sub-culture. Who gets the radio interviews? Who gets the book contracts? Who is puffed on Fox or gets the blurbs from other insiders?

That is a sore temptation for us all.

There can be a conservative version of the Progressive Element and CS Lewis warned us of it. We are too self-satisfied if we do not see that such “leaders” (the Conservative Element) actually hang out and get along fine with their opposites. In fact, the two groups need each other. The dynastic owner of a “Christian” college gets media play by acting the buffoon for secular newspapers while building up his own chips in the small Christian inside network.

The Progressive Element Everywhere

And of course (as some conservative friend will remind me), there is an equal temptation to join the “we are not those Evangelicals” insider network. We might flash our “never Trump” cred and so be part of a club that is so alluring because so small! Atheists can have an “inner ring” where any hatefulness is excused by decent people if it keeps them in the conference circuit. It may be pathetic compared to religious conferences, but it is something! God help us all: religious, secularist, conservative, liberal.

God help especially those of us tempted to join the “we cannot be categorized” inner ring.

The point is not to argue for or against any particular position: progressive, secular, Christian, or conservative. The lesson is to follow the argument where it leads and to be true to that argument. If it leads us to Christianity, we should show justice and love mercy. We must not seek power, but find humility, not lording it over others, but serving best we can.

Our motive should never be to warp our ideals for something even less valuable than power: the approval of those whose approval we crave. Nobody. Nobody. Nobody is immune to this temptation.

Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.