Called to the Life of the Mind: Some Advice for Evangelical Scholars. In this interview, Dr. Mouw shares some thoughts on\u00a0the importance of scholarship for evangelical (and all) Christians.<\/em><\/p>\nWhat\u2019s the story behind Called to the Life of Mind<\/em>?<\/strong><\/p>\nIn my half-century career as an evangelical teacher-scholar, I have seen a wonderful shift away from a dominant evangelical spirit of anti-intellectualism to a more supportive climate for serious scholarly engagement in higher education. This book offers my reflections, with words of counsel and encouragement to the younger evangelicals who are committed to a God-honoring intellectual journey<\/p>\n
How and why did you choose the title for the book?<\/strong><\/p>\nNot all Christians are equipped for a serious \u201clife of the mind,\u201d but for those who are, it ought to be seen as a direct call from God to take intellectual engagement with utmost seriousness<\/p>\n
You open the book by saying you were never supposed to be an evangelical scholar. Why not? And what were you supposed to do instead?<\/strong><\/p>\nMy family culture was shaped by the broader evangelical anti-intellectualism. In so far as serious study was considered a good thing, it was as a means to an end\u2014a pragmatic justification. In my case, it meant that I should go to college and seminary in order to follow my father\u2019s path toward ordained ministry. That I would want to teach at a \u201chigher education\u201d level\u2014and, of all things, to teach philosophy (\u201cfool-osophy,\u201d as I had often heard it called)\u2014was unthinkable.<\/p>\n
How, in spite of everything, did you end up spending your career as an academic and a\u00a0philosopher?<\/strong><\/p>\nThe sense of a genuine calling, and the support of my wife, Phyllis, who believed in the strength of that calling, kept me on the path.<\/p>\n
Who do you hope will read this book, and what message do you hope they take away from it?<\/strong><\/p>\nEvangelical scholars should see their work as a contribution to the well-being of the Body of Christ, and their fellow Christians should celebrate the difficult\u2014and often, of necessity, lonely\u2014work of God-honoring scholarship.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s something not enough people know about what it means to be an evangelical scholar?<\/strong> To be an evangelical cultivating the life of the mind is to commit oneself to engaging in scholarly pursuits out of a desire to honor Christ\u2019s Lordship over all of life. This means that we must take the Bible with utmost seriousness as our \u201cinfallible rule for faith and practice.\u201d But it does not mean that the Bible is a scholarly textbook that provides us with the answers to complex scholarly questions. Rather God\u2019s revelation shines on our intellectual pathway, guiding us in what to take seriously and how to engage in the right kind of critical study and reflection.<\/p>\nIn ten words or fewer, what\u2019s the best personal advice you can give to evangelical scholars?<\/strong><\/p>\nTake on the important challenges. All truth is God\u2019s truth.<\/p>\n
Read an excerpt from Dr. Mouw\u2019s new book at the Patheos Book Club here!<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201cEvangelical scholars should see their work as a contribution to the well-being of the Body of Christ, and their fellow Christians should celebrate the difficult\u2014and often, of necessity, lonely\u2014work of God-honoring scholarship.\u201d \u2014 Richard J. Mouw, author and theologian This month in the Patheos Book Club, we\u2019re talking about a\u00a0new book on evangelical scholarship by […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[350],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4652","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-author-qa"],"yoast_head":"\n
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<\/a>\u201cEvangelical scholars should see their work as a contribution to the well-being of the Body of Christ, and their fellow Christians should celebrate the difficult\u2014and often, of necessity, lonely\u2014work of God-honoring scholarship.\u201d \u2014 Richard J. Mouw, author and theologian<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n