{"id":2081,"date":"2009-10-19T21:37:11","date_gmt":"2009-10-19T21:37:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/owenstrachan.com\/?p=2081"},"modified":"2009-10-19T21:37:11","modified_gmt":"2009-10-19T21:37:11","slug":"shooting-sacred-evangelical-cows-credential-envy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/thoughtlife\/2009\/10\/shooting-sacred-evangelical-cows-credential-envy\/","title":{"rendered":"Shooting Sacred Evangelical Cows: Credential-Envy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

After a little break, I thought that I would fire up the SSEC series once more.\u00a0 We\u2019ve tackled \u201cincarnational ministry,\u201d<\/a> \u201cengaging culture,\u201d<\/a> boutique coffee-drinking<\/a>, and maybe something else.\u00a0 I can\u2019t remember. Anyway, here\u2019s another subject that strikes me as a sacred evangelical cow: our degrees.\u00a0 Before you read on, however, I will require you to sign a mental disclosure statement that indicates that you understand that this post is written in a tongue-in-cheek style and is meant in good edifying fun.<\/p>\n

Way back in time, in the early twentieth century, evangelicals (if we can call them that) did not believe strongly in degrees, as Joel Carpenter\u2019s Revive Us Again<\/em><\/a> shows in abundance.\u00a0 Many Christians, including some in the fundamentalist tradition, did not believe it necessary to earn them.\u00a0 In the mid-twentieth century, with the rise of neo-evangelicalism and pedigreed leaders like Harold J. Ockenga<\/a>, many evangelicals switched tracks.\u00a0 Instead of distancing themselves from worldly credentials, they embraced them in order to shore up their cultural footing and gain social credibility.<\/p>\n

In our days, it\u2019s common for evangelicals to earn all kinds of degrees.\u00a0 If we once possessed too few credentials, making it easy for people to avoid taking us seriously, perhaps the pendulum has swung back too far the other way, such that we take ourselves <\/em>too seriously.\u00a0 How many times have you seen an evangelical identify himself as \u201cDr. John Smith, PhD,\u201d a title that immediately paints the possessor in a slightly insecure light?\u00a0 This is all too common among evangelicals.\u00a0 To paraphrase the immortal Bruce Dickinson (Google it with \u201cgold-plated diapers\u201d\u2013no, I\u2019m not making this up), we conservative Christians have a \u201cfever for degrees.\u201d<\/p>\n

This extends beyond just one degree or title.\u00a0 I see people\u2019s business cards identify them as \u201cJohn Mottleby, MDiv\u201d somewhat regularly.\u00a0 Now, I\u2019m all for academic training.\u00a0 I believe in it.\u00a0 I think it\u2019s useful, and I think that in many cases (especially colleges and seminaries) there is a great deal to be said for jumping through the hoops necessary to win accreditation.\u00a0 I differ with some when I say that I think, in my limited judgment and experience, that it is good for pastors (for example) to get a recognized degree (and maybe two if they sense the Lord leading them to do so).<\/p>\n

But I am also aware that the whole thing can easily be overblown and taken way too seriously.\u00a0 We can take far too much pride in our degrees and we can think that they automatically bestow credibility or \u201cexpert\u201d status upon us.\u00a0 Many of the smartest people I know, and a good chunk of the fine preachers and teachers\u00a0 I have benefited from, have had few degrees and credentials.\u00a0 They were simply deep thinkers and smart doers who were, among other things, freed from the insecurity that drives some of us to great degree-earning\u2013and degree-displaying\u2013heights.<\/p>\n

I recall a conversation with a Christian friend studying in a secular context some years back that is instructive on this point.\u00a0 He noted that at his elite institution, few professors listed their degrees.\u00a0 They had little to prove and knew that academic distinction was a matter of course for their profession.\u00a0 They thus took their diplomas less seriously than many evangelicals do.\u00a0 Where scholars and leaders of other realms pay their past achievements little mind (in some instances), some of us evangelicals double-list them on our CV, insist on being referred to as \u201cDr. John\u201d in any and all situations,\u00a0and detail an alphabet soup of degrees\u2013D. D.,\u00a0D. Litt., Psy. D., Ph. D., Y. M. C. A., and W. C. A. Y. S. D. (Who Cares About Your Stupid Degree).<\/p>\n

So what\u2019s the deal?\u00a0 Should we Christians stop earning degrees?\u00a0 No.\u00a0 At least I don\u2019t think so.\u00a0 Should we stop mentioning our degrees?\u00a0 No.\u00a0 I just think that we might need a little bit of balance.\u00a0 Scholars, for example, very often need<\/em> degrees, and sometimes lots of them.\u00a0 That\u2019s well and good.\u00a0 Pastors also will in many cases benefit from earning degrees that feature stimulating content.\u00a0 So that\u2019s well and good, too.<\/p>\n

But we may find it helpful to find a little more security in the gospel and who God has made us than in our credentials, whatever they may be.\u00a0 Whether a PhD or a folk credential, we are often tempted in this life to find our security and our enfranchisement in certain experiences or attainments.\u00a0 These things may well play into who we are and what we do, but they should not take precedence over our status as children of the living God.<\/p>\n

This is not to say that if John Smith identifies himself as \u201cDr. John Smith, PhD\u201d that he\u2019s lost all sight of his Christian citizenship.\u00a0 But he may be struggling with this temptation, as we all do in many different ways.\u00a0 Let\u2019s collectively take a deep breath about our degrees, giving thanks to God for how He has allowed the American evangelical movement to intellectually bolster itself while simultaneously praying for ourselves and our leaders that we would not find our confidence or legitimation in any earthly thing, but only in the gospel of Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

After a little break, I thought that I would fire up the SSEC series once more.\u00a0 We\u2019ve tackled \u201cincarnational ministry,\u201d \u201cengaging culture,\u201d boutique coffee-drinking, and maybe something else.\u00a0 I can\u2019t remember. Anyway, here\u2019s another subject that strikes me as a sacred evangelical cow: our degrees.\u00a0 Before you read on, however, I will require you to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1217,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[297],"tags":[701,972,1070,1185,1402,13156,1583,1702,2488,13267],"class_list":["post-2081","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-shooting-sacred-evangelical-cows","tag-bruce-dickinson","tag-credential-envy","tag-degrees","tag-engaging-culture","tag-gold-plated-diapers","tag-harold-ockenga","tag-incarnational-ministry","tag-joel-carpenter","tag-revive-us-again","tag-shooting-sacred-evangelical-cows"],"yoast_head":"\nShooting Sacred Evangelical Cows: Credential-Envy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"After a little break, I thought that I would fire up the SSEC series once more.\u00a0 We've tackled 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