The State of the Evangelical Mind: Reflections on the Past, Prospects for the Future
Overview
Two decades on from Mark Noll’s Scandal of the Evangelical Mind, could we now be on the threshold of another crisis of intellectual maturity in Christianity? Or are the opportunities for faithful intellectual engagement and witness even greater now than before?
These essays invite readers to a virtual “summit meeting” on the current state of the evangelical mind. The insights of national leaders in their fields will aid readers to reflect on the past contributions of evangelical institutions for the life of the mind as well as prospects for the future.
The State of the Evangelical Mind frames the resources needed for churches, universities, seminaries, and parachurch organizations to chart their course for the future, both separately and together, and provides readers an opportunity to participate in a timely conversation as they consider what institutional and individual role they might play.
This is not a book to define or diagnose evangelicalism broadly, and there’s no fear-mongering or demonizing here, but rather a call to attend to the evangelical mind and the role played by interlocking institutions in its intellectual formation and ongoing vitality. It will encourage—and challenge—those who want to be part of the solution in a time of need.
Key Features
- Assesses the state of the evangelical mind and charts a way forward
- Focuses on contributions from churches, parachurch organizations, colleges and universities, and seminaries
- Addresses key cultural events from the past two decades
Contents
- Reflections on the Past: Evangelical Intellectual Life
- Churches: The State of the Evangelical Church
- Parachurch Organizations: University Ministry and the Evangelical Mind
- Colleges and Universities: John Henry Newman’s The Idea of a University and Christian Colleges in the Twenty-First Century
- Seminaries: Contemplative Posture and Christ-Adapted Eyes—Teaching and Thinking in Christian Seminaries
- Prospects for the Future: The Future Is Catholic—The Next Scandal for the Evangelical Mind
- Conclusion: The Ongoing Challenge of the Evangelical Mind
Contributors
- Christopher J. Devers
- Mark Galli
- Timothy Larsen
- Jo Anne Lyon
- David Mahan
- Richard J. Mouw
- Mark A. Noll
- Jerry Pattengale
- Todd C. Ream
- Don Smedley
- James K. A. Smith
- Lauren F. Winner
Praise for the Print Edition
Faith is not a deterrent to scholarship. Rather, it is the very motivation for discovering the richness of creation. It compels us to engage with issues spanning the intellectual and ideological spectrum, ultimately bringing our discoveries to bear in tackling the most complex problems of today. From Mark Noll’s influential The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind in 1994 to the thoughtful essays included in The State of the Evangelical Mind, we are reminded—and indeed challenged—to continue cultivating leaders who devote their training and God-given talents to generating solutions and shaping ideas at the highest levels of the academy and society—from the sciences to the humanities, politics to education, business to the arts.
—Linda A. Livingstone, president of Baylor University
How do we understand the state of the evangelical mind when some 80 percent voted red in the 2016 US presidential election? This little book may serve as a catalyst for a generation of those either despairing of or hopeful about making a difference—not just politically but especially theologically and intellectually—just as Mark Noll’s Scandal prompted those half a generation ago to rise up and be counted.
—Amos Yong, professor of theology and Mission, Fuller Theological Seminary
Ever since the publication of Mark Noll’s seminal The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind, which appeared with much fanfare in 1994, evangelical scholars in churches, seminaries, colleges and universities, and parachurch organizations have struggled to assess the gains and losses of evangelical thought over the past generation. As these essays make clear, progress has been uneven. On one hand, the level of scholarship by evangelicals and evangelical institutions has evolved to a high level of sophistication that is recognized by insiders and outsiders alike. On the other, even as evangelical scholarship has grown, the association of evangelicalism with the more tawdry elements of the ‘religious right’ has delegitimized the movement among serious intellectuals both within and without the evangelical community. Both the gains and the losses appear in the judiciously rendered thought pieces in The State of the Evangelical Mind. The essays are uniformly astute, well written, and, in short, ruthlessly truthful. The result is a stunning achievement. In unflinchingly facing the shortcomings and hypocrisies of contemporary evangelicalism as well as its notable strengths, the volume points a way forward from the scandal of the evangelical mind to its honor.
—Harry Stout, Jonathan Edwards Professor of American Religious History, Yale University
Product Details
- Title: The State of the Evangelical Mind: Reflections on the Past, Prospects for the Future
- Editors: Todd C. Ream, Jerry A. Pattengale, and Christopher J. Devers
- Publisher: IVP
- Publication Date: 2018
- Pages: 192
- Resource Type: Collected Essays
- Topic: Modern Church
About the Editors
Todd C. Ream (PhD, Penn State) is professor of higher education at Taylor University and a distinguished fellow with the Lumen Research Institute. Previously, he served on college and university campuses in residence life, student support services, honors programs, and as a chief student development officer. He is the author and editor of numerous books and contributes to a wide variety of publications including About Campus, Christianity Today, First Things, Gastronomica, Inside Higher Ed, Modern Theology, New Blackfriars, Notre Dame Magazine, The Review of Higher Education, and Teachers College Record.
Jerry A. Pattengale (PhD, Miami University) is a scholar, researcher, author, and speaker. He has served for over twenty years in administrative leadership at Indiana Wesleyan University, currently as the first to earn IWU’s title of University Professor. He is also executive director of education for the Museum of the Bible in Washington D. C., where he oversees an international team of academics, writers, researchers, convergent media specialists, and editors developing a Bible curriculum for high school students.
Christopher J. Devers (PhD, University of Illinois) is assistant professor at Johns Hopkins University in the School of Education, as well as senior fellow with the Lumen Research Institute. He previously served as associate professor of education and director of research for the Center for Learning and Innovation at Indiana Wesleyan University.