On Being Thoughtful Christians: Using, Losing and Abusing Our Minds - Part 1

Your Mind Matters: The Place of the Intellect in the Christian Life, by John Stott
progress: completed

One of the highest and noblest functions 
of man's mind is to listen to God's Word, 

and so to read his mind and think his thoughts after him, 
both in nature and in Scripture. (31)

When I started my first year of Bible College, someone spoke in Chapel about not losing the "heart and hands" aspect of our faith while we strengthened the "head" aspect through theological study. It seemed obvious enough to me at the time, but I had no idea how tricky this would prove to be in real life, nor how many different ways that we as Christians can get off balance in this area.

On the one hand, there is a brand of theological prowess, which in the midst of substandard (or nearly nonexistent) theology, is easily mutated into cynicism. Poor teaching or a lack of teaching can contribute to this condition in the hearts of those who are hungrier than their fellows for a more thorough treatment of ideas and beliefs. Intellectual condescension causes the informed to forget that they, too, were once uninformed. Intellectual pride can convince those who are knowledgeable to think they have all of the knowledge and cannot learn from someone with less knowledge than themselves. (The application of fancy labels are handy tools, used to dismiss those who are "simple," "ignorant" or "sentimental." - I could use more specific terms, but I'm trying very hard to speak in generalities.) And all of these things - intellectual cynicism, condescension, and pride - can lead to an imbalanced perspective that views theology and doctrine as the Most Important Thing.

Others have had run-ins with such types of people and become utterly turned off to the ego and the attitude and the dogma - and along with it the thinking, the theology, and the doctrine. They can be reactionary to the point of placing personal experience above theology, sometimes going so far as to pit doctrine and Christian living against each other, as if it must be one or the other. Others adopt a black-and-white approach to biblical ideas, because it is so much easier than thinking through individual situations to discern the subtle shades of gray which may in fact be the most spiritually wise.

There are congregations where a lack of education is suspect, and there are congregations where too much education is suspect. There are churches that are too focused on theology, and there are churches that ignore it completely (interestingly, either situation is a good breeding ground for a cult to be birthed). There are "educated" believers who are profoundly ignorant, and "uneducated" believers who are profoundly wise.

I might add that I can see distorted reflections of myself in each and every one of these caricatures.

So, which is it, then? The mind or the heart? Intellect or experience? Doctrine or practice? Knowledge or zeal?

Of course the answer is yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes and yes. In the opening chapter of his tiny book, John Stott writes,

Many have zeal without knowledge, enthusiasm without enlightenment. In more modern jargon, they are keen but clueless.

Now I thank God for zeal. Heaven forbid that knowledge without zeal should replace zeal without knowledge! God's purpose is both, zeal directed by knowledge, knowledge fired with zeal. (13)

He goes on to quote a former seminary president:

Commitment without reflection is fanaticism in action. But reflection without commitment is the paralysis of all action. (Dr. John Mackay, quoted on page 14)

Always being careful to reassure his readers that his goal is not an "arid hyper-intellectualism" or a "dry, humourless, academic Christianity, but...a warm devotion set on fire by truth," (18) Stott laments the spirit of anti-intellectualism that has taken hold of both secular and Christian culture today. He points out three emphases within the church which have a tendency in this direction: the disproportionate focus on ritual, social action or experience can become "escape routes by which to avoid our God-given responsibilities to use our minds Christianly." (17) Again, he is not arguing against these things, but for them to be kept in their proper place - that is, in subjection to a thoughtful understanding of Scripture.

He takes some time to argue in defense of our minds - first of all, that we were created to think. We alone of all God's creatures were given the ability for rational thought. And for those who would argue that our minds are now fallen and therefore untrustworthy, he argues that they are no more fallen than our emotions, to which many retreat. Moreover, our minds have been redeemed, along with the rest of ourselves, and are daily being renewed. Lastly, we will be judged by our knowledge, and what we do with it.

How long will you simple ones love your simple ways?

How long will mockers delight in mockery and

fools hate knowledge? 

--Proverbs 1:22

Our minds, and our thoughts, matter.

--
I've left this post unfinished for nearly a week now, so perhaps I'll make this part one and finish up in a separate post when I have time. Next time I'll look at his examples of how the mind is to be engaged in worship, faith, holiness, guidance, evangelism and ministry. Stay tuned! ~ Becky

Share