David Brooks' Column on John Stott
The Dems who cling to the faith that conservative Christians are mental Neaderthals (it is a faith, not a fact; they support it only by their own will to believe it) haven't bumped into many deep-thinking Christian intellectuals -- until now, if they read David Brooks in the New York Times. (here)
Brooks starts his column by chiding MSM for continually mischaraterizing the religious: Tim Russert is a great journalist, but he made a mistake last weekend. He included Jerry Falwell and Al Sharpton in a discussion on religion and public life. Inviting these two bozos onto "Meet the Press" to discuss that issue is like inviting Britney Spears and Larry Flynt to discuss D. H. Lawrence.
He then introduces his readers to John Stott, presenting a profile of this author of 40 books that will challenge any basher of the "Christian right" to rethink some of their basic assumptions. Does the following sound like the mental processes of a dunderhead to you?
There's been a lot of twaddle written recently about the supposed opposition between faith and reason. To read Stott is to see someone practicing "thoughtful allegiance" to scripture. For him, Christianity means probing the mysteries of Christ. He is always exploring paradoxes. Jesus teaches humility, so why does he talk about himself so much? What does it mean to gain power through weakness, or freedom through obedience? In many cases the truth is not found in the middle of apparent opposites, but on both extremes simultaneously.
Brooks starts his column by chiding MSM for continually mischaraterizing the religious: Tim Russert is a great journalist, but he made a mistake last weekend. He included Jerry Falwell and Al Sharpton in a discussion on religion and public life. Inviting these two bozos onto "Meet the Press" to discuss that issue is like inviting Britney Spears and Larry Flynt to discuss D. H. Lawrence.
He then introduces his readers to John Stott, presenting a profile of this author of 40 books that will challenge any basher of the "Christian right" to rethink some of their basic assumptions. Does the following sound like the mental processes of a dunderhead to you?
There's been a lot of twaddle written recently about the supposed opposition between faith and reason. To read Stott is to see someone practicing "thoughtful allegiance" to scripture. For him, Christianity means probing the mysteries of Christ. He is always exploring paradoxes. Jesus teaches humility, so why does he talk about himself so much? What does it mean to gain power through weakness, or freedom through obedience? In many cases the truth is not found in the middle of apparent opposites, but on both extremes simultaneously.
posted by Laer at 9:27 AM
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