By Andrew Tallman
Published: 01-09-08
Have you ever wondered why Christians aren’t smarter? I
mean, we have the only true religion, we have a Book which
is responsible for all of Western Civilization, and we serve
a God who can safely call Himself the supreme champion at
every trivia contest. So why aren’t we smarter?
Well, the reasons are many, but the goal of changing that
condition is the driving passion of my life. Having taught
college philosophy, my background is in equipping people to
think better, and I used to think that talent was best used
in the secular world. Three years ago, however, I was
persuaded by some good counsel to turn my attention toward
the Body of Christ, and that’s why I came to Phoenix to do
my radio show weekdays from 5to 7 p.m. on AM 1360 KPXQ.
Not thinking well is a sin.
God commands us very simply: Love Him with all our heart,
and with all our soul, and with all our mind. Catch that
last part … with all our mind. This means thinking is not
optional for the Christian. Thinking, and thinking well, is
a form of worship of God which is nothing short of obedience
to His primary command. Hence, if we do not "use the brain
God gave you,” (my mom’s favorite rhetorical chastisement),
we are sinning.
Not thinking well is a scandal.
The most pervasive myth about Christianity is that it is
incompatible with intelligence.
This is what I believed before I became one, and it made me
not want to be one. I say it is a myth both because nothing
demands more thinking capacity than being a faithful
Christian and also because our history is rich with
intellectual giants.
Nonetheless, Christianity has a reputation as a religion for
fools, and this is at least partially our own fault. By
offering empty platitudes such as, “Well, you have to have
faith,” when challenged with difficult questions, outsiders
can be forgiven for forming the impression that what we
really mean is, “Well, you have to be stupid.” This puts
people in the painful situation of feeling like they have to
choose between their mind and God. Also, it makes
Christianity offensive to the smartest people in society,
who tend to be culture’s greatest influencers. Thus, simply
showing non-Christians that one can be both smart and
faithful is a powerful form of evangelism.
Fishers not just fish-eaters.
“If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. If you
teach him how to fish, you feed him for a lifetime.” Simple.
Obvious. But, all too often, it’s not the guiding principle
of Christian education.
Christians can be so concerned about having the right
answers (good doctrine), that we fail to teach people the
thinking skills and patterns which would lead them to these
and other true conclusions. They may have the unreliable
dogmatism which comes from mere repetition, but they lack
the true confidence which comes from deep and honest
examination of an idea. Sadly, it also means they do not
have the ability to discover new answers for themselves in
novel situations.
On my radio show, I deliberately do not provide people many
answers because I am more interested in helping people learn
how to think than I am in telling them what to think. My
confidence is high that such ability will ultimately get
them to the right place, and it will be a place of true
security as well.
Disciples, not an audience.
Jesus mentored His disciples. He interacted with them. He
answered their questions. He joked with them. And He
corrected them. He didn’t lecture them. He lectured the
masses. And I think the reason is simple. A lecture is not
the ideal form of education.
The reasons are many. If a listener doesn’t like what is
being said, he can simply ignore it. If he doesn’t
understand or if he disagrees, he cannot easily inquire of
the speaker. Because such questions go unanswered, other
people miss out on having these questions answered. When the
teacher fields questions, he replaces his own assumptions
about his audience with real knowledge and can more
accurately tune his teaching to the real needs they have.
Finally, I believe in collaboration rather than solo
performances. Although I think I have many reliable insights
worth saying, I’d rather talk with people and work together
toward truth instead of just trusting in my own ideas too
much. So my show is built around discussion rather than
presentation. I am working with my listeners to fashion a
product together rather than simply distributing to them a
prefabricated one.
Haggling, not purchasing.
In the Mediterranean culture of the Bible, haggling was a
way of life—and such negotiations provide a great way of
coming to know someone. The process of haggling gains both
friends and sharper minds. We are often baffled by this when
we travel to that part of the world because Americans are so
transaction-oriented. “I agree,” “I disagree,” “I will buy,”
or “I will not buy.” We are very comfortable with these
types of shallow interactions. In the Mediterranean, the
sellers understand that the product is insignificant
compared with the relationship its sale can create.
In contrast, I think Americans are too concerned with
conclusions instead of relationships. Thus, the key in my
show is to find stimulating topics which cause people to
want to talk with each other and build friendships. Whether
we agree is not so much the issue,but whether we are able to
love each other while we disagree and talk about it. That
matters.
In Conclusion
I was concerned when I took this job—concerned that my
fellow Christians wouldn’t endure me because they wanted
their own ideas reinforced rather than examined and
challenged. To my pleasant surprise, I discovered vast
numbers of Christians who were excited about the prospect of
being made to think, even if they didn’t always agree with
me. And so my audience and I have created an environment
where we love each other not because we agree all the time,
but because we enjoy the experience of talking it over
together. Every day we collaborate to show that theology,
like a good relationship, is not something to be purchased
or rejected, but something to be enjoyed … together.
Andrew Tallman is host of The Andrew Tallman Show on AM 1360
KPXQ from 5-7PM weekdays in Phoenix, AZ.