Piper challenges us to think clearly, deeply and accurately about God and His Word. His aim, however, is not to produce a generation of evangelical theologians who can pontificate on matters of deep theology. Instead, he encourages deep intellectual exercise to the ultimate end of knowing, loving, and delighting in God.
When it comes to the life of the mind, we Christians love to castigate ourselves. Certainly, when like lemmings we follow every fad, gimmick and innovation that parades itself before us without even considering whether or not it is doctrinally sound; when the perceived leaders of our movement are those whose primary qualification is that they have a great media presence; and when we announce Armageddon every time a camel blinks in the Middle East, then there is certainly room for criticism. But I wonder if some are critical of “the evangelical mind” solely on the grounds that, by and large, evangelicals are not taken seriously in academia.
In one sense, should this not be expected? How can people who, for good and sufficient reasons, hold to the inerrancy of Scripture expect to find themselves taken seriously at Harvard or Yale? We can see the reasonableness of believing in a God Who has revealed Himself in His Word and His world; but if we understand His Word, we know that the unregenerate mind will not and cannot grasp what makes sense to us.
This is not an endorsement to return to the days of a stick-your-head-in-the-sand, retreat-from-the-culture fundamentalism. Nor does Piper insist that advanced degrees are required to adequately serve God. He is not arguing for academics as such. He does argue that the time has come for Christians – those who display the mind of Christ – learn to really use their God-given ability to think hard on God and His Word. Good advice, and well worth the read.
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