The Emerging Scholars Blog

Cover of "The Outrageous Idea of Christian Scholarship"

In chapter 2 of The Outrageous Idea of Christian Scholarship, George Marsden examines three “arguments for silence” common in the university for why Christians should keep their faith out of their academic work:

• The argument of “science vs. religion”
• The argument of multiculturalism and diversity
• The separation of church and state

In case, Marsden summarizes the basic argument, then provides counter-arguments in favor of Christian scholars being open about their faith.

I’ll summarize chapter 2 below, but here are a few questions.

Are there other “arguments for silence” that Marsden overlooks?

Do you find Marsden’s counter-arguments convincing? How might one counter his counter-arguments?

More practically, do Marsden’s counter-arguments “work”? Have you seen Christian scholars win over opponents and open doors for the presentation of Christian scholarship?

Leave your thoughts about these questions – or about anything else related to this chapter – in the comments. My chapter 2 summary is after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »