We conclude our guest series from Richard Hughes on the vocation of Christian scholars. The following post is adapted from Richard’s book, The Vocation of a Christian Scholar: How Christian Faith Can Sustain the Life of the Mind (Eerdmans, 2005).
Ever since I entered my doctoral program at the University of Iowa in 1967, I have committed myself to serious scholarship.
That commitment is so central in my life that some might wonder if perhaps I have conformed my understanding of the Christian faith to the canons of good scholarship rather than the other way around.
The truth is, I find myself in the happy position of believing that many of the values that are central to good scholarship are values that also lie at the heart of the Christian faith.
Shared Values
Take the theme of paradox, for example. Parker Palmer laments the fact that many scholars—indeed, most Westerners in general—tend to think the world apart into true/false, black/white, good/bad, or sacred/secular. On the other hand, Palmer suggests that serious scholars will hold profound truths in paradoxical tension, even when the pressure is great to think them apart. [Read more…] about “Lord, I Believe; Help Thou Mine Unbelief:†The Meaning of Christian Scholarship