Nerdiness is next to godliness?

Submitted by David on Tue, 2007-04-10 01:47

One old adage that is sometimes repeated is the phrase "cleanliness is next to godliness". Cleanliness is a good thing but at the same time perhaps the statement above sets the priorities incorrect. I sometimes wonder how in reformed circles our practices might lead people to wonder where we place nerdiness on the scale of most important values.

Knowledge is not unimportant, but where in the grand scheme of things does this fit in? Just how much do we major in the minors? How should we best not trivialize doctrine, while at the same time not leaving knowledge trapped in the head and unapplied to life? It somewhat annoys me when pastors seem to almost be spending more time looking at the clock than actually preaching a sermon, although some in the "seeker-sensitive" realm take this further yet. At the same time, a 2 hour or longer sermon (as in some parts of reformation-era Europe) doesn't necessarily make the attendees any more holy than anyone else.

Does majoring in the minors mean minoring in the majors? Being able to wield terms like infralapsarian and supralapsarianism is all well and good, but at the same time these are not the most important bits of vocabulary that a Christian may possess. On one side I see some people able to quote bits and pieces of various catechisms or confessions without being able to back them up with scripture. On the other hand, the faith of some seems only loosely anchored to any base. One group is almost like a tree that's been uprooted and lost connection with the soil, while the other seems shallow and prone to being blown away. How can one deal with both groups at the same time?

I took advantage of the cancellation of Bible study this past Sunday evening to wander down to southern Calgary to visit Calvary Grace - a Calvinistic Baptist church plant. One of the things that arose in the discussion later was the usage of the word Calvinistic rather than Reformed, and how this might relate to certain stereotypes of people being disproportionately drawn to the church. Are our churches intellectually unbalanced and, if so, how can they best be rebalanced?

Comments

Scott

Wed, 2007-04-11 20:51

I remember the first time I heard the words infralapsarian and supralapsarian. Nobody in the room knew what they meant except the person who said them, and he seemed to enjoy that very much. I know what I believe, but I can't remember which term describes it.

I get the feeling that more than 50% of the people I've had discussions with don't major in the minors OR the majors. They're good at remembering where certain Bible verses are, but they aren't too sure about their beliefs. I found that to be frustrating and hindering the discussion, which is why I switched from Young People's to College and Careers.

Another thing I've found interesting is that people like to study what contemporary authors have to say about things, but if you bring up ancient Jewish literature they become unsure. I think it's useful to see what people who lived closer to or at the same time period had to say about things and compare whether opinions have changed over the years.

David

Wed, 2007-04-11 21:13

I get the feeling that more than 50% of the people I've had discussions with don't major in the minors OR the majors. They're good at remembering where certain Bible verses are, but they aren't too sure about their beliefs. I found that to be frustrating and hindering the discussion, which is why I switched from Young People's to College and Careers.

The problem with no one serving as mentors to younger folks is they're unlikely to grow out of this as quickly. But, that said, I was largely uninvolved with YPs.

Another thing I've found interesting is that people like to study what contemporary authors have to say about things, but if you bring up ancient Jewish literature they become unsure.

Are you referring to any particular ancient Jewish authors? I agree that it is useful to look at history, although given that you're immersed a particular point in history it is more difficult to analyze another time.

Scott

Sat, 2007-04-14 17:37

Are you referring to any particular ancient Jewish authors?

Not really, I haven't had a chance to read through very many yet.