{"id":4696,"date":"2017-09-18T10:03:22","date_gmt":"2017-09-18T18:03:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/?p=4696"},"modified":"2017-09-15T12:51:54","modified_gmt":"2017-09-15T20:51:54","slug":"to-change-the-world-week-thirteen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/archives\/2017\/09\/18\/to-change-the-world-week-thirteen","title":{"rendered":"To Change The World, Week Thirteen"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"To
To Change The World<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I\u2019ve very much enjoyed this book. Hav\u00ading said that, want to flag two reser\u00adva\u00adtions I have now that I\u2019ve fin\u00adished read\u00ading it.<\/p>\n

First, Hunter has a cer\u00adtain qual\u00adi\u00adty I\u2019ve noticed in oth\u00ader Chris\u00adt\u00adian schol\u00adars (N.T. Wright comes to mind). It\u2019s a John The Bap\u00adtist syn\u00addrome which man\u00adi\u00adfests as the schol\u00adars con\u00adceiv\u00ading of them\u00adselves as lone voic\u00ades cry\u00ading out in the wilder\u00adness, when in real\u00adi\u00adty there is a broad con\u00adver\u00adsa\u00adtion they are par\u00adtic\u00adi\u00adpat\u00ading in \u2014 and there are many who sub\u00adstan\u00adtial\u00adly agree with them.<\/p>\n

James. K. A. Smith\u2019s review in The Oth\u00ader Jour\u00adnal How (Not) To Change The World<\/a> high\u00adlights one exam\u00adple:<\/p>\n

Indeed, one of the odd\u00adi\u00adties of the book is the com\u00adplete absence of Abra\u00adham Kuyper from the dis\u00adcus\u00adsion. I note this, not as a fail\u00adure to be com\u00adpre\u00adhen\u00adsive (I respect the \u201cessay\u201d genre), but only because where Hunter ends up is so close to Kuyper\u2019s mod\u00adel (even if Hunter is right\u00adly crit\u00adi\u00adcal of Chuck Colson\u2019s bas\u00adtardiza\u00adtion of Kuyper in How Now Shall We Live?<\/em>).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And Andy Crouch gives sev\u00ader\u00adal more in his Books and Cul\u00adture review How Not To Change The World<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n

This leads to the one fea\u00adture of this book that is trou\u00adbling, and gen\u00aduine\u00adly per\u00adplex\u00ading. Hunter is quite thor\u00adough in his doc\u00adu\u00admen\u00adta\u00adtion of both the soci\u00ado\u00adlog\u00adi\u00adcal lit\u00ader\u00ada\u00adture and pri\u00adma\u00adry sources from the Chris\u00adt\u00adian Right, the Chris\u00adt\u00adian Left, and the neo-Anabap\u00adtists. What you are unlike\u00adly to ascer\u00adtain from the text or the notes, how\u00adev\u00ader, is the exis\u00adtence of any Chris\u00adt\u00adian schol\u00adar or pub\u00adlic actor who has pur\u00adsued the course Hunter rec\u00adom\u00admends oth\u00ader than Hunter him\u00adself, along with a few of his stu\u00addents and asso\u00adciates. D. Michael Lind\u00adsay\u2019s study of 360 Chris\u00adtians \u201cin the halls of pow\u00ader\u201d is waved aside as a mere cat\u00ada\u00adlogu\u00ading of iso\u00adlat\u00aded indi\u00advid\u00adu\u00adals, even as Hunter goes on to cri\u00adtique their gen\u00ader\u00adal\u00adly pietis\u00adtic and eccle\u00adsi\u00ado\u00adlog\u00adi\u00adcal\u00adly defi\u00adcient approach to their faith in pre\u00adcise\u00adly the terms that Lind\u00adsay has used in inter\u00adviews about his work. Lind\u00adsay\u2019s Feb\u00adru\u00adary 2008 arti\u00adcle in the Amer\u00adi\u00adcan Soci\u00ado\u00adlog\u00adi\u00adcal Review<\/span> argues for the impor\u00adtance of over\u00adlap\u00adping net\u00adworks and mod\u00adels of \u00e9lite agency. Hunter does not ref\u00ader\u00adence it at all, nor John Schmalzbauer\u2019s Peo\u00adple of Faith: Reli\u00adgious Con\u00advic\u00adtion in Jour\u00adnal\u00adism and High\u00ader Edu\u00adca\u00adtion<\/span>, nor, in a slight\u00adly dif\u00adfer\u00adent vein, Rod\u00adney Stark\u2019s The Rise of Chris\u00adtian\u00adi\u00adty<\/span>. It would take noth\u00ading away from Hunter\u2019s bril\u00adliant syn\u00adthe\u00adsis to acknowl\u00adedge that oth\u00aders are doing sim\u00adi\u00adlar\u00adly impor\u00adtant and influ\u00aden\u00adtial work.<\/p>\n

When it comes to Chris\u00adtians attempt\u00ading to do some good in the wider world, Hunter finds very few he can put in a good light. Charles Col\u00adson is dis\u00admissed as a qua\u00adsi-Hegelian ide\u00adal\u00adist based on his enthu\u00adsi\u00adasm for world\u00adview edu\u00adca\u00adtion, rather than rec\u00adog\u00adnized for his con\u00adsid\u00ader\u00adable net\u00adwork-con\u00adven\u00ading savvy. Gabe Lyon\u00ads\u2019s Fer\u00admi Project comes in for sus\u00adtained exam\u00adi\u00adna\u00adtion only for its some\u00adtimes glib pro\u00admo\u00adtion\u00adal mate\u00adr\u00adi\u00adal, not for the work it is doing to build over\u00adlap\u00adping net\u00adworks of young \u00e9lites in some vital cul\u00adtur\u00adal cen\u00adters. The patient and wide-rang\u00ading intel\u00adli\u00adgence of Os Guin\u00adness is sim\u00adi\u00adlar\u00adly passed over in the course of mak\u00ading a point about evan\u00adgel\u00adi\u00adcal indi\u00advid\u00adu\u00adal\u00adism. Hunter devotes sev\u00ader\u00adal pages, rather than just an end\u00adnote, to dis\u00admiss\u00ading my own book Cul\u00adture Mak\u00ading<\/span>, and some of his crit\u00adi\u00adcisms, as of the oth\u00aders men\u00adtioned, are fair as far as they go. But a read\u00ader of his sum\u00adma\u00adry would nev\u00ader guess how much my book and his over\u00adlap in their fun\u00adda\u00admen\u00adtal con\u00adcerns and final vision<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Sec\u00adond, at the end Hunter claims that we should not try to change the world. It seems to me he\u2019s being a bit disin\u00adgen\u00adu\u00adous. He wants Chris\u00adtians to be sent by the Church into every sphere of soci\u00adety (includ\u00ading the elite net\u00adworks which gen\u00ader\u00adate cul\u00adtur\u00adal change) and take faith-based actions that lead to human flour\u00adish\u00ading. Hunter still believes Chris\u00adtians should change the world, he just likes talk\u00ading about it in a more low-key way. His plan for trans\u00adfor\u00adma\u00adtion is hum\u00adble, but it is nonethe\u00adless a plan for trans\u00adfor\u00adma\u00adtion.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s just some\u00adthing to bear in mind. No book is per\u00adfect, and as flaws go these are far from crip\u00adpling. Hunter is gen\u00ader\u00adal\u00adly a clear writer and is clear\u00adly a pro\u00adfound thinker. All in all an out\u00adstand\u00ading read.<\/p>\n

Now a few thoughts from the clos\u00ading chap\u00adters:<\/p>\n

CHAPTER FIVE: THE BURDEN OF LEADERSHIP \u2014 A THEOLOGY OF FAITHFUL PRESENCE IN PRACTICE<\/h3>\n

Hunter thinks that we should serve God in our gen\u00ader\u00ada\u00adtion by prac\u00adtic\u00ading what he calls \u201cfaith\u00adful pres\u00adence.\u201d Both words mat\u00adter \u2014 we must be faith\u00adful to God and present in every sphere of soci\u00adety.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut the great com\u00admis\u00adsion can also be inter\u00adpret\u00aded in terms of social struc\u00adture. The church is to go into all realms of social life: in vol\u00adun\u00adteer and paid labor\u2014skilled and unskilled labor, the crafts, engi\u00adneer\u00ading, com\u00admerce, art, law, archi\u00adtec\u00adture, teach\u00ading, health care, and ser\u00advice. Indeed, the church should be send\u00ading peo\u00adple out in these realms\u2014not only dis\u00adci\u00adpling those in these fields by pro\u00advid\u00ading the the\u00ado\u00adlog\u00adi\u00adcal resources to form them well, but in fact men\u00adtor\u00ading and pro\u00advid\u00ading finan\u00adcial sup\u00adport for young adults who are gift\u00aded and called into these voca\u00adtions.\u201d (page 257)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

There is a par\u00adtic\u00adu\u00adlar per\u00adil for those who called into the high-sta\u00adtus voca\u00adtions:<\/p>\n

Because Chris\u00adtian\u00adi\u00adty has lost sta\u00adtus in the insti\u00adtu\u00adtion\u00adal cen\u00adters of the mod\u00adern world, those believ\u00aders who work and live in the high\u00ader ech\u00ade\u00adlons of cul\u00adture, pol\u00adi\u00adtics, busi\u00adness, and finance are under great pres\u00adsure to care\u00adful\u00adly \u201cman\u00adage their iden\u00adti\u00adties\u201d in part by hid\u00ading this dis\u00adcred\u00adit\u00ading infor\u00adma\u00adtion about them\u00adselves. In this case, the con\u00adse\u00adquence of dis\u00adclo\u00adsure is to be exclud\u00aded them\u00adselves. The temp\u00adta\u00adtion to be decep\u00adtive or dis\u00adhon\u00adest about one\u2019s faith in these cir\u00adcles is enor\u00admous. (258\u2013259)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This is a real thing that I have seen many times at Stan\u00adford. I recall one grad\u00adu\u00adate stu\u00addent hyper\u00adven\u00adti\u00adlat\u00ading when her PI found out she was an evan\u00adgel\u00adi\u00adcal Chris\u00adt\u00adian. Her con\u00adcern that she might expe\u00adri\u00adence neg\u00ada\u00adtive con\u00adse\u00adquences was not imag\u00adi\u00adnary, although in her case I recall things work\u00ading out just fine. But there is def\u00adi\u00adnite ani\u00admus against Chris\u00adtian\u00adi\u00adty in some elite cir\u00adcles. Look at the Sen\u00adate\u2019s dis\u00adgrace\u00adful grilling of judi\u00adcial nom\u00adi\u00adnee Amy Bar\u00adrett for her Catholic faith. She open\u00adly and care\u00adful\u00adly dis\u00adcussed the impli\u00adca\u00adtions of her faith for pub\u00adlic ser\u00advice and had her words turned into the lit\u00ader\u00adal oppo\u00adsite of what she said (you can read more about it in item six of last week\u2019s Things Glen Found Inter\u00adest\u00ading<\/a>).<\/p>\n

But even as we rec\u00adog\u00adnize that our faith might at times bring neg\u00ada\u00adtive reper\u00adcus\u00adsions into our lives, we need to remem\u00adber that we are not allowed to hide our light under a bushel. You don\u2019t have to report to work wear\u00ading a Chris\u00adt\u00adian t\u2011shirt, but you must nev\u00ader pull a Peter and say, \u201cI don\u2019t know the man!\u201d<\/p>\n

In oth\u00ader words, don\u2019t sac\u00adri\u00adfice faith\u00adful\u00adness on the altar of pres\u00adence. Gain\u00ading a seat at the table is not worth your soul.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER SIX: TOWARD A NEW CITY COMMONS<\/h3>\n

In this final chap\u00adter Hunter sum\u00adma\u00adrizes his argu\u00adment and then lays his cards on the table: he thinks chang\u00ading the world is a fool\u00adish goal.<\/p>\n

Will engag\u00ading the world in the way dis\u00adcussed here change the world? This, I believe, is the wrong ques\u00adtion.\u2026 The ques\u00adtion is wrong because, for Chris\u00adtians, it makes the pri\u00adma\u00adry sub\u00adservient to the sec\u00adondary. By mak\u00ading a cer\u00adtain under\u00adstand\u00ading of the good in soci\u00adety the objec\u00adtive, the source of the good\u2014God him\u00adself and the inti\u00adma\u00adcy he offers\u2014becomes noth\u00ading more than a tool to be used to achieve that objec\u00adtive.\u2026 To be sure, Chris\u00adtian\u00adi\u00adty is not, first and fore\u00admost, about estab\u00adlish\u00ading right\u00adeous\u00adness or cre\u00adat\u00ading good val\u00adues or secur\u00ading jus\u00adtice or mak\u00ading peace in the world. Don\u2019t get me wrong: these are goods we should care about and pur\u00adsue with great pas\u00adsion. But for Chris\u00adtians, these are all sec\u00adondary to the pri\u00adma\u00adry good of God him\u00adself and the pri\u00adma\u00adry task of wor\u00adship\u00adping him and hon\u00ador\u00ading him in all they do. (285\u2013286)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I appre\u00adci\u00adate so much of Hunter\u2019s per\u00adspec\u00adtive through\u00adout this book, and in par\u00adtic\u00adu\u00adlar am glad that he warns us away from focus\u00ading on what I have heard called \u201ccaus\u00ades more wor\u00adthy than holy.\u201d We love God first and most and what\u00adev\u00ader social good we do (and it should be sig\u00adnif\u00adi\u00adcant) flows out of that.<\/p>\n

Hunter clos\u00ades with this:<\/p>\n

The fact is that Christ\u2019s vic\u00adto\u00adry over the prin\u00adci\u00adpal\u00adi\u00adties and pow\u00aders was a vic\u00adto\u00adry over the pow\u00ader of oppres\u00adsive institutions\u2014the sense that real\u00adi\u00adty is what it is, that all is as it should be, that the ways of the world are estab\u00adlished and can\u00adnot be changed; that the rules by which the world oper\u00adates are ones we must accept and not chal\u00adlenge. We are not bound by the \u201cneces\u00adsi\u00adties\u201d of his\u00adto\u00adry and soci\u00adety but are free from them. He broke their sov\u00ader\u00adeign\u00adty and, as a result, all things are pos\u00adsi\u00adble. It is this real\u00adi\u00adty that frees all Chris\u00adtians to active\u00adly, cre\u00adative\u00adly, and con\u00adstruc\u00adtive\u00adly seek the good in their rela\u00adtion\u00adships, in their tasks, in their spheres of influ\u00adence, and in their cities.<\/p>\n

Against the present real\u00adi\u00adties of our his\u00adtor\u00adi\u00adcal moment, it is impos\u00adsi\u00adble to say what can actu\u00adal\u00adly be accom\u00adplished. There are intractable uncer\u00adtain\u00adties that can\u00adnot be avoid\u00aded. Cer\u00adtain\u00adly Chris\u00adtians, at their best, will nei\u00adther cre\u00adate a per\u00adfect world nor one that is alto\u00adgeth\u00ader new; but by enact\u00ading shalom and seek\u00ading it on behalf of all oth\u00aders through the prac\u00adtice of faith\u00adful pres\u00adence, it is pos\u00adsi\u00adble, just pos\u00adsi\u00adble, that they will help to make the world a lit\u00adtle bit bet\u00adter. (page 286)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I hope you enjoyed the book as much as I did!<\/p>\n

Here endeth the read\u00ading.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I\u2019ve very much enjoyed this book. Hav\u00ading said that, want to flag two reser\u00adva\u00adtions I have now that I\u2019ve fin\u00adished read\u00ading it. First, Hunter has a cer\u00adtain qual\u00adi\u00adty I\u2019ve noticed in oth\u00ader Chris\u00adt\u00adian schol\u00adars (N.T. Wright comes to mind). It\u2019s a John The Bap\u00adtist syn\u00addrome which man\u00adi\u00adfests as the schol\u00adars con\u00adceiv\u00ading of them\u00adselves as lone \u2026 Con\u00adtin\u00adue read\u00ading \u201cTo Change The World, Week Thir\u00adteen\u201d<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[8],"tags":[209,210],"class_list":["post-4696","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-resources-reviews","tag-summer-reading-project-2017","tag-to-change-the-world"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6Ded-1dK","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4696","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4696"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4696\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4699,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4696\/revisions\/4699"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4696"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4696"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4696"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}