[My husband and I]…both work in higher education and run in circles that are highly educated and liberal. In our community, intellect is the only viable form of religion, and the fact that I’m a Christian calls into question my intellectual grit. When my colleagues find out, they are hard-pressed to reconcile the bright, open woman they see before them with the stereotypes they understand about evangelicals. You know the ones: judgmental, anti-intellectual, homophobic, which we are not.
We are the types of young adult Christians who love our faith, but who’ve moved slightly left of center. Just enough so that we have to keep our social and political views quiet in our faith communities. On the other hand, we have to tamp down the religious talk in our work and social communities. I am constantly negotiating how much of myself to share in either group.
Nothing embodies the tension I feel around integrating my identity into both these communities like Noelle’s first explorations with faith. She is extroverted and vocal in ways I am not brave enough to be. She is unselfconscious ”” completely unaware of the stereotypes that linger around conservative faith.
Not sure if the link works, but Google “motherlode” and the blog page will come up.
It was interesting, considering the community around it, to hear how liberal-leaning and anti-religion she views the faculty of the college at which she works. As well, the comments are well worth a read and I can’t help but be drawn to the conclusion that the American mind is now closed.
yes BO, Allan Bloom wrote “Closing of the American Mind” 25 years ago. here is the correct link: http://www.parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/04/05/jesus-lives-but-should-he-live-in-my-front-yard/
whoops it’s here
parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/04/05/jesus-lives-but-should-he-live-in-my-front-yard/