commitment to the sole authority of God's Word. We have proven better suited than any group,
with the possible exception of the Mormons in this century, to reaching America with the Good
News.
But we do have weaknesses. One is the progressive lack of interest in theology,
mentioned above. A related problem is our anti-intellectual heritage. Coming in part out of camp
revivals that were in part a reaction to a cold, dead orthodoxy and to liberal seminaries and
colleges, many of our people have at best a vague anxiety about higher education, even Christian
higher education. They think deep down that learning is a dangerous enterprise, like going to
war. And that like going to war one should only do it if absolutely necessary, say to get a good
job, and with one's guard constantly up. They fear that their children will have to choose
between being highly educated and highly committed to Christ. Along with this has been a
willingness to give up 2,000 years of church heritage, believing that somehow my church,
founded in 1965, has reconnected with the authentic New Testament church.
Of course, one should maintain and even strengthen one's critical faculties at school, and
education has indeed led some to pride and skepticism. The mistake is to believe that learning
itself is the problem, rather than what one learns and more importantly the way in which one
learns it. A Great Books curriculum, taught to students as whole souls and subject to one
another, can avoid these pitfalls. Students who read the actual works of the great church leaders
throughout the centuries, with anything like an open mind, will be amazed at the wisdom and
piety. Who can read Augustine's Confessions without understanding that this is very bright and
highly gifted man who is totally sold out to God?
The Torrey Honors Institute has turned into a pretty good test case as to whether an
educational program can radically change anti-intellectual thinking. I think it's safe to say, that