Living in the Truth: The Life of the Christian Intellectual
In his work Live Not by Lies, Rod Dreher quotes František Mikloško, a leader in second wave of the underground Slovak church while his country was still suffering under Communist rule. Mikloško was one of very few Christians in the country at the time, and the odds were incredibly stacked against them. They lived under constant fear of persecution, imprisonment, and death. However, reflecting on these experiences, Mikloško says, “True, in Slovakia, there were many more than ten righteous people. But ten would have been enough. You can build a whole country on ten righteous people who are like pillars, like monuments.” As Christian intellectuals, we recognize that we are fighting an uphill battle too. We may feel like the odds are stacked against us, but we also need to commit to being pillars. We need to commit to fighting for the good, true, and beautiful, no matter what the cost. If Dreher's hypothesis is correct, these may evolve from hypothetical discussions about cost to very real sacrifice, a daunting prospect for many.
Nevertheless, the life of the Christian intellectual is a life of hope, no matter how hard that may be for some to believe. While pursuing truth and attempting to live in truth as authentically as possible, there is always the hope that people might see through whatever lie of our modern society is blinding them. Living in the truth of theism helps show the intellectual bankruptcy of materialism. Living in the truth of objective moral values shows the logical inconsistency of an entirely subjective value system. Living in the truth breaks the rules of the game. Václav Havel wrote of the person who will live in the truth and stand against the lie, “He has enabled everyone to peer behind the curtain. He has shown everyone that it is possible to live within the truth. Living within the lie can constitute the system only if it is universal. The principle must embrace and permeate everything.” The Christian intellectual is going to find adversity but also the hope that even the slightest crack might allow the light of truth to shine in. Once that disinfecting light breaks, the consequences might be massive. The Christian intellectual needs to be content with being that small spark and not be discouraged when the darkness seems too great.
Therefore, we press on as Christian scholars. We do the best work we are capable of doing in our discipline. We are not afraid of where truth leads, and we pursue truth relentlessly. We have confidence that all truth is God’s truth, and we do not run away into seemingly secure yet structurally unsound shelters of anti-intellectualism. We are joyful warriors despite our small numbers, and we seek to stand as pillars against the storms that may rage against us. We may be small torchbearers amidst a world of darkness, but we know the light we bear is of great value. The light in that torch has more power than the rest of the world put together. The life of the Christian intellectual is not an easy one, but living in truth is not optional for those of us who profess to follow the Truth.