Do you perceive that this is an important issue?

Do you believe that such a concept should be encouraged?

Your response to these questions will, very obviously, depend on where your presuppositions-perceptions on a number of questions are leading you!

For example, here are three…

1) What is your understanding of how involved Christians should be as it relates to culture-making, on this planet? This can also be influenced by such subjects as one’s understanding of Eschatology, or future things, but not exclusively so!  What may influence this more, is your understanding of what “being in the world and not of the world” practically looks like, which informs your goals.  Reflecting on such matters as how “common grace” further influences such a reality, can also helpful.  However, let me propose that to the extent that you have what is commonly referred to as a “bunker mentality,” will be the extent that you will view such an action as not-so-important, or even dangerous!  Therefore, motivation to be positively involved at, in, and through such contexts, will be diminished-to-extingished!

2) What are the vehicles, and where are these located, which generate the impetus and fuel for cultural influence, development, and change? If you understand that the Ideas that affect our culture have a trickle-down way of interacting with our popular culture, which begin at the Academy, then you will understand that to make more than a functional impact, Christians need to get into the areas that shape the ideas of this planet.  To the extent that you believe this is so, is to the extent that you will see the significant importance of getting Gospel-centered individuals into the Academy, as, in reality, the ideas that out-flow from this context, do not only impact the few who enter it halls, but move on down throughout culture on a societal level!

3) What does your understanding of the concept, full-time Christian work, really entail? If this concept in your mind, centers more on those who are viewed-vocationally in such positions, such as a/your Pastor, then this will impact on how you view your vocational calling.  What may also impact this perspective is your understanding of how your faith interacts with your life.  If you separate your life into a private and public dichotomy, such will mean that you will, more than likely, relegate your belief system to the “private” category, thereby emasculating its cultural impact.  This is a cultural tactic to silence you, don’t drink their kool-aid!  If your understanding is that all believers, in reality, are all full-time workers for Christ, not in some gimmickly, flakey Christianise language kinda-way, which sounds spiritual, but in reality, which views such vocations as a Lawyer/ Town Planner/ Nurse/ Teacher… whatever, through the paradigm of the Gospel, then you are going to view those contexts/ Institutions that facilitate-to-empower in making this a reality, in a positive light, and as a source that Christians need to invade (in a good sense).  You will see that Christians need to maximise this potential reality!

Now, to be sure, before I get a plumber through the blog-post, I am not suggesting that other more practical vocations are not significant and needed areas for Gospel-infusion, from Guys and Gals committed to the centrality of Christ!  Therefore, as such, as it relates to the subject before us, we do want to be encouraging those who, maybe are more inclined, to pursue such practical vocations with the passion of a sinner saved from a terrible reality!  However, it is to say that we need to make putting gifted Christians into the academy an absolute priority, and if we fail to view it as such, we may very well live out the consequences of our failure!

In light of this post, and what has encouraged these reflections (if anyone is reading… Hola!… Gimmicky) was a post by Albert Mohler, which was made much of by Mary Kassian, on her reasonably new site, dedicated to this book that looks like a buyer, Girls Gone Wise in a World Gone Wild, which the Man of Spin has already informed you about (that was a typeful)!

In the post, titled, Where Are the Young Men?, Mohler looks at the dwindling numbers of males on American campuses, and while he affirms the significance of this issue…

Is this a bad thing . . . a negative development? Yes — and profoundly so. The problem is not the larger enrollment of young women in colleges and universities. The problem is the phenomenon of missing young men, whose absence spells big trouble for the future.

Mohler is looking at this issue from a slightly different angle than I have, however, he affirms the seriousness of the consequences as a result of this, with the following words…

Christian parents and all concerned with the coming generation should look closely at this phenomenon and ask the hard question — why is it that so many young men are falling behind in educational attainment? What are we doing that allows or encourages boys to exit formal education at their earliest opportunity? Why do we accept at face value the fact that boys fall behind girls of the same age in maturity and educational level? Why is college now an aspiration for far more young women than young men?

These are hard questions, but the answers will be even harder. We have allowed the development of an elongated boyhood and delayed adulthood. We frustrate them in school and then wonder why they bolt at the first exit from the classroom. We allow boys and young men to forfeit their futures.

All this might be different if the missing young men on our college and university campuses were missing for some good reason — such as military service or similar deployment. But, even as young men are more likely to join the military, the numbers do not explain the differential on campus.

Biblical manhood requires that young men grow up, assume adult responsibilities, and prepare for leadership and service in the home, in the church, and in the larger society.

This much is clear — if this trend is not reversed, the college campus will not be the only place these young men are found missing. (Epmhasis Mine)

The emboldened section is the cherry on the cake in this article, and it should taste very bitter, and while I am at it, I would encourage you to read the whole Mohler article… HERE, which will give you his full context! However, what can be affirmed is that it points to the reality of what will transpire, or what will not, if the impact of young men into these contexts continues to be emasculated!

As it is for young men, we Christians, who are bringing up young men and young women to carry the torch for the next generation, if we do not encourage the Academic pusuit as a “good” thing for the lives of our youth, than we can expect to view the same Gospel fruit… it will be missing… and at such times and on such occasions, we will read blog posts, purchase books, and listen to commentators who affirm that such a reality is never academic, and all we will have to keep our intellects warm is regret, regret that we didn’t take heed when the warnings signs were showing, and if such a moment transpires, those “warm” thoughts, will seem very luke-warm!

We would do well to pay attention, think seriously on the matter… and do something about it!

For the Fame of His Name

Man of Spin

H/T: Roberto on Hotmail