CHESTERTON HOUSE:
A CENTRE FOR CHRISTIAN STUDIES
"daring to discuss the important and the amusing"
NEWSLETTER #2
FALL 2000
One of the rationales for starting a Christian Studies Centre in Ithaca is the current renaissance of evangelical scholarship (see Goals & Rationale below). We believe that there is a good deal of high quality scholarship being generated across the disciplines from within a Christian framework or worldview, and we desire to introduce students to such work.
I suppose the best evidence for this alleged renaissance would come from a secular, not Christian, source. And I believe that is exactly what we have in The Atlantic Monthly’s current cover article, "The Opening of the Evangelical Mind" (October, 2000). Although not uncontroversial, this article by sociologist Alan Wolfe is a sympathetic and respectful recognition of the strides made by evangelical scholars in recent decades. (See www.theatlantic.com for the full text.)
The Atlantic Monthly is a refreshingly unpredictable publication, which one month earlier published a less-noticed but no less interesting article entitled "The Telling of the Tale"–a transcript from Jorge Luis Borges’ 1967 Norton Lectures delivered at Harvard. "In a way," Borges argued, "people are hungering and thirsting for epic. I feel that epic is one of the things that men need. Of all places (and this may come as a kind of anticlimax, but the fact is there), it has been Hollywood that has furnished epic to the world." Borges goes on to cite Chesterton’s "The Ballad of the White Horse" as an exemplary, albeit unappreciated, instance of epic literature.
I was taken with Borges’ lecture not only for his nod to Chesterton, but for his suggestion that there is a ‘story-ladenness’ to life–an observation many Christians would readily affirm. Given his seeming ambivalence about Hollywood (in 1967!), I wonder how Borges might advise Christians concerned about Hollywood’s influences today. His advice, I speculate, would be something like this: First, don’t ignore Hollywood narratives–engage them and critique them. Second, don’t forget that the way in which a story is told is no less important than the story itself. And finally, if you don’t like what you see, find and retell a more compelling story. And this, I believe, is at least in part the challenge that Christians face in postmodern times.
All of this, as you may have guessed, is also a longwinded invitation and enticement to attend the second Chesterton House movie night this Wednesday, October 25, at 7:00pm. We will be watching "The Sixth Sense," a much-discussed 1999 film billed as a suspense thriller. "The Sixth Sense" is no Christian movie, but it is a narrative that suggests an interpretive framework for our lives. Steve Froehlich, pastor of New Life Presbyterian Church, will facilitate a discussion following the movie that will address not only the storyline, but also the subtler points of the way in which it is told, and how the story relates to "the Christian story."
Below is information on other Chesterton House activities, further explanation of our goals and rationale, and a word about our funding. Thanks for your interest and support–we hope to see you at one of these events!
-Karl
COMING EVENTS
Wednesday, October 25, 2000 7:30pm
Movie Night: "The Sixth Sense"
Sunday, October 29, 2000 7:30pm
Roundtable Discussion: "Feminism & Christianity"
(Grad-IV event; Chesterton House will provide books on the topic for browsing)
Wednesday, November 29th, 2000 7:30pm
Movie Night: "A Simple Plan"
Every Monday & Friday, 2-5pm
Open Hours for reading & browsing.
Library has over 700 volumes and about a dozen periodicals
All Chesterton House events are held at the Crossroads Life Center, on the corner of Stewart and E. Buffalo.
GOALS & RATIONALE
For those of you still wondering what we’re really all about, the following goals and rationale have been crafted to further define our mission.
GOALS
RATIONALE
The Scriptural command to love God with all one’s mind suggests that intellectual activity is a way to glorify God. Christians also have a duty to participate in the creation and critique of cultural forms that influence everyday lives. Thoughtful Christian engagement with culture avoids the pitfalls of retreat, accommodation, and triumphalism.
Academia has become the driving source behind ideas that find their expression in the arts, media, business, government, secondary education, and all spheres of society. This is true not only domestically but internationally, as large numbers of international students come to the US for graduate studies.
Postmodernism brings a new appreciation for the relevance of one’s "positionality" as it bears upon academic inquiry. Further, to the extent that academia is influenced by a postmodern despair of reasonable discourse, Christianity is positioned to be a defender of reason and considered discourse.
As detailed in Mark Noll’s book by this title, American evangelicals have in recent generations failed to sustain serious intellectual reflection on nature and culture. This failure has led to an abandonment of universities and "high" culture, as well as a compartmentalization of faith rather than an integration of faith with academic inquiry.
Recently, there has been a resurgence of evangelical scholarship and quality commentary on culture, as evidenced by publications such as Books and Culture, Mars Hill Audio Journal, First Things, and Regeneration Quarterly, to name just a few. Christian students stand to benefit from being introduced to such quality works, which they otherwise may not naturally encounter.
FUNDING
Several of you have thoughtfully inquired about the financial support of Chesterton House. This newsletter is not intended to be a long wind-up to a request for your money, but neither are our financial needs a secret.
Because you asked, here’s the skinny: Chesterton House has a very simple budget for our first year of operation–$16,000 to cover rent, a computer, a brochure, and periodical subscriptions. Thanks to several generous donations, we have already received over $5,000. Next year we hope to secure more substantial funding through foundations.
Tax deductible checks can be made out to Crossroads Life Center, with "Chesterton House" on the memo line. The address is 604 E. Buffalo St., Ithaca, NY 14850.
CURRENT PROJECTS
In the coming months, we will be increasing our open hours, printing our first brochure, planning for the spring semester, and announcing the formation of our advisory board. Our invitations to several internationally-known Christian scholars to serve as advisors have been warmly received, and we look forward to making these announcements public in our next newsletter!