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Media ignore scholarly interest in Christian thought
by Scott Gilbreath ~ September 30th, 2008
A professor at Macquarie University, Australia, criticises mainstream media’s sensationalistic approach to Christianity and its critics. He suggests that the media should pay more attention to scholarly debates concerning the relationship between Christianity and the public good.
A MEDIA preoccupation with sensationalist critics of religion drowns out the many intellectual voices who claim a significant place for Christian thinking in today’s western civilisation, it was argued last night.
Delivering the annual CS Lewis lecture in Dublin, Dr Greg Clarke of Macquarie University in Sydney said there was immense scholarly interest in whether or not the Christian understanding of humanity, the world and God was basic to social good.
Dr Clarke cited the example of German philosopher and public intellectual Jürgen Habermas, who for decades argued that religion belonged on the margins of modern society but has now concluded that Christian thought should be at its centre.
Habermas acknowledged that the values held dear in a globalising world, such as human rights, liberty of conscience or social democracy, spring from Judeo-Christian thinking, he said.
“Even if a society wanted to ‘outgrow Christianity’, says Habermas, it would struggle to know where to go next.”
Clarke contends that mature thinking must recognise Christianity’s importance in Western civilisation.
Dr Greg Clarke is Director of Macquarie Christian Studies Institute and a founding director of the Centre for Public Christianity in Sydney.
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October 1st, 2008 at 08:27 PM
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