The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind
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- Author：Mark A. Noll
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Summary
Winner of the Christianity Today Book of the Year Award （1995）
“The scandal of the evangelical mind is that there is not much of an evangelical mind。” So begins this award-winning intellectual history and critique of the evangelical movement by one of evangelicalism’s most respected historians。
Unsparing in his indictment， Mark Noll asks why the largest single group of religious Americans—who enjoy increasing wealth， status， and political influence—have contributed so little to rigorous intellectual scholarship。 While nourishing believers in the simple truths of the gospel， why have so many evangelicals failed to sustain a serious intellectual life and abandoned the universities， the arts， and other realms of “high” culture？
Over twenty-five years since its original publication， The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind has turned out to be prescient and perennially relevant。 In a new preface， Noll lays out his ongoing personal frustrations with this situation， and in a new afterword he assesses the state of the scandal—showing how white evangelicals’ embrace of Trumpism， their deepening distrust of science， and their frequent forays into conspiratorial thinking have coexisted with surprisingly robust scholarship from many with strong evangelical connections。
“The scandal of the evangelical mind is that there is not much of an evangelical mind。” So begins this award-winning intellectual history and critique of the evangelical movement by one of evangelicalism’s most respected historians。
Unsparing in his indictment， Mark Noll asks why the largest single group of religious Americans—who enjoy increasing wealth， status， and political influence—have contributed so little to rigorous intellectual scholarship。 While nourishing believers in the simple truths of the gospel， why have so many evangelicals failed to sustain a serious intellectual life and abandoned the universities， the arts， and other realms of “high” culture？
Over twenty-five years since its original publication， The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind has turned out to be prescient and perennially relevant。 In a new preface， Noll lays out his ongoing personal frustrations with this situation， and in a new afterword he assesses the state of the scandal—showing how white evangelicals’ embrace of Trumpism， their deepening distrust of science， and their frequent forays into conspiratorial thinking have coexisted with surprisingly robust scholarship from many with strong evangelical connections。
Reviews
Kirk Miller
，
Scorching。 Brutal。 Relentless。Helpful。
Gregory Jones
，
This is a classic for scholars who identify as Christians。 It's one of those books that's worth re-reading every few years to get a boost of inspiration to continue work in the "life of the mind" in a subculture that often does not value intellectual work。 This is a classic for scholars who identify as Christians。 It's one of those books that's worth re-reading every few years to get a boost of inspiration to continue work in the "life of the mind" in a subculture that often does not value intellectual work。 。。。more
Meredith McDermott
，
Parts of this book are perhaps a bit exaggerated or high brow， but the reality is that evangelicalism is an un-intellectual movement at its best & at other times， anti-intellectual， & this book helps readers grapple with that & understand the history of that。 Written in 1994， it’s pretty interesting to see Noll’s thesis only continue to hold true over the recent years， with some of the more worst case scenarios bearing out。
Barb
，
Definitely gave me some food for thought。 Interesting that it was published in the 90’s yet reading it now I don’t see where much has changed。
David DeRienzo
，
Wish I had read this book 20 years ago， but then again I don’t think I was ready for it。 Needs a post-Trump， post-antivax update。 Overall very instructive and insightful about how we got where we are today in the American church。
Knute Snortum
，
This is a book that makes a really good point but is difficult to read。 There must be some irony that in order to read this book you need to have an intellectual mind in order to be convinced that evangelicals need to have an intellectual mind。 Most of the book reads a bit like a PhD thesis with a strong outline and many references。 It is only the last chapter that the author allows himself to write in a more relaxed way， finally making his point after so much foundational work。None the less， th This is a book that makes a really good point but is difficult to read。 There must be some irony that in order to read this book you need to have an intellectual mind in order to be convinced that evangelicals need to have an intellectual mind。 Most of the book reads a bit like a PhD thesis with a strong outline and many references。 It is only the last chapter that the author allows himself to write in a more relaxed way， finally making his point after so much foundational work。None the less， this is a good resource for evangelical history and how anti-intellectualism is actual a fairly modern phenomenon， and that there is a great danger in disregarding modern scientific thought altogether。 This book could be used as an apologetic for making your case that evangelicals need to be more open in their thinking。 。。。more
Simon
，
Really good。 A seminal work。
Christian Lingner
，
At the end of the day， Noll makes the argument， and one I find compelling， that the distinctive elements of evangelicalism （activism， intuitionism， populism， biblicism， among other things） have deterred meaningful Christian reflection on the world。 His analysis was helpful in outlining the historical development of this elusive thing （or group of traditions） that we like to call evangelicalism， and it assisted me in getting a better grasp on the thing itself。The one thing I wasn’t convinced of， At the end of the day， Noll makes the argument， and one I find compelling， that the distinctive elements of evangelicalism （activism， intuitionism， populism， biblicism， among other things） have deterred meaningful Christian reflection on the world。 His analysis was helpful in outlining the historical development of this elusive thing （or group of traditions） that we like to call evangelicalism， and it assisted me in getting a better grasp on the thing itself。The one thing I wasn’t convinced of， if I’m honest， is whether or not evangelicalism has anything positive to offer that can’t be found in more robust form in other traditions。 There are certainly things to admire in evangelicalism， but the things to be admired are hardly essential to it （for instance， an emphasis on supernatural realities and the importance of the scriptures）。 I tend to feel more inclined toward a tradition that upholds those orthodox tenets of the faith without all the。。。TV pastors。That said， I continue to hold dear many things I have learned from evangelicalism and， if I’m honest， I have a more complicated and conflicted relationship with it than my idealistic mind would wish—at least would wish much of the time。 There’s just something about a good， Bible Belt sermon now and again， amiright？ 。。。more
Zach Brandt
，
A good book that is an example of the kind of evangelical thinking it seeks to promote。 It is， however， only a historical study which argues for greater Christian thinking。 It does not adequately answer theological or biblical objections people might have to the kind of intellectual life Noll is recommending。 It is also not clear how evangelicals will maintain their distinctive values as they suppress their distinctive vices。 Still， it is well worth reading and provides ample material for discus A good book that is an example of the kind of evangelical thinking it seeks to promote。 It is， however， only a historical study which argues for greater Christian thinking。 It does not adequately answer theological or biblical objections people might have to the kind of intellectual life Noll is recommending。 It is also not clear how evangelicals will maintain their distinctive values as they suppress their distinctive vices。 Still， it is well worth reading and provides ample material for discussion。 。。。more
Eric Yap
，
A modern classic because of the conversations it has generated， though slightly dated。 Admittedly， I have not grown up in my Christian faith in mainstream evangelicalism to fully experience and understand the evangelical culture that Noll describes from his vantage point in 1994 （became a Christian in the Methodist church about 14 years old， then after a few short years quickly absorbed into the YRR/New Calvinist movement and now confessionally reformed/heavily Dutch Reformed influenced）。 I thin A modern classic because of the conversations it has generated， though slightly dated。 Admittedly， I have not grown up in my Christian faith in mainstream evangelicalism to fully experience and understand the evangelical culture that Noll describes from his vantage point in 1994 （became a Christian in the Methodist church about 14 years old， then after a few short years quickly absorbed into the YRR/New Calvinist movement and now confessionally reformed/heavily Dutch Reformed influenced）。 I think many would agree with me that Noll is quite right that "the scandal of the evangelical mind is that there is no evangelical mind，" with the fact that there is an undercurrent of anti-intellectualism in mainstream evangelicalism culture， and that much of it is shaped by the culture of biblicism （a strong anti-historical/authority/traditional reading of Scripture）， populism， individualistic and deistic tendencies （a strong importation of enlightenment principles that championed autonomy and liberty， think Adam Smith and the language like "truths to be self-evident。。。 inalienable rights） that found fertile soil in American Revolutionary War and subsequent evangelical culture。 With respect to Noll's broad picture analysis， I think it is slightly imprecise and even inconsistent at some point。 For example， on one hand， he could rage against the old Pincetons' （Hodge， Warfield） adoption of Scottish common-sense realism of Thomas Reid which compromised intense intellectual thinking and contextualization for cultural apologetics， but on the other hand he could show his avid support for their pro-macro-evolution views which was sustained by the very Scottish common-sense realism （because he is obviously into theistic evolution）！In my opinion， at the heart of this "scandal of the evangelical mind" is essentially a theological issue （ok here I am showing my Van Tilian hands）。 Carl Trueman followed up with another book two decades later that disagreed with the fundamental lines that are drawn around the "evangelical mind，" as the two decades have only shown that the "the scandal of evangelical mind is not that there is no evangelical mind， but there is no common 'evangel' （gospel/theology）'" to begin with， as "a world in which everyone from Joel Osteen to Brian McLaren to John MacArthur may be called an evangelical。" The fact that there is no intellectualism in the evangelical mind， as far as I can observe， is because the theological ingredients to mainstream evangelicalism aren't any form of committed theological confessions or articles but shifting biblicism gathering around changing populism and cultural fads。 Noll is right to observe that the main tenets of mainstream evangelicalism leading to the 90s were pentecostalism， holiness movement and dispensationalism， citing that these are the theological-cultural products of Scottish and continental Enlightenment on the American soil， however， if anything I feel like these are the results of populism and biblicism precisely because mainstream evangelicalism lacked a comprehensive theological framework to engage ethics and sanctification （holiness movement）， history and redemptive worldview （dispensationalism） and sacramentology （pentecostalism）， and can only gather around the shifting cultural fads of the times to feed its individualistic dilemma。 Hence， mainstream evangelicalism today can go from prosperity gospel to hyper-grace to sectarian politics to fundamentalism to woke activism because it lacked an all comprehensive， biblical grounded and historically tested， refined theological framework to engage the world intellectually。 This being evident also from the fact that all of the "positive examples" of intellectual evangelicalism that Noll cited have been from external influences and engagements （Noll himself concede this point） with other more intentionally theological traditions， like the Dutch Reformed， Lutheran or Catholic-Thomistic scholarship。 But on more careful observation， even the guys that Noll was drawing "evangelical examples" from were nothing like his description of mainstream evangelicalism （holiness movement， dispy and pentecostal）: Jonathan Edwards was a Congregationalist of the Savoy Declaration confessions， Hodge and Warfield were Presbyterians that affirmed the Westminster Confessions， all in which go against the theological grain of holiness movement （sanctification from a robust soteriological system）， dispy （covenantal theology） and pentecostalism （lol do I even need to point this out）。 Even William Bryan Jennings， which Noll cited as the primed example （albeit the highlight figure of "evangelical politics"） of evangelicalism populist， activist， and biblicist symptoms in politics， was Presbyterian。 Finally， Carl F Henry， the most fitting intellectual giant to be called an "evangelical" was a strong advocate of presuppositionalism， an admirer and student of Gordon Clark theological framework and system （which， unfortunately， now entirely eclipsed by Van Til's more theologically consistent system to the point that there are no ongoing publishing of his works for study）。 This goes on to show that the "scandal of evangelical" mind is less of a common cultural identity that has established a course of sectarian tendencies against rigorous intellectual engagement， but that the ingredient of "evangelical identity" is the biblicism around the populist-celebrity preaching of whatever shifting cultural fads that serve its individualistic crisis。 What is needed， in my opinion， is not therefore more trumpeting for intellectual engagement in the evangelical world with mainstream scholarship， but a more scriptural and biblically saturated theological framework that is able to contextualised and engaged properly all the nuanced of mainstream scholarship。 To that end， one would perhaps find oneself to be less of an "evangelical" because there is almost no such thing as a pure "mainstream evangelical confession" today。Two last two points of example， the recent resurgence of the YRR movement have generated a whole stream of "Calvinist evangelicals，" which in my opinion， are more at home in the Calvinist tradition than the evangelical tradition （in this circles we like to throw around the derogatory term “evanjellies”） and the result of it is a sufficiently （though much more is to be expected） comprehensive Calvinist worldview and framework that has generated a lot of engagement with culture and the arts， embodied by the creed of the Dutch Reformed theologian Abraham Kuyper， "There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ， who is Sovereign over all， does not cry， Mine！" However， the "evangelical-populist" side of this movement is most salient in the increasingly sectarian politics， evident when I observed the attitude of "entirely for or entirely against/dying on the hill/no nuanced available" towards the view of great Christian thinkers like Tim Keller （in my opinion， the best and current theological heir of Kuyper on that side of the Atlantic）， without appreciating or nuance-ing properly the theological frameworks in the engagement of politics and culture， and then agreeing or disagreeing charitably with one another because we are all rallying around figures with cult-like attitude （my most annoyed observation is the fact that Christian figures that I have respected can be rallying for government powers to support pro-life movements yet also crying for wholesale rejection against any covid controlling measures because it is infringing civil liberties oh gosh the inconsistencies and ugly Twitter fights）。 。。。more
Todd
，
I wonder what took me so long to read this book。 It's right up my alley as a wannabe intellectual and semi-orthodox person of faith。Not only does this book give me some great history on how American evangelicals came to be the way they are， it helped me think more clearly about certain doctrines which turn out to be distinctively American。I took my time with this and took copious notes。 I expect I'll be reviewing those from time to time。 I wonder what took me so long to read this book。 It's right up my alley as a wannabe intellectual and semi-orthodox person of faith。Not only does this book give me some great history on how American evangelicals came to be the way they are， it helped me think more clearly about certain doctrines which turn out to be distinctively American。I took my time with this and took copious notes。 I expect I'll be reviewing those from time to time。 。。。more
Zack
，
This was a convicting， gut-punch of a book。 Noll's thesis is that the intellectual forces that often contributed to the growth and development of evangelicalism as a movement over time became limiting factors that have led to stagnation and even recession amongst evangelicals as intellectuals and leaders in intellectual effort。 Tracing this history is no simple task， and some chapters maybe get bogged down in it a bit， but the overall argument that emerges is convicting and powerful。 What I appr This was a convicting， gut-punch of a book。 Noll's thesis is that the intellectual forces that often contributed to the growth and development of evangelicalism as a movement over time became limiting factors that have led to stagnation and even recession amongst evangelicals as intellectuals and leaders in intellectual effort。 Tracing this history is no simple task， and some chapters maybe get bogged down in it a bit， but the overall argument that emerges is convicting and powerful。 What I appreciated most， though， was the hope offered in the last two chapters。 Here Noll notes that oftentimes one can take inspiration from religious traditions beyond evangelicalism， and also encourages the exploration of evangelical distinctives as a starting point for building a new evangelical intellectual tradition。 Even at 25-years-old the core argument here seems to have a lot of validity and contemporary precedent， but as an emerging scholar raised in the evangelical tradition I greatly appreciated the direction that the concluding chapters give for building on the past and reshaping the future of evangelical intellectualism。 。。。more
Vance Christiaanse
，
Now I understand why my Evangelical friends tend to （1） ignore the first 1800 years of Christianity， （2） ignore the world God put us into in the present， （3） focus on predicting the future and （3） try to understand the Bible using concordances and inductive studies applied to the text as a sequence of words。 It's because that's what Evangelicalism -is-！ This was very helpful。 Now I understand why my Evangelical friends tend to （1） ignore the first 1800 years of Christianity， （2） ignore the world God put us into in the present， （3） focus on predicting the future and （3） try to understand the Bible using concordances and inductive studies applied to the text as a sequence of words。 It's because that's what Evangelicalism -is-！ This was very helpful。 。。。more
Mark Oppenlander
，
I think I have read this before， but I am not sure。 I heard Mark Noll speak on the Seattle Pacific University campus back in the 1990's， and he was promoting this book at the time。 I purchased a copy and it has been on my shelf ever since， and I am relatively confident I read it back then。 However， it seemed like a good time to revisit it。 In a time of increased anti-intellectualism here in the United States， especially from white Christian nationalists， exploring the roots of the evangelical ex I think I have read this before， but I am not sure。 I heard Mark Noll speak on the Seattle Pacific University campus back in the 1990's， and he was promoting this book at the time。 I purchased a copy and it has been on my shelf ever since， and I am relatively confident I read it back then。 However， it seemed like a good time to revisit it。 In a time of increased anti-intellectualism here in the United States， especially from white Christian nationalists， exploring the roots of the evangelical experience might shed some light on how we got here and what can be done about it。The opening line of this book remains a classic: "The scandal of the evangelical mind is that there is not much of an evangelical mind。" From that provocative beginning， Noll， a historian， takes us on a journey back to the 18th and 19th century on the North American continent， tracing the roots of the evangelical movement。 His analysis suggests that the anti-intellectualism that has frustrated Christian scholars in the 20th century was a feature， not a bug。 Early evangelicals felt compelled to reject intellectual tradition （for political reasons） and embrace intuition and "common sense" （for theological reasons）。 Although these decisions had their purpose at the time， the intervening centuries have not been kind to evangelical Christians wishing to pursue the life of the mind。 Evangelical Christians have adapted over time - but not in productive ways。 Evangelical responses to the social circumstances over the last 100 years have often been to isolate， negate， or separate， rather than assimilate， negotiate， or accommodate。As one might imagine， Noll's strength lies in his ability to describe and explain the history of evangelical thought。 He writes less certainly about opportunities for change or places to be hopeful。 As I read his conclusions and suggestions， it occurred to me that this book was probably very much in need of an update。 What would Noll say about the last 25 years in evangelical Christianity？ How would he feel about the rise of internet conspiracy theories， the decline of Christian colleges and Universities， or the rapid increase in religious "nones" we have heard so much about？ I don't know。This book gives the backstory， but the future has yet to be written。 The crisis - and the scandal - of the evangelical mind are still with us。 。。。more
Ora
，
The Scandal of the Evangelical MindThis is the most difficult book that I have read since I graduated from college。 It reads like a textbook。 I honestly believe the author could have it a much easier read for lay people。 Although Mark A。 Noll gets his point across concerning Evangelicals and the many things that we neglect because of our lack of intellectual understanding about God and the Bible， a simpler explanation would have made for a better read。
Gail Clayworth
，
This book was written 26 years ago， about the time my husband and I left the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod for the Evangelical Free Church of America。 I think our denomination and our pastor are more thoughtful and nonpartisan than many evangelicals， but the book helped me understand the disaster that is much of American evangelicalism today and how we got here。 I have less admiration for a few figures in American evangelical history than the author expressed， but I can appreciate that they wer This book was written 26 years ago， about the time my husband and I left the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod for the Evangelical Free Church of America。 I think our denomination and our pastor are more thoughtful and nonpartisan than many evangelicals， but the book helped me understand the disaster that is much of American evangelicalism today and how we got here。 I have less admiration for a few figures in American evangelical history than the author expressed， but I can appreciate that they were deeper thinkers than most high profile evangelical leaders of the past century。 The author ended the book on a hopeful note， seeing signs of improvement in 1994， but throughout the book he also warned of consequences if evangelicals continued down the path they were on。 Sadly it's pretty obvious now that his optimism was misplaced。 The book is somewhat deep for a layperson like me， but it was worth wading through to help get me to the place that I can let go of some nonessential dogma I've been holding onto uneasily for years。 。。。more
Chris Leroux
，
Noll offers an extensive analysis of the history of modern evangelicalism， using history and reason as guides。 Despite being twenty years old at the time of reading， I found many of his observations to be eerily prescient and astute。 He does a very good job connecting the fear and narrow-mindedness of early dispensationalism to modern-day， conspiracy-obsessed American “Christianity”。 Ironically， his expertise and educational background may be the biggest hindrance for some as the book is quite d Noll offers an extensive analysis of the history of modern evangelicalism， using history and reason as guides。 Despite being twenty years old at the time of reading， I found many of his observations to be eerily prescient and astute。 He does a very good job connecting the fear and narrow-mindedness of early dispensationalism to modern-day， conspiracy-obsessed American “Christianity”。 Ironically， his expertise and educational background may be the biggest hindrance for some as the book is quite dense despite not being too lengthy， filled with academic prose and language that requires focus and makes it a little harder to get into at times。 。。。more
Jarrel
，
This book is summed in one paragraph， it's final paragraph saying this: "The search for a Christian perspective on life - on our families， our economies， our leisure activities， our sports， our attitudes to the body and health care， our reactions to novels and paintings， as well as our churches and our specifically Christian activities - is not just an academic exercise。 The effort to think like a Christian is rather an effort to take seriously the sovereignty of God over the world he created， t This book is summed in one paragraph， it's final paragraph saying this: "The search for a Christian perspective on life - on our families， our economies， our leisure activities， our sports， our attitudes to the body and health care， our reactions to novels and paintings， as well as our churches and our specifically Christian activities - is not just an academic exercise。 The effort to think like a Christian is rather an effort to take seriously the sovereignty of God over the world he created， the lordship of Christ over the world he died to redeem， and the power of the Holy Spirit over the world he sustains each and every moment。 From this perspective the search for a mind that truly thinks like a Christian takes on ultimate significance， because the search for a Christian mind is not， in the end， a search for mind but a search for God。"As an amateur thinker， a appreciator of great thinkers and teachers， I must say that the mind and the heart are of equal worth in pursuing and nurturing for the greater good of the Christian individual and his community。 For in abandoning any of these， you automatically forfeit the other。Evangelicalism， as it relates to American nationalism， has done more to destroy the name of Christ with its incessant pursuit of political dominance over others by policy and intimidation， than any other cult， heresy or religious deviant of recent history。 Thank you， Mark for the book。 I wish it were a bit less， but this will do。 。。。more
Reeds
，
Ordinary person here ~Lopsided Christianity wears me out。 Can there be a “balance” please？I don’t want teaching so deep that someone is expecting me to stay awake while they tell me ten different ways we know， and why it matters， that there is manganese in the pool of Bethesda。Nor do I want to be where there is nothing but evangelism 24/7。 Is it possible to have some teaching that will help ordinary folks make better decisions this week at their ordinary job？As far as 24/7-evangelism types go， d Ordinary person here ~Lopsided Christianity wears me out。 Can there be a “balance” please？I don’t want teaching so deep that someone is expecting me to stay awake while they tell me ten different ways we know， and why it matters， that there is manganese in the pool of Bethesda。Nor do I want to be where there is nothing but evangelism 24/7。 Is it possible to have some teaching that will help ordinary folks make better decisions this week at their ordinary job？As far as 24/7-evangelism types go， don’t you think Almighty God can reach anyone on earth， like he reached you， without you being personally responsible for every single one of them？You can over-intellectualize teaching to the point that anyone who doesn’t have a master’s degree in theology will have no idea what you’re talking about。 You could starve to death for spiritual teaching in a 24/7-evangelism church。Intellectuals - You don’t have to teach on the kindergarten-level to get good， solid points across。Evangelicals – There is so much wisdom in the Bible， TEACH some of it！BALANCE * BALANCE * BALANCE * BALANCE * BALANCE * BALANCE Quotes from the book:quote by John Calvin （1509-1564）:“By “being fools” we do not mean being stupid; nor do we direct those who are learned in the liberal sciences to jettison their knowledge， and those who are gifted with quickness of mind to become dull， as if a man cannot be a Christian unless he is more like a beast than a man。 The profession of Christianity requires us to be immature， not in our thinking， but in malice （1Cor。 14:20）。 But do not let anyone bring trust in his own mental resources or his learning into the school of Christ; do not let anyone be swollen with pride or full of distaste， and so be quick to reject what he is told， indeed even before he has sampled it。”“We have seen this was the case in the Reformation。 It was also true for the monastic movements of the Middle Ages， which were （it is only a slight exaggeration to say） responsible for almost everything of lasting Christian value from roughly A。D。 350 to 1400。 The great pulses of monastic reform- whether Benedict in the sixth century， the monks of Cluny in the tenth century， or the Dominicans and Franciscans in the thirteenth century- all had certain things in common。 。They all encouraged serious contemplation of God， acknowledged the desperateness of the human condition apart from God， and turned people inward to meditate on the Scripture and to ponder the mercies of Christ。 They all encouraged heroic missionary efforts and practical aid for the downtrodden。 And they all promoted serious learning as an offering to the Lord。”“The intellectual activity of the monks during the so-called Dark Ages is justly famous。 When the light of learning flickered low in Europe， monks preserved the precious texts of Scripture and other Christian writings。 Monks kept alive an interest in the languages。 Monks and friars founded schools that eventually became the great universities of Europe。 Monks， ，in short， preserved the life of the mind when almost no one else was giving it a thought。 By so doing， by God’s grace， they preserved the church。” 。。。more
Stan Shelley
，
I agree with the premise but this is a flawed book。 Yes evangelical Christians need to pursue excellence in all legitimate categories of academics and currently this does not happen nearly enough。 But the author seems to suggest that Christians who adhere to doctrines different from those he adheres to are automatically anti-intellectual。 This is just not true。 Also the author naively seems to think that if a Christian achieves real excellence in some field of the academy， he/she will automatica I agree with the premise but this is a flawed book。 Yes evangelical Christians need to pursue excellence in all legitimate categories of academics and currently this does not happen nearly enough。 But the author seems to suggest that Christians who adhere to doctrines different from those he adheres to are automatically anti-intellectual。 This is just not true。 Also the author naively seems to think that if a Christian achieves real excellence in some field of the academy， he/she will automatically be welcomed at the table of that discipline。 This also is not true。 Ask CS Lewis who， after 29 years at Oxford， was still not given a professorship， in part because he was a Christian。 。。。more
Zach Waldis
，
Equally historical narrative and impassioned advocacy， Noll is forthright concerning the scandal and lack of the evangelical mind。 Though the book is dated， its argument gains new force in the age of Trump。
Flynn Evans
，
A phenomenal assessment of the issues facing evangelicals in their pursuit of crafting their own unique intellectual life。 While having a vibrant intellectualism is certainly not out of evangelicalism's plausibility structure， Noll makes it clear that it will not come without significant toil that remains committed to scholarly virtue in all its forms。 A phenomenal assessment of the issues facing evangelicals in their pursuit of crafting their own unique intellectual life。 While having a vibrant intellectualism is certainly not out of evangelicalism's plausibility structure， Noll makes it clear that it will not come without significant toil that remains committed to scholarly virtue in all its forms。 。。。more
Andrew Cress
，
Cannot recommend highly enough。 Excellent analysis of evangelicalism as an heir of fundamentalist thought patterns。 Still relevant today。
Richard Kabiru
，
Am reading this book which was published in 1994 and， clearly， over a period of 25 years， much has changed and we've seen much improvements on the issues addressed therein。 Among the emerging school of thought is not just the connection "between theology and the other forms of learning" （unlike the past where the dichotomy was quite apparent） but also the understanding that both are one and the same thing （or should I say both emanate from one and the same person）。 This has been achieved （in som Am reading this book which was published in 1994 and， clearly， over a period of 25 years， much has changed and we've seen much improvements on the issues addressed therein。 Among the emerging school of thought is not just the connection "between theology and the other forms of learning" （unlike the past where the dichotomy was quite apparent） but also the understanding that both are one and the same thing （or should I say both emanate from one and the same person）。 This has been achieved （in some circles） by the removal of the "invisible" wall that separated the spiritual and the secular。 Business， arts， philosophy， science or work is as spiritual as prayer， fellowship or evangelism。 The book is laden with history though the myriad of historical narrations can make one feel lost or a bit overwhelmed。 Though I don't agree with some of the assertions， I can say that the writer has gone to great lengths in educating， proving and offering hope though I feel there needs to be an update on this book （especially considering the upgraded social consciousness because of advancements over 2 decades）。 How people think about the end of time can greatly influence how they live and interpret reality。 Among the major setbacks that have occurred within Evangelical circles in the last century is the formulation of the rapture theory which predisposes a rescue from some cataclysmic events which culminates to the end of the world。 This theory has been a bad influence to vast majority of Evangelicals as they have always focused on the immediate and shunned the use of the mind since "soon and very soon we are going to see the King" （what's the need for engaging？）。 This has crippled our capacity to engage in any long-term issues or the general world of human affairs。 And the only analysis offered by the pundits of this viewpoint is to brand every global crisis as a precursor to the end of the world。 However， despite this dismal record， there is hope as more and more people are able to query some assumptions long held sacred and are freeing themselves from outdated religious dogmas based upon the sight of God as one involved in the affairs of men。 The book has challenged my own thinking and I highly recommended it to anyone who is processing （like me） their own evangelical baggage。 。。。more
Tiffany
，
A good challenge。
Jon Harris
，
This book could have been much better。 Noll comes off as a complainer complaining about evangelicals who complain about the world around them。 He assumes a modern concept of progress by which to measure evangelicals intellectual life。 There are to many contradictions in Noll's thinking to make note of here。 The sad part is， I think Noll is on to something。 This book could have been much better。 Noll comes off as a complainer complaining about evangelicals who complain about the world around them。 He assumes a modern concept of progress by which to measure evangelicals intellectual life。 There are to many contradictions in Noll's thinking to make note of here。 The sad part is， I think Noll is on to something。 。。。more
Phil
，
someone should follow Noll’s political analysis to the present state of evangelical support for Donald Trump。 certainly that well-documented support is evidence that there the “scandal” has not yet been scandalized。 the diagnosis is spot on， overall。 must read for evangelicals， interesting read for those interested in the history of religious and political thought in the US。
Chris Rohde
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One of the best books I have read this year。 It left me with further questions and thoughts about the state of evangelicalism in America and hope that we would pursue the life of the mind。
Leandra
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Excellent book of writing advice。 I love Writer’s style。 Highly recommend for other。
Patricia
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