Support First Things by turning your adblocker off or by making a  donation. Thanks!

The transcript of my interview with Benjamin Wiker (who wrote Ten Books that Screwed Up the World) of To the Source is up.  We talk about my book The End of Secularism.

Here’s a clip where I answer Wiker’s question as to whether I am calling Christians to be anti-secular activists:

Baker: I think Christians should kindly refuse the invitation to take their religious activity and speech private.  They should maintain the validity of the faith for their approach to community life and politics.  They should point out that secularism provides little guidance for dealing with big political questions and that the values have to come from somewhere.  Too often, secularists selectively crib Christian values without acknowledging the source.  We didn’t just get here by accident.  We don’t appreciate things like liberty, equality, and democracy by sheer accident.  Christianity has been a major civilizational force.

Christians should also learn about their own faith.  Religion is not a commodity.  Christianity is not just another religion.  Don’t accept the idea that your faith is about emotion and pure mysticism and the no one else can understand it.  Realize that the Christian faith makes public claims about events that happened in history.  Stick close to the resurrection of Christ and you won’t go far wrong in challenging the secular orthodoxy.

(The relentless flacking of The End of Secularism has now officially infected Evangel!)


Comments are visible to subscribers only. Log in or subscribe to join the conversation.

Tags

Loading...

Filter First Thoughts Posts

Related Articles