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Christianity Today, March (Web-only), 2009 |

Thinking Epistemologically about Obama and Notre Dame

Francis Beckwith explains why Notre Dame's invitation is so controversial, and what it says about higher education.

Interview by Sarah Pulliam | posted 3/27/2009 03:03PM

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Most of this debate has taken place in Catholic circles, but is there anything that evangelicals can take away from this debate?

I think all Christians can learn to start thinking about what it means to believe something. When I was interviewing at Baylor, the provost at the time asked me, "I know you believe in the Apostle's Creed, but if someone believes the Apostle's Creed is mistaken, are they wrong?" He wanted to see not what I believed, but whether I believed it was true and knowable. If we say that our theological tradition is true, is it something we merely believe, or is it something that we do in fact believe is true and knowable. That factors into all of our decisions and who we invite to be commencement speakers and who we hire. We have to think about what it means to believe something. It's an epistemological question, a question about what we know and whether it is true.

Related Elsewhere:

See also responses on Notre Dame's Obama invitation from Fuller Seminary president Richard Mouw and Union University president David Dockery.

Christianity Today interviewed Francis Beckwith after he converted to Catholicism.

See also our earlier coverage of the 2005 debate at Calvin College over then-President Bush's commencement speech, and last year's debate at Cedarville University over a speaking invitation to Shane Claiborne.

CT also covers education on the liveblog and politics on the politics blog.

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March (Web-only) 2009, Vol. 53

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Pilgrim

Posted: April 07, 2009 12:24 PM

Intelligent people can and do take theology seriously. I concur with Beckwith-it is rather biased to exclude theology from what we consider knowledge to be. But that is what we've been taught to do, isn't it? How dare anyone suggest anything other than "true" science! Epistemology is indeed the key, but most people, including academics have a very narrow view of what comprises knowing. They can hardly conceive of ways of thinking that are outside their rigidly defined boxes of acceptability.

joycelen

Posted: April 05, 2009 10:40 AM

Once again, arguments are brought forth which only distract from the central issue. Obama is the most pro-death president we have ever had, even voting to allow born alive infants from botched abortions to die. This is not just a matter of being somewhat pro-choice. Mr. Obama is charming and charismatic, but has made his position clear. Not just soldiers have to die, but also innocent life in the form of embryos and babies, from unnecessary embryonic research, to children who must have their skulls cut open and brains removed by partial birth abortion. Ugly to say? Yes, but even uglier to hold such policies. Is the Church going to stand for life? I surely hope so! Some Evangelicals get too caught up in the cult of personality to see this clearly. The right to conscience also must be protected. Our county is founded on such principles. Please open your eyes church.

Christian Lawyer

Posted: April 01, 2009 11:28 PM

No, Dr. Beckwith, Pres. Obama does not deny "the intrinsic dignity of all persons." He affirms their dignity, but, like many who are pro-choice, does not beleve that "person" includes an embryo. When your epistomology doesn't allow you to distinguish between the "truth" of the Apostles Creed and the "truth" of the periodic table or between the moral stature of a 4-year-old and that of a 4-second-old fertilized egg, there is something seriously wrong with your theory. And, I believe in the Apostles Creed. If your point is "faith without works is dead" and thus proof of our faith is in our living, generally I agree. But, when you state unequivocally that creed is true in the same way as scientific fact, you indulge in the conceit of all fundamentalisms. "Belief" masquerading as "certainty" is what leads to abortion clinic bombings, suicide bombings and the inability to recognize abortion is not the worst choice for a 9-yr-old repeatedly raped by her stepfather. Academy, meet real world.

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