From the Outrageous to the Scandalous

From the Outrageous to the Scandalous, Robert H. Woods Jr. and Mark Allan Steiner, eds. Integratio Press (ISBN: 9781959685333) 2025.

Summary: A collection of essays reflecting on Christian scholarship 30 years after Marsden and Noll’s books.

The two books came out during the first years after I transitioned to campus ministry with graduate students and faculty members. The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind by Mark A. Noll and The Outrageous Idea of Christian Scholarship by George M. Marsden provided a kind of raison d’etre for my work. The earliest American universities had been established by Christians and many had capstone courses focused both on the relationship of Christian faith to every discipline and evidences for the Christian faith. However, in the 1990’s Christianity had been either marginalized to barely surviving religion departments or was viewed as an enemy of both intellectual life and human freedom. These two authors inspired many of us to devote our efforts to raising up a new generation of scholars who brought to bear the mind of Christ to their academic research and practice.

In 2024, a group of Christians in Communications Studies conceived of the idea of hosting an “unconference” ahead of their discipline’s annual academic conference. They wanted to explore together in conversation the questions and challenges they faced thirty years after these landmark books. They also wanted to share opportunities they experienced of doing Christian scholarly work. Each participant read the two works. In addition, there were eleven short “legacy scholar” presentations by senior scholars including Marsden and Noll. Their presentations comprise part one of this book.

The second part of the book reflects small group discussions of questions and responses to the presentations. These were subsequently written up in and grouped in the five sections comprising part two of the book. The essays are short and reflect an ongoing conversation rather than finished research presentations. Given that the book consists of 63 chapters, I will touch on the high points of these essays.

Part I: Legacy Scholar Presentations

Mark Noll’s presentation opens the collection. He observes progress in examples of Christian voices and scholarly societies across the disciplines. But he notes the economic and ideological challenges as well as the disconnect between academia and the church. Marsden’s essay is more of a reflection on Christian scholarship. He highlights the importance of humility, discusses the challenges of polarization and hiring but affirms the high calling of academic work.

Several other Legacy Scholars from communication then respond with their ideas about Christian scholarship. Quentin Schultze outlines five root assumptions for communications scholarship. Calvin Troup offers a framework for biblical integration in communication. And Clifford Christians addresses the idea of substantive truth in intellectually plural settings.

Fr. Paul A. Soukup, SJ’s presentation stood out in offering a Catholic approach to teaching and research, particularly from a Jesuit perspective. He emphasized its values-based character, its purpose-driven nature, and the use of Ratio Studiorum, a sixteenth-century document. This prioritizes engaged learning, educating the whole person, education rooted in community including service-based learning, and a commitment to justice. I was struck that a number of essays engaged Fr. Soukup’s presentation.

Part II: Responses to our Legacy Scholars

Section One: Foundations and Historical Roots

The responses here ranged from Alexandria to Athens to Jerusalem. Mark A.E. Williams explored the cultural redefinitions of intellect that had a shaping influence on the beginnings of evangelicalism. John R. Terrill offered a fascinating essay on the history of the Chataqua Institution and how it might offer models for recovering trust between academia and the church. Lance Croy concludes the section with a history of Tolstoy’s school for peasant children, observing the parallels with Jesuit education outlined by Fr. Soukup.

Section Two: Reimagining the University and Christian Higher Education

A. Chase Mitchell responds particularly to George Marsden, noting the very different landscape of an ideologically fractured and tribal university, and the need for Christians to demonstrate unity with honest disagreement. David Dockery warns of the twin dangers of being driven by technology in the sciences and enacting tyranny in the humanities. He calls Christians to a virtuous middle focused on knowledge for God’s glory. In concluding this section, Elaine Fung and Brandon Knight write of the importance of community in the scholarly journey. For example, they point to Kristos Logos Paideia, an undergraduate communication society.

Section Three: Communication, Pedagogy, and Intellectual Formation

One of the highlights in this section was Kim Okesson’s profile of Dorothy Sayers. Specifically she highlights Sayers’ use of communications skills in arenas as diverse as scholarship, fiction, drama and essays. Janie Marie Harden Fritz highlights the theme of excellence in praxis that runs through a number of the Legacy Scholar presentations. She also reflects on her own scholarly formation a a Christian. Several essays engage specific theories or approaches including standpoint theory, dialogue, and the use of metaphor and image in Nick Wolterdorff’s Art in Action.

Section Four: Personal and Vocational Reflections

Geraldine E. Forsberg opens this section with a deeply thoughtful reflection on “The Christian Professor in the Twenty-first Century.” She emphasizes a Christ-controlled mind steeped in the wisdom of scripture affirming truth with love. Not only that, she believes Christian can offer a compelling vision for students and the university more widely at a time where vision has perished. Douglas Kelley offers the image of the long walk to Emmaus as a model for the space of dialogue between students and teachers. Adam Sonstroem recounts his own experience in one of Mark Noll’s classes and how his emphasis on excellent, careful thought challenged him.

Section Five: The Church, Public Witness, and Evangelical Identity

R. Tyler Spradley summarizes his research on the “managerial turn” in evangelical churches and how this has contributed to the scandal of the evangelical mind. This essay ought to be required reading in pastoral education! Then Mark Allan Steiner explores how scholarship with epistemological humility might serve the church’s efforts to develop discerning disciples. Building on this, Brian D. Mattson explores how the habits of curiosity, collegiality, and concentration might serve the church. Other essays explore the role of magazines, technology, and media may serve the church. Then in one of the concluding essays, Stephen D. Perry explores what it might mean for scholars to be scandalous and outrageous.

In Conclusion

I’ve only offered a sampling of what one will find in this book. A few concluding thoughts. Firstly, models of such mutual engagement are rare and this one was delightful. I had the sense that these scholars had a lot of fun at this “unconference.” Secondly, what impressed me was listening to these scholars talk about their lives–what formed them, what energized them, and the research they are engaged in and its relevance to the theme. Thirdly, I thought this a model for other disciplinary groups. While the focus was on communications, reading the essays suggests parallels for many other disciplines. Finally, I appreciated the focus on scholarship in service of the church as well as the academy. The divide is often great, as Noll observes and both the academy and the church stand to gain from one another’s gifts.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.