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Making Room For The Non-Academic

Written by AriahFine : February 7, 2008

I’m a huge fan of what I’ve seen and found at Jesus Manifesto and Christarchy. The opportunity to be connected, encouraged, and challenged by other believers across the country who share my beliefs and desire to follow Jesus has been wonderful. I’ve been eager to be involved, maybe share my thoughts occasionally, but have found, amongst my excitement, a strong feeling of intimidation.

It could be just me, but the deep intellectual knowledge of many of the writers and readers of Jesus Manifesto have left me hesitant to engage. At the same time though, I thoroughly enjoy quietly and anonymously reading the deep thoughts that others share.

My point in writing about my feeling of intimidation is not an attempt at a personal rant or pity party, but to raise a concern I have about well intentioned groups becoming unintentionally alienating. I don’t want to discourage intellectually challenging discourse, but simply raise the question of how to do it in a way that creates welcome space for the ‘non-academic’ amongst us.

If the goal of this community, just like the community at large, is to be an inclusive community where anyone and everyone is welcome, then it is important to create the kind of vibe where anyone feels welcome. It is not enough to simply say everyone is welcome. It is difficult for many female’s to speak up in a forum dominated by men. People of color are often nervous to share their thoughts in a room full of people who don’t look like them and have had a history of misunderstanding or misinterpreting. A reader who finds themselves looking up multiple words in an article hesitates before sharing their own thoughts.

What I find fascinating about the words of Jesus is that they are quite simple to understand (though something might have been lost in translation), and yet extremely deep and complex at the same time. His followers ranged from the uneducated social outcast to the highly intellectual religious leaders. Jesus had an ability to say things in a way that communicated clearly to people from all stages of life and we should endeavor to speak our message equally clearly.

How do we make room for the ‘non-academic’?

Ariah Fine is a husband and father living in North Minneapolis. He blogs at Trying To Follow and recently wrote his first novel, Giving Up.


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    hey ariah.we cross paths again. you could be a non-academic like me and just push your way in at the risk of sounding foolish. these men and women are very intelligent.i have been learning lots. so not being one of the "academic elite's" i say jump in. i'll let them answer on how to make room. good to hear from you again.
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    Yeah, Ariah, I've been getting the same vibe...like the cookies are on a shelf just above my reach....and time to fully digest them.

    Maybe we should have some 'Easy Essays' like Peter Maurin liked to write, so the not-so-academic amongst us can grasp the goodies.

    ~Anna
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    Forgot to add a link to the online Easy Essays from my friends in OKC:

    http://www.thedorothydaycenter.com/resources/Ea...
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    As an editor, it is challenging to balance posts. I can appreciate the feelings of intimidation--we all find ourselves out of our elements at different times and in different ways. But what do we do about it? As I look over the various posts from the past month or so, I would say much less than half are "high shelf" posts.

    I don't want to put the onus on the non-academics, but I can only post stuff that people submit. And I'd be happy to post stuff that isn't super academic. In fact, I prefer not to post too much academic stuff. So, consider this an earnest invitation for submissions.

    I think that we can be a place where all sorts feel comfortable if all sorts submit material. I don't want it to be too academic. Nor do I want us to avoid academic material.
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    I was hoping that a bit of this sentiment would come out in my latest contribution, but perhaps it did the exact opposite. I think those of more intimately connected to Academia and "high shelf" learning must find a way to bring the ideas and truths that we are discovering down off the shelf for everyone to check out with us. In fact, this is one of the major needs the Church universal has--to bridge the gap of the Academy and the Congregation. I've dedicated my learning to such an aim, and sincerely apologize if I am one who has fallen short of this goal.

    On the other hand, maybe I'm being a moron by assuming I'm one of those smart writers. :) In that case, delete this entry before I look like an idiot.
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    That is part of the challenge. When you go off to seminary and start learning stuff, you have to spend a long time grappling with the academic stuff before you can make it down-to-earth.

    I suspect that a lot of the academic posts on this site are an attempt at grappling through lofty, challenging ideas in the attempt to flesh them out. It isn't a "nerd orgy"--a bunch of intellectual talk that doesn't go anywhere. Instead, it is an attempt to move from reflection to action.

    After all, when I write academically, it isn't because I am trying to be an elitist. It is often my way of grasping at ideas in the best (and sometimes only) way I know. But my heart is always to work it out into the outflow of my life.

    I'm glad this issue is being raised; thank you for the post, Ariah. I'm not sure there is a quick and easy answer to the issue, but I think we'd be better off if we commit ourselves to struggling with it.

    The challenge for us is this: how do we explore challenging and lofty ideas on this site in such a way that non-academics still free to engage in the process of fleshing things out?
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    Thanks for the Comments Everyone!

    @Mark: I definitely didn't mean this is a critique of you, I can understand your struggle as an editor, and it's mostly my fault since your so willing to publish my simple stuff, I could be that other voice on the site.
    That being said, thanks also for understanding the need to struggle with this.

    @Michael: Thanks for chiming in. I'll be honest, I didn't read your post. I skimmed it, but I'll be honest, big words like 'ideology' and others scare me (I'm sounding like a wuss aren't I?). Even mentions of Marx and Ellul, though I love the reflections I've seen come from the writings, tend to be hard to digest.

    @Anna and Joe: Thanks for the encouragement.

    I believe the goal is not only to struggle with the academic issues, but to constantly try and struggle with them in such a way that others can engage (basically what Mark said)...
    "how do we explore challenging and lofty ideas on this site in such a way that non-academics still free to engage in the process of fleshing things out?"
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    thanks for sharing your feelings. Somewthing quite similar happens to me. I'm colombian, and although I have a good basic knowledge of english language, sometimes I think my english is not so good as other Jesusmanifesto bloggers. I'd like to write something, I have a few ideas in mind, and I hope may God help me to get them through.

    greetings.
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    Thanks Ariah! I agree that it's very important to move the "stuff of academics" into the realm of real life and experience. I'd love to hear more of your thoughts on here!!!
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    I think the approach that you took on this post was great...you raised an issue and invited people to explore it with you.
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    I guess as someone in academia who plans to spend his career in that environment I have a hard time accepting that the 'stuff of academics' is not part of real life and experience. Much of the practical stuff on this site is the result of the 'stuff of academics' who first worked on these things.

    If one reads Bonhoeffer for example, one will find a very academic theologian writing in the language of the academics of his time, a language that the church of his era did not understand fully. It took fifty or sixty years before his 'academic stuff' was able to translate into practical application. Basically what I am saying is that Bonhoeffer described his vision of real life Christianity, but it was done in academic terms that a later generation translated into something that could be practiced more readily. Rather than see it as an either/or proposition ("real life" vs. "academic") it should be viewed as a dialogue between Christians trying to take big issues or concepts and whittle them down into practical reality or vice-a-versa.

    As I tell people in Bible study groups, we all have something to teach one another about the things of God, we all should share the goal of helping one another grow, but we all just have different ways in which to accomplish that. One of the things I like about this site is that the conversation, more often than not, is conducted in a Christian manner with an openness to hearing all the voices represented.
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    One thing that has really helped me is reading different books. Some go a little over my head, but I find the more I read,the more up to speed I feel. Also, the more time I spend in the blogosphere the better as well. Shoot, I think blogging is where I first learned the words "ontilogical"(sp) and "christian democrat"...

    c'mon gang, that was a little funny...
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    i don't think anyone [who does not consider themselves an academic] should be afraid to post something on this site. i doubt that anyone here will judge anyone based on that. i think we'll find that as more and more non-academics [myself included, as i only have a highschool education] begin to write articles here, that JesusManifesto will develop a more eclectic personality. It will be a harmony of different voices. After all this is the purpose of the site. It is the duty of the more learned of us here to share freely [and humbly] with others the gift of knowledge, and likewise it is the DUTY of the less academic of us to share our perspective, neither is more important than the other. So rather than feel intimidated by our [academic] brothers and sisters, let us be very grateful for the gifts they've shared with us. And as we probably have not been living up to our own duty, let us share our gifts generously in the form of many many non-academic posts!
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    oh and i forgot...

    mountainguy,

    i think it would be refreshing to hear your observations and perspectives. go for it. your english shouldn't be a barrier for this. however if you're more comfortable go ahead and write in spanish. i am fluent in spanish and would be willing to translate. email me if you're interested ellens.joshua [at] gmail.com

    by the way, my wife is from Peru, so i have a vested interest in the Latin American perspective. seriously, i think you should share ;)
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    I agree. I would love for any of those readers whose primary language is Spanish to write in Spanish. We can get translation if necessary.
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    Thanks for this post and all the responses. It encourages me to be in a community of people who are willing to grapple with what it means to live and learn together across a diversity of social, cultural, political, and educational backgrounds.

    Perhaps we could generously amend the Apostle Paul to add that neither is there academic elite nor common bloggers, we are all one in Christ. It is such an honor to learn and share with all of you.

    Peace
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    one of my community members and house mates would always say "in the end a commitment to doing your own dishes is far more radical than all this radical posturing." that always encourages me when i fell overwhelmed by all the academic lip service to the gospel.

    much love
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    Greg,

    I guess maybe you need to qualify the statement 'academic lip service to the gospel.'

    I understand that at the grass roots level academic discussions seem irrelevant, but in all respect the overwhelming majority of Christians are part of mainstream, denominational, traditional Christian congregations. While the (unfortunately) small percentage of house church, neo-monastic communities, etc are more interested in 'real life and experience' than 'the stuff of academics' it will be through 'academics' that the future leaders of denominational Christianity are able to take what your community has done and apply it to the traditional congregational structure, because in order to be clergy, pastors, ministers etc. in those congregations one must go through the academy. That is why I take issue with the notion that academics gives 'lip service to the gospel.' The academic arena is where the Christian leaders of tomorrow are able to formulate all the 'academic stuff' into workable plans in congregational structures where most Christians exist. Both sides of this conversation are doing valuable work that should not be looked down upon.

    I am indebted to one of my professors who said "any change you want to make in the church will occur long after your dead." It took centuries for the Catholic Church to admit that Luther was correct on some issues he raised against it, and most of us will never see the church universal embrace the change advocated today.

    An interesting footnote is that the Protestant Reformation began in the university before it swept through the church.
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    I'd like to push back on the last two comments.

    Greg, powerful ideas can be powerfully dangerous. While there is foolishness in just talking smack without ever doing anything, there is also foolishness in ignoring ideas and embracing anti-intellectualism. This isn't simply a question of balance between the two--it is a question of finding the proper relationship between ideas and practice. Ideas without practice is mere talk, but practice without ideas is mere activity.

    James, I'm not at all convinced that the Reformation began in the university...not really. The reason the magisterial reformers get credit is that they were able to broker deals with people of power because of their lofty status in the University. But there were non Academics spreading ideas before it got to that point. It is a murky history. And the Radical Reformers were largely outside of the University.

    I'm all for advocating intellectual rigor. But I'm not sure that has to go hand-in-hand with affirming the University. I think most of the problem with the bad relationship between Church and Academy is on the Academy side of things. I don't believe in the "trickle down" theory of ideas. We need to plunder the Academy and bring it back into the church.