Inspire, Spring 2007

analysis of one of the lyrics in the Song of Songs in terms of its poetic language and forms. In doing that, he was able to demonstrate how the poet used sound plays, evocative images, and various structural strategies to create in the reader a powerful sense of the nature of intimacy. He showed that reading the poem as a poem, rather than as prose, is an essential element in understanding the meaning that the human author, and ultimately God, intended in the text. Educating Tomorrow’s Christian Thinkers for the Public Square By Dr. Scott Dixon ’84 Paul’s performance within the Athenian marketplace in Acts 20 models for us the opportunity to engage our culture with a Christian worldview. Not content to observe passively the pagan philosophies of the day treated as received wisdom, Paul applied his theological and rhetorical skills to the deep questions held up for debate. No less can be asked of Christians today. This becomes increasingly critical when we consider the postmodern context of today’s public rhetoric, in which no one can agree on the same epistemological starting point, let alone share a common vocabulary. How can Christian educators prepare the next generation of theologically trained and rhetorically skilled participants within today’s public square? This central question has motivated my educational career for the past 10 years here at Cedarville. How can I help my students (both majors and minors) be equipped to reach not only the hearts, but also the minds of our culture? This past summer I received one of Cedarville’s faculty research grants, which enabled me to spend more concentrated time researching how to go about teaching “integration.” We do so much talking about “integration” within Christian universities, but we have done so little investigation into how best to teach it. When our department set about redesigning the Bible minor curriculum a few years ago, our pedagogical goal was to do a better job teaching students how to integrate their faith and theology within the real world of life and ideas. Working backward from the knowledge, attitudes, and skills required, we asked how we might design an instructional experience within the Christian university classroom that would best model the boldness of Paul together with the wisdom of Solomon; we wanted not only to engage the people but also the ideas presented in the pages and on the screens of what passes for the American “marketplace.” The last of the required six courses in the Bible minor, “Christian Worldview Integration,” has been designed to emulate as closely as possible the type of intellectual environment in which a Christian college graduate might be required to integrate his or her theology with life. Since we have started to teach the course, we have uncovered particular skills necessary to teach it effectively, including the ability to listen carefully to arguments, a capacity to think theologically and examine current ideas in the light of Scripture, the facilities to think critically and evaluate evidence, and the rhetorical finesse to present one’s own position with clarity and confidence. As a professional educator, these classroom experiences have challenged me to delve more deeply into how we can better train our students for the real world. What are the curricular choices and pedagogical strategies required to produce active learners who understand what it means to integrate their faith and knowledge with life? My summer research project became a 12-page paper that I delivered at the Evangelical Theological Society meeting in Washington, D.C. in November 2006. But, Lord willing, this will only serve as a first step in a much larger project. Currently a colleague and I are seeking out possible grants from foundations that might fund further research, experimental courses, and an investigation of “best practices” adopted by other Christian universities and seminaries. The goal is to formulate the foundational curricular choices and key pedagogical principles we will use to educate the next generation of Christian thinkers. Inspire 15