My Mormon Studies colleagues are sometimes puzzled when they hear me say nice things about LDS apologists and apologetic scholarship. Almost inevitably, I get asked something like, "Don't you think we can do better than apologetics, though?" My short answer is that I think there's a place for both apologetics and for LDS scholarship that "brackets" the truth-claims debates.
In the modern world, true believers need a way to reconcile their faith with rationality. This obviously needs to be done with integrity. I have little respect for apologists who simply make things up, or who conceal evidence that does not accord with their position. But to the extent that faith and rationality can be honestly reconciled, I think apologists provide a valuable service to religious communities. In fact, it's a service that will keep the "bracketers" in business for the foreseeable future.
What I most respect about apologists is that they practice scholarship in a way that is true to their deepest religious commitments. Whereas the rest of us attempt to stand aloof from communities we study, apologists willingly participate in and contribute to those communities. In a way, it's sort of refreshing.
2 comments:
Well said, Chris. As you said, the key is integrity. Much of what passes for apologetics is spin, distortion, and sometimes dishonesty. But there is also a lot of good work done in approaching matters of faith through a scholarly approach.
I think another reason I secretly admire apologists is that I want Religious Studies scholarship to have some real significance outside the narrow world of the academy, and I admire that apologists have found a way to do that.
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