Plainsman over at Southern Appeal asks an interesting question in this post:
““Traditional and conservative Americans who seek to revitalize the intellectual and cultural life of the nation face a basic strategic choice. Should we try to slip inside the culture-generating, “prestige” institutions and change them from within, or should we devote our energy to creating and nurturing alternative institutions, in order to develop a new establishment, one that can issue direct challenges to the present establishment’s pretensions to award prestige and define the “mainstream”?”
He’s discussing Ave Maria Law School, a conservative Catholic school endowed by Domino pizza magnate Thomas Monaghan, but the concept applies in so many other areas. Should we (conservatives or Christians) try to “invade” Hollywood or just go off and make our own movies? Should we try to get really great books with Christian or conservative themes published by mainstream publishing firms or should we just try to get the world (and the Christians) to notice good books published by “Christian publishers?” Should great Christian professors try to get tenured postiions at secular universities and change the culture of those universities, or should they teach at private Chirstian colleges and try to raise the level of teaching and learning in those colleges? Should conservatives try to remain somewhat influential in the Republican Party or leave and form a purer, more completely conservative political party (Taxpayer’s Party?)? Homeschool or try to change the public schools? It seems that the answer to each of these questions is a little different. It depends on the person who’s making the choice, the particular opportunity that presents itself, the level of openness of the secular institution that one is trying to influence, lots of variables. No doubt it is tempting to take our marbles and go elsewhere to play, and sometimes that may be exactly the right choice. As with homeschooling, we may create totally new and innovative alternatives in the process.
Sherry, this is something I think about a lot. Thanks for voicing this. Having been within many of these influential institutions, I think there’s definitely a place for both infiltrating (so to speak) and creating our own alternatives. I think the former route is for a select few who are called to it and the latter is for the greater body of Christ.