Dr. Marvin Olasky's Newsmakers Interview Series left Patrick Henry College with a good deal to ponder and discuss this spring.
If you missed the live interviews, click here to watch the videos on our YouTube channel.
On Thursday, Nancy Pearcey discussed her most recent book, Love Thy Body, which encourages Christians to adopt an elevated view of the physical body.
She writes against the backdrop of postmodern thought, which teaches that physical identity is malleable and may become whatever our intellect desires.
“Sexual fluidity is what makes most sense logically,” Pearcey explained. “Why should I follow the direction of my biology? If the body has no purpose, we may do with it as we see fit.”
Love Thy Body explores the dignity of physicality in accordance with Divine Purpose.
“The incarnation was the ultimate confirmation of the dignity of the human body,” Pearcey said. “Have a higher view of the dignity and value of the body. It gives us the opportunity to craft a positive message.”
Dr. Ann Gauger’s interview Friday explored creation from a scientific standpoint.
Her approach to the field is both humble and practical: “Most of my scientific career seems to involve people asking questions—and it just starts me down a path... I say, ‘I don’t know, I’ll go look.’”
Her conclusions, however, proved to be complex and compelling arguments for creation, which challenged traditional scientific understandings of life’s origins, mutation, common descent, and more.
“So common descent: My experience looking at proteins doesn’t prove that similarity of sequence means there’s a path between the two,” Dr. Gauger said.
Barbara Duguid, author of Extravagant Grace, spoke Monday about God’s goodness to his people, regardless of our failures.
“God has not chosen to glorify himself with people who have everything together,” she said. “He glorifies himself with his relentless patience, through weak people. God has staked his reputation on Christ, not on us.”
Duguid also shared her thoughts of the church, in context of God’s abundant grace: “A good church is a hospital for sick people, so church should be a safe place. It’s understood that real Christians still struggle with profound sin... And in the context of being real with each other, you can get help.”
Dr. Jeff Myers, president of Summit Ministries, discussed the importance of developing an anchoring, biblical worldview in context of “the five questions” humans tend to ask: Am I loved? Why do I hurt? What is my purpose? Why can’t we get along? Is there hope for the world?
“We work with a generation of young adults who do not feel church is a safe place. Churches should help the students grapple with a Christian worldview that applies outside the doors of church,” Myers said. “The common worldviews people turn to today don’t have satisfying answers.”
Pastor Mez McConnell from Edinburgh, Scotland, probed the middle- and upper-class church’s handout oriented approach to impoverished communities.
“It seemed that guys like me were great for testimony night, but put in middle-class authority, things broke down,” McConnell explained, after telling his own testimony of salvation and life in ministry.
“Wealth and education are easy masks to hide sin,” he said. “Jesus came because there was a problem, right? Doesn’t matter if you live in a gated community or under a bridge. Eternal hell is a reality. But here’s the good news, baby. You don’t have to go there. Put your trust in Christ for salvation, and he’ll forgive you.”
Patrick Henry College is always proud to host great thinkers, leaders, and field experts alongside Dr. Marvin Olasky. Conversations like the aforementioned represent just one of many ways the College attempts to promote the Great Conversation within the Classical Liberal Arts and afford its students opportunities to interact with meaningful ideas.
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