Wuthnow's "Living the Question" Discussion Questions
by Jonathan Boyd
The sociologist Robert Wuthnow's books on American society are well known for not sidelining religion (Christianity in particular). In an essay full of autobiographical comment, Wuthnow reveals why that's true for his work — and more importantly, raises questions for all thinkers about the place of faith in critical thought.
We offer here some discussion questions that we hope will be helpful for individuals or groups delving into Wuthnow's essay, "Living the Question," which has appeared in several places. The page numbers below refer to the original edition in print: Robert Wuthnow, "Living the Question: Evangelical Christianity and Critical Thought," Cross Currents (Summer 1990): 160-75, which has an online version. The essay was later published as "Living the Question," in Christianity in the Twenty-First Century: Reflections on the Challenges Ahead (New York: Oxford University Press, 1993).
Two overarching themes in this article are questions and narratives, so you might especially note the highlighted (¶) questions below to get at this pair of issues. (Perhaps he emphasizes these because he's a sociologist who uses oral interviews as the core of his method. In his own academic work he's always asking lots of questions and conveying lots of stories.)
What precisely do you think Wuthnow means by the phrase "critical thought" in his title and throughout this essay? (Can you find a quotation or two from the essay that sheds light on his intent?) Where do you see "critical thought" in this sense practiced (in the university, the church, and the print and broadcast media)?
Wuthnow's own "big question" for this article is on p. 164: "...what is the relation between Christian conviction and critical thought? And: what may we expect of this relationship in the decades to come?" What is that relation in your own experience? in the minds of your academic colleagues? in the minds of your church acquaintances? (Wuthnow points out some inadequate, if not downright wrong, answers to this on p. 166.)
¶ What specific biblical narratives provide you with motivating questions for your intellectual life? (Or do you disagree with him that such stories often provide foundational elements in our thinking? See p. 167.)
¶ What questions ("spiritual" or otherwise) do you find repeatedly crop up in your intellectual and vocational life over the long haul?
On p. 170, Wuthnow says that all major religions equally contribute foundational questions to motivate believing scholars. In what ways do you agree? Are there Christian distinctives for the intellectual life that aren't contributed equally by other religions? (George Marsden, for example, emphasizes the importance of the Incarnation; see chap. 5 of The Outrageous Idea of Christian Scholarship.)
Wuthnow pointedly criticizes academia for "two dirty little secrets" (171). What are these? and do they both ring true in your experience? Have you been on both the giving and receiving end of these prejudices?
¶ He concludes with quite a challenge: "...Christianity can stimulate critical thought. And in doing so, it is likely to continue bearing the burden of misunderstanding and prejudice. But that response should only galvanize its courage to tell a different story. For a story of disinheritance and struggle can also be the story of a legitimate past" (175). What exactly is that "different story" for us as Christian intellectuals, and how can we effectively and consistently tell it?
also about Discussion Guides
Resources
Taking Time Apart
This guide for Christian faculty explores the role of spiritual disciplines in the academic life. It may be used for retreats or daily devotions.
Parables for Modern Academia
If Jesus came to speak at your campus, what would he say? Perhaps something like these re-tellings of his parables.
