sphere sadly tells a different story (John G. Stackhouse, Making the Best of It, Oxford, 2008, 277). The late professor Fernand Dumont, one of the most prolific and admired Canadian sociologists, once articulated a very helpful model to help frame how Christians can engage the world. Dumont was a Christian scholar who was disturbed by the anti-Christian bias that is so prevalent in intellectual circles and the general perception in academia that one’s personal faith has no place in the public sphere (Fernand Dumont, “Après le système chrétien,” in L’incroyance au Québec, ed. by Gregory Baum, Héritage et projet, vol. 7, Montreal, Fides, 1973, 221–227). A proposal for Christian action in the world In his model, Dumont uses the analogy of a three-storey house to illustrate the major spheres of Christian involvement in the world. The Third Storey: Fundamental Research As part of their calling to do good in the world, some Christians will be called to be involved in scholarly work. Take science for instance. The development of the scientific method has done more to improve the human condition than anything we can imagine. Some Christians should be involved in fundamental research for two reasons. First, God has given humanity the mandate to discover the coherence of the world (Genesis 1:27–28; 2:15–17, 19–20). Because God has given the human race the world as an object of inquiry, the scientific investigation of our world constitutes an integral part of the Christian mandate. Second, to the extent that such research can help us better understand our world and ourselves, it also holds the promise of great benefits for humanity. The Second Storey: The Improvement of the Human Condition The call to work in fundamental research is not an end in and of itself. Christians engage in fundamental research in order to provide a solid THE MESSENGER September 2, 2009
theoretical foundation to improve the human condition. This represents a second sphere of Christian action in the world. Again, let’s consider the scientific enterprise. Who could begin to assess the nearly endless benefits of modern science? The internal combustion engine gets a bad press these days, but where would we be without it? Or take mental illness. Just 25 years ago, people who suffered from a mood disorder, or what we sometimes carelessly refer to as schizophrenia, were often condemned to spending months in psychiatric wards, forever victims of powerful delusions and crippling paranoia. A hundred years ago, they would put such patients in a dark cell, lock the door, and throw away the key. Today, we have nearly miraculous medications that can take a person out of deep psychosis in a matter of weeks and enable them to live productive lives. What is the higher Christian calling? Provide a shelter to a mentally ill homeless person or spend ten to fifteen years in training and another decade in research to develop a compound that helps correct (continued on p. 6)
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