The Outrageous Idea of Christian Scholarship, 2e

First published in 1997, The Outrageous Idea of Christian Scholarship is a landmark work that offered a bold call to re-establish Christian perspectives in academia. While other defining elements of a scholar’s identity, such as race or gender, are routinely welcomed as providing valued points of view, the perspectives of believing Christians are sometimes dismissed as irrelevant--or, worse, antithetical--to the scholarly enterprise. George M. Marsden argues forcefully that academia is enriched by encouraging religious diversity.

For this second edition, Marsden has added a new preface as well as an entirely new chapter reflecting on the changing landscape of academia in the quarter century since the book first appeared. In principle, the arguments for recognizing religious outlooks as legitimate expressions of diversity have been more widely accepted. In practice, the diverse academy is often a dangerously contentious place where constructive intellectual exchange is difficult. Marsden shows how Christians can contribute constructively to a variety of academic settings and exemplify the virtues that should be integral to a Christian’s intellectual inquiry and exchange.

George M. Marsden has taught history at Calvin College, Duke University, and the University of Notre Dame, where he is professor emeritus. He has published major works on a variety of topics concerning American religion and culture. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and his awards include the Bancroft Prize in American History and the Grawemeyer Prize in Religion.