Exposing the Unseriousness of Elite Irreligion

When I was in seventh grade, a girl at my New York private school told our history class that she believed Christianity was fundamentally anti-intellectual: No thinking person could possibly believe in God, let alone in resurrection. The other girls nodded in agreement. I scoffed.

I had, you see, grown up with theologian Robert Jenson for a grandfather and Richard Neuhaus for a godfather. First Things really was my first thing. The deepest thinkers I knew were Christian, and the most intellectual conversations I had been privy to were around Christian dinner tables—Godfather Richard’s, especially.

Of course, my classmate was not simply voicing the ignorant musings of a thirteen-year-old; she was repeating a common article of faith among our so-called intellectual elite. And as I have moved through the world of this elite, I have taken great joy in emulating my grandfather and godfather, exposing through argument and by example the unseriousness of elite irreligion.

For those of us engaged in this mission, First Things is an indispensable resource, with its unimpeachably serious and thoughtful writing. Armed with First Things, I have, I’m proud to say, helped convert a number of intellectuals in my life (starting with my husband!). Please join me in supporting this important magazine and its bid to change not only people’s minds but also their lives.

Solveig Lucia Gold is the Senior Fellow in Education and Society at the American Council of Trustees and Alumni.