Seminary and Elitism (2)

(The following is an edited email correspondence.)

There is no magic formula in dealing with these people, since their personalities and responses vary. You should pray for wisdom, and for the work of the Spirit.

Nevertheless, I can suggest several options to you. Some of what follows cannot be performed at the same time. They are to be chosen depending on the person and the situation.

(1) Plainly tell them what you think, whether gently or forcefully.

For example, what you said to me when you described the problem should be said to some elitists:

They are hard to reason with, because there is an arrogance — unless I know the original languages, and have put in my time in seminary, well, then I don’t "belong," I don’t really "know the issues," and I am not "nuanced" enough. Then, when I attempt to point out or question a point of their doctrinal system, they get really upset, like I am not supposed to question them, because, well, I don’t know why!!

(2) Use their credentials against them.

Since they have seminary degrees and you don’t, then they should know what they are talking about even when you don’t. According to their standard, if they defeat you, this is the way it should be, and it is no great achievement, nor should you feel especially ashamed. But if you defeat them, what is their excuse? They went through a program of specialized training and they are still not as good as you? Are they complete idiots?

You can boldly point this out, and then laugh, and laugh, and laugh. Or, you can gently bring up this point, and "wonder" aloud why they can’t answer you if they are so much better trained and informed.

Of course, you will have to know what you are talking about. No one says that you can be ignorant and get away with it.

Also, once a person claims a private right to discuss certain matters only because he has the proper credentials, then it follows that he has no right to discuss all other matters on which he does not have the proper credentials. You have not affirmed this premise, but he has, so other than his specialization he must now be silent about everything else, whether it be physics, accounting, politics, sports, cooking, parenting, the weather — everything.

Also, you might push it so that if he has a degree specializing in New Testament studies, he should be silent when it comes to the Old Testament, theology, apologetics, and all other biblically related subjects.

That is, once they appeal to their degrees to silence you or to avoid discussion with you, then they are stuck. If they claim that they have a right to address a subject and you don’t because they are the ones who have the relevant degrees, then by their own standard they can no longer address subjects outside of their specializations.

(3) Take the humble position.

Sometimes it is strategically advantageous to first take the lowly position when dealing with an arrogant person. Timidly ask him, who knows so much, to explain to you what he is saying and why. If he understands his subject so well, perhaps he should be able to at least explain and defend his basic points? If he cannot, then you can "wonder" aloud if it is because he might not understand or be able to defend his views after all.

(4) Hurt their pride.

Sometimes when people are arrogant, you will have to hurt their pride. To one, you might laugh at his seminary (if it is really a bad or mediocre one), and say that you would rather not go at all than to go to that one. To another, you could harshly insult him and incite him to debate with you, and then you must take him down HARD. The point is not just to win, but you might be saving him from a long prideful (and thus sinful) life of futile ministry. Of course, this means that you must actually win the argument.

(5) Expose them to the audience.

Sometimes there are people around listening to the conversation. If your opponent attempts to bully you by appealing to his superior human credentials, you can seize on that and expose his pride and incompetence to the audience.

Once someone tries to bully me like this in a conversation or debate, then I’ve got him. I am going to pound on that, again, and again, and again, and again. He is never going to hear the end of it. I am going to make him regret ever having gone to seminary.

I am going to point out his pride over, and over, and over again to the audience, and with every little mistake he makes, I am going to point out how incompetent he is even when he has a seminary degree (the more advanced the degree, the more stupid it makes him look), and every time he fails to refute a point I make or establish one of his own points, I am going to point out how badly he fails even when he has superior credentials. And then I am going to laugh, and laugh, and laugh.

This would not be just to vindicate myself, but the audience must hear this, and again, this might even save the arrogant person from his pride.

(6) Explore non-rhetorical options.

There are other things that you might do that are not rhetorical in nature. For example, you can call their professors, and tell them about the situation.

If the professors are responsible believers and not completely worthless, they might see the problem and do something to help you — some might even rebuke their former students or make them patiently talk to you about the topics in question.

If I ever find out that someone I’ve trained were to exhibit elitism, I would privately rebuke him and make him ask forgiveness from those whom he has offended. If he refuses, then he is a piece of spiritual garbage, and I would publicly denounce and humiliate him. I regard elitism in a believer as this serious and sinful, and teachers who do not correct this in their students partake in their sins.

Elitism is a sin, but it is also a tactical error in debate and discussions, especially when confronting someone who is not intimidated by it and who knows how to expose and exploit it.

There are other things that I can say, but I have already written a lot. I hope that this gives you some ideas.

(end of series)

Recommended:

Vincent Cheung, Systematic Theology

Vincent Cheung, Ultimate Questions

Vincent Cheung, Commentary on Ephesians

Vincent Cheung, Preach the Word

Gordon Clark, The Christian Philosophy of Education

J. Gresham Machen, Education, Christianity, and the State