Allergic to Argument

Stephen Prothero, world religion prof at Boston University, not an evangelical Christian, offers an interesting observation on our generation's reluctance to engage in serious, but respectful disagreement about religion. Having said that he works hard to foster "respectful arguments" in his classes, he goes on to say: "My students are good with "respectful," but they are allergic to "argument.""

I think that there are different reasons why many in our Reformed, evangelical neck of the woods are gun-shy of theological debate (and, I hasten to say, legitimate reasons why we may bemoan doctrinal pugilance in our tradition), but I also think the tendency of the age as described by Prothero is accurate and even operates in our quadrant.