At the outset, I want to clear up some possible misunderstandings that might arise from this article’s title and contents. First, this article has nothing to do with politics. "Liberal Arts", as will be explained below, is not a political or modern social philosophy term. Next, while this article focuses on Christians’ roles in today’s society, it does not offer some sort of esoteric or elitist vision of salvation or Christian living. Nor is a one-size-fits-all version of the Christian life offered. One of the greatnesses, from a human perspective, of Christianity is that it allows Christians great freedom for individuality - cultures, callings, interests. Finally, this article is not an exercise in self-congratulation: it challenges me, and I have much room to grow.

During New Testament times and for several centuries after, the cultures engaged by Christianity were a mix of illiterate, moderately literate, and highly educated people (the latter being very much in the minority). While Christianity was accessible to and had many adherents among the illiterate and moderately literate, Christianity also successfully reached out to and challenged highly educated people. While there are yet parts of the world that are similarly mixed in the degree of education, in many nations today, the great majority of their people are literate, most have completed secondary education, and many have college degrees. In these countries (found on all inhabited continents) most businesses are at least in some degree driven by specialized knowledge - technology and science - in management, production materials and processes, design, and products or services. Many people in such countries have careers that give them the freedom and leisure time to pursue personal interests in literature, arts, sciences, or social philosophies. This is the kind of culture that Christians here in the US., individually and corporately, need to be prepared to engage

Before proceeding further, I need to explain the concept of a liberal arts education. When western universities were started (usually by Christian leaders and scholars), education tended to be concentrated in the ruling and upper social classes - from monarchs to those who governed villages and towns to wealthy merchants - and some clergy. A liberal arts education was designed to teach future rulers and leaders of society the skills they would need in ruling and leading (mathematics, science, and law) plus the knowledge (history, literature, philosophy, and theology) that would challenge them to be the kind of humane, wise, and thoughtful rulers and leaders their societies needed. This has evolved in modern US colleges and universities into a two-part system: general education requirements; classes required for the students’ chosen majors. General education courses are the liberal arts, an introductory survey of subjects - e.g. history, science, mathematics, literature, philosophy - intended to encourage the student to be a thoughtful, broadly educated person.

What does it mean for Christians - individually and corporately - to engage their culture? Minimally, it means being responsive to its issues, challenges, complacencies, and sins with the message and righteousness of Christ. Christians (individually and corporately) need to have a critical understanding of the ideas and attitudes of their society’s culture and have the knowledge base to give intelligent Christian responses to its issues and challenges. Christians individuals need to be willing, as well as prepared, to take on social issues and philosophical challenges in addition to (actually part of) their normal lives (families, churches, careers, hobbies).

Ultimately, Christians need to aspire to be cultural leaders and innovators in every righteous calling - industry, arts, government, and academia. Christians need to attain such stature in every area of society that their voices for Christ cannot be ignored by those they serve or by other leaders and innovators. Having such leading Christians will also encourage other Christians to aspire to excellence and to speak out for Christ.

Education is a life-long process, and this should be especially true for Christians. Whether one came to Christ at age 5 or 50, each Christian needs to build a solid foundation of basic knowledge of the Bible, and keep growing in character, action, and Biblical knowledge. When this ongoing Christian education is coupled with an over all continuing personal education, Christians will become better members of society, and have greater influence therein. Education can be formal or informal. One may receive education through schools or college, or one can educate oneself through personal reading, study, and practice. Every Christian is an individual, with a unique set of talents and calling. Some Christians have an aptitude for intellectual pursuits or professions, some have talents suited to crafts or the arts. However one is situated, every Christian must develop and use their God-given talents and callings.

One area of education that Christians need to pursue is what I’ll call practical knowledge - subjects useful in daily life, career, and ministry. Mathematics is needful for managing households and businesses, in many careers and ministries, and is helpful in forming the habit of using logical approaches to solving problems. Science and technology are also intertwined in our lives and careers in many ways. Understanding and skillfully using these tools of life will improve our lives and provide career paths for many. While history may not seem at first a practical branch of knowledge, it chronicles the development of the manner of life, thinking, and perceptions of everyone we meet. History is the setting from which social and political actions emerge. Knowing History is essential for understanding our society and its people. Even a basic knowledge of many professions (e.g. accounting, law, medicine) and crafts (e.g. electrical, carpentry, plumbing) will prove useful even in the daily lives of those not following those professions and trades.

God gave humans an ability that sets them apart from animals, the capacity for abstract thought. Human thinking transcends making provision for immediate and foreseeable future needs through abstract concepts and actions based thereon, such as "love", "justice", "freedom", "truth", "right", "honor", "beauty", and their opposites. Educationally, the homes for these abstract ideas are subjects such as theology, philosophy, the arts, and literature. These subjects examine the qualities of these abstracts and how they touch and are expressed in people’s lives. While these concepts are abstract, ultimately, they are essential to the quality of day to day life, business, society, and governance. Christians need to be conversant, and even leaders, in these crucial aspects of culture, and able to supply wisdom and insight from the Creator. Otherwise, if a society’s ethics break loose from God, that society is adrift, and many supposedly unthinkable horrors become real possibilities (e.g. the Holocaust, the Gulags, the Killing Fields, Rwanda’s inter-tribal massacres).

Ultimately, the challenge set before Christians with respect to the world and the societies in which we live is the Great Commission. For the vast majority of Christians, this means bringing the message of Christ to all levels of the society in which they live. Being salt and light to all levels of society - credibly and effectively - encompasses the full range of educational and career possibilities, some lesser in the eyes of the world, and some greater. In Christ, however, greatness is found in serving Him faithfully - being excellent in one’s calling(s) and representing Christ to the people we happen to encounter. There is no basis, in Christ, for pride or shame in one’s academic or economic status - as Paul pointed out, taking pride in gifts is pointless. God gives each person their own unique set of talents. It is the responsibility of each person, Christians especially, to discover, develop, and use those talents. Sadly, many misuse their talents, and many more fail to discover, develop, and utilize those talents. Whatever one’s calling, a Christian will have the greatest access and credibility with social peers when one is excellent in that calling, of excellent character, and well educated in general. Education (including education in the Bible) offers great opportunity to Christians to develop such excellences.