Paul Berman is certainly correct when he insists that the battle with militant Islam is above all a battle of ideas.

Writing in the September 15, 2011, issue of The New Republic, Mr. Berman resurrects a theme from Richard Weaver by explaining that ideas have consequences, and radical ideas have radical consequences ("Do Ideas Matter?"). We cannot, he insists, defeat militant Islam on the field of battle. We can only defeat them by making better arguments than they do.

He shows that the ideas motivating militant Islam have been issuing from behind the lecterns of radical professors in universities around the world since the middle of the last century. Radicalism has replaced liberalism as the worldview of the moment, and not simply among jihadists. The young looters and rioters who savaged London recently are infected with the virus as well.

But, Mr. Berman explains, new ideas can overthrow even radical ideas, as witness the events of the Arab spring. Or the overthrow of Soviet Marxism. He cites a number of other historical examples of the power of ideas, including the way Christianity overturned the Roman world of the first three centuries AD to "change world history irreversibly."

Mr. Berman calls for a renewal of Western liberal values as an antidote to the growing radicalism we see all around us. Bad ideas must be replaced by good ideas, he believes, and the values of the Western liberal tradition are the ones he hopes to revive.

But aren't those the same ideas and values that opened the door to radicalism in the first place? Wasn't that the point Paul Johnson was trying to make in his classic, Modern Times? Surely there must be some other places we can look for ideas and values that can offer true renewal - even salvation?

What about the Christian Church? As Mr. Berman rightly noted, there was a time when the ideas of the Christian religion dramatically affected the course of human history. In fact, this has happened more than once. Here are a few of the big ideas which Christians inspired or originated and which have left their stamp on the course of human events: the liberation and equality of women, the eight-note scale, the plow, the university, the printing press, perspective and chiaroscuro in the arts, trade associations, the scientific revolution, universal education, the abolition of slavery, the common law tradition, child labor laws.

Well, you say, that's all fine and well, but what has Christianity done for us lately?

Good point. I'm a little hard pressed to identify any really "big ideas" among the followers of Christ these days. We seem to be too busy seeking an experience that will meet our needs to explore the faith for the kind of world-changing solutions our forebears proffered and pursued.

So it's no wonder, in spite of the historical evidence, that intellectuals like Paul Berman aren't looking to the Christian community for any big, compelling, breath-taking, world-changing ideas to put up against the growing radicalism of the day.

But we betray our forebears, our faith, and our Lord if we don't get our minds in gear over the pressing questions of the day. We should expect of our pastors that they will teach us how to think with the mind of Christ, who wept over the radical lostness of Jerusalem, stood unflinching before the totalitarian power of Rome, and declared, "The Kingdom of God is within you."

If our pastors will teach us to think like Jesus, who knows where the next great idea might arise?

Related texts: 1 Corinthians 2.12-16; 2 Corinthians 10.3-5; Galatians 6.1-10

A conversation starter: "Would you be surprised if the next great idea to benefit the human race were to come from within the Christian community?"

T. M. Moore, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.