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Answering the Question of “Who Am I?”: Book Reviews as Suggestions for Further Reading Charles Colton Allen Student Fellow, Center for Apologetics & Cultural Engagement Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies Student, Liberty University Rawlings School of Divinity James K. A. Smith argues that we are not merely thinking beings where we simply input orthodoxy in our minds and output orthopraxy in our living. Instead, we are to be understood as desiring or loving beings. Our loves reflect what we see as most important to us, and the habits that we have formed reflect what we truly love and thus see as most important. As Smith says, “…if you are what you love, and love is a habit, then discipleship is a rehabituation of your loves. This means that discipleship is more a matter of reformation than of acquiring information.” (19, italics original). Smith attempts to show throughout his book how this reformation happens through corporate worship, education, home, and career because these are the liturgies of life that impact our formation. It could be, perhaps, easy to misunderstand Smith’s thesis because of the complex nature of humans. One might see his proposals as self-contradictory as he apparently sets up ‘thinking’ and ‘loving’ as two opposites on a spectrum and then goes on to explain the importance of our loves through trying to change our thinking. This contradiction is superficial. In order to understand Smith’s work, ‘thinking’ and ‘loving’ need to be understood as the x-axis and y-axis of a coordinate grid. Humans flourish when both their mind and heart are working in tandem. Smith is not giving information to simply memorize but handing down wisdom to truly take to heart. When such wisdom sinks into the heart, it enlightens our minds, stirs our affections, and reforms our lives toward Christ. Smith, James K. A. You Are What You Love: The Spiritual Power of Habit. Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2016. Credit for this idea goes to Andy Crouch in his book Strong and Weak. He explains, “The 2X2 helps us grasp the nature of paradox. When used properly, the 2X2 can take two ideas we thought were opposed to one another and show how they complement one another.” Andy Crouch, Strong and Weak: Embracing a Life of Love, Risk & True Flourishing (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2016), 12.
Russell J. Allen Student Fellow, Center for Apologetics & Cultural Engagement Doctoral Student, Liberty University School of Education Since its beginning, the United States of America has fascinated the minds of intellectuals and scholars both domestically and abroad. In a quest to define the uniqueness of American democracy, Frenchman Alexis de Tocqueville declared in 1835 that even more than physical circumstances and laws, “habits of the heart” held together the flourishing republic. According to Tocqueville, these habits were daily practices and individual pursuits that were inherently tied to communal religious values and republican traditions. Almost 150 years later, American scholars sought to evaluate their country’s modern context in light of this principle. The product, Habits of the Heart, is a monumental work that synthesizes sociology, history, and philosophy into an analysis of modern American life. Over two-hundred interviews were recorded in a five-year span, involving individuals whom the authors deemed “representative” of various aspects of American life (x). This research, along with informal observation and prior knowledge, led the authors to conclude that Americans have replaced Tocqueville’s idea with a new form of individualism that is tied not to societal traditions and communal benefits, but to personal gain (viii). The authors suggest that this change occurred when America’s once agrarian and small-town society transformed into a bureaucratic industrial society during the early 20th century (302). This structural shift from community to bureaucracy took place within the American mind as well, culminating in what is referred to as the “therapeutic attitude,” which stresses personal autonomy and moral relativism (124, 128). Although religious and republican values still remain for many Americans, they are often mixed to varying degrees with individualistic tendencies such as the need for organization and personal fulfillment. Despite being presented with a scholarly tone, the authors do little to hide their personal biases, recognizing that they themselves cannot be separated from the society they seek to study. While interjecting fair and thoughtful criticism, the authors nonetheless admit that their desire “is the recovery of the insights of the older biblical and republican traditions” first highlighted by Tocqueville (303). Only through the revival of moral absolutes, intrinsically rewarding work, enduring commitments, and common worship, can the American people “rejoin the human race” and recognize the ultimate uselessness of material pursuits and personal gain (295). Although some aspects of the book may be outdated for today’s audience, the ideas and concerns presented in its contents are perhaps more relevant than ever, making it a foundational text for modern cultural engagement. Bellah, Robert N., Richard Madsen, William M. Sullivan, Ann Swidler, and Steven M. Tipton. Habits of the Heart: Individualism and Commitment in American Life. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1985.