Leland Ryken, Christian writer and professor at Wheaton College, says, "Nancy Pearcey is unsurpassed in the current generation of Christian thinkers."
In 1999, Dr. Pearcey co-authored How Now Now Shall We Live, with Chuck Colson, and Total Truth came out in 2004. Her latest book, Saving Leonardo, has been met with critical acclaim. J.P. Moreland, professor of philosophy at Biola University, calls it, "her best effort yet . . . a must read." Gene Edward Veith, author and provost of Patrick Henry College, calls the book, "brilliant." (You can see her introduction to Saving Leonardo on YouTube.)
Nancy Pearcey is a voice worth listening to.
A couple of years ago, I did a telephone interview of Dr. Pearcey, and included it in my book-and-DVD, The Difference One Life Can Make: Experiencing God's Pleasure At Work.
Very succinctly, Dr. Pearcey articulated why so many Christians fail to see their work in politics, business, education, the arts, and science as truly valid and authentic ways to serve God. They think, "if I really wanted to serve God, I would be in the ministry [as a pastor or missionary]."
The critical problem, she maintains, is that such people are "operating under the sacred-secular distinction."
When I asked her what the solution is, she replied, "We have to attack it at the root...the very idea of a sacred-secular split."
Nancy Pearcey's analysis is spot on. But when was the last time you heard a sermon on getting rid of the sacred-secular split?
Holding on to the "sacred-secular distinction" neutralizes God's very purpose for the body of Christ in the world. Yet it continues to be the 800 pound gorilla in the room that many don't see.
I believe getting rid of the sacred-secular distinction is the single most pressing need for the overall health of the body of Christ (and the nations of the world) today. I say this because if this hairy animal can be eliminated, a host of other ailments will be mitigated, like when a 600 pound man loses 420.
With the understanding that the sacred-secular distinction is as dangerous to the health of the Church as 420 extra pounds to a human, I am compelled to devote several posts to shedding (and shredding) the ugly ape.
You can hear an excerpt of Dr. Overman's interview with Dr. Pearcey on YouTube.
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