Marty on Falwell

Martin Marty wrote a telling eulogy of Jerry Falwell (well, sort of…) in his regular Sightings column (published by the University of Chicago Divinity School) last week. In it, he says, “Falwell is best viewed from the perspective of what has been called "historical" or "(Reinhold) Niebuhrian" irony. In such irony a human agent — in this case, Falwell — acts, forgetting that while his humanness commits him to acting with an intention to use his knowledge, power, security, and virtue, his ignorance, weakness, insecurity, and vice compromise or even counter the intention.” You can read the rest here.

The public mind’s concept of a church actively involved in society seems to have morphed during the Falwell years, as stridency drowned out decades of more thoughtful perspectives. That loss has hurt both the mainline churches and the people at large. Perhaps we can begin to recapture some of that loss by speaking more quietly, but with no less conviction.