Bob Cornwall/Faith in the public square

Taped-together black horn-rimmed glasses, high-water pants, and a pocket protector are the nerd's uniform. Nerd is a metaphor for the smart but goofy student. Exploited by television and film, this stereotype leaves the lasting impression that being smart isn't cool. Unfortunately, this anti-intellectual metaphor distorts the value of the mind and devalues education. At a time when education is a harbinger of one's future, this metaphor needs to be challenged.

Although the Bible calls us to love God with mind as well as heart and soul, religion can be and often is anti-intellectual, contributing to the devaluation of education and knowledge. Yet, most religious traditions value wisdom and knowledge, with the wisdom teacher being honored above all others. Though often the butt of childish jokes, Confucius is a defining figure in Chinese culture, while Solomon is regaled in Western culture for his wisdom.

The biblical book of Proverbs honors those who learn “about wisdom and instruction, for understanding words of insight, for gaining instruction in wise dealing, righteousness, justice, and equity; to teach shrewdness to the simple, knowledge and prudence to the young. . . .” (Proverbs 1:2-5). In this tradition there is no higher calling than the pursuit of wisdom, but in this age of celebrity, the pursuit of knowledge has lost its glamour. The future of our society, however, will depend on both knowledge and wisdom.

A society that doesn't value wisdom won't value the education of its children. While pundits call for accountability and reform in public education, the real issue isn't teacher performance or tenure, it's one of societal values. The misguided and malformed “No Child Left Behind” mandate is symptomatic of easy fix solutions that don't deal with the basic issue - our society's neglect of the life of the mind. All that NCLB has done is humiliate an underfunded and underappreciated public school system. We can change tenure rules and institute mandatory testing, but unless we truly value the pursuit of wisdom and knowledge, reform will fail.

I'm married to a teacher, who is the daughter of a teacher and the sister of a teacher. I'm a parent of a high school student, and I've been a student myself. I've also taught in colleges and graduate schools. So, I believe I have a little experience with the educational system. It's not perfect and there are the occasional bad apples and scores of underperforming schools. Still, most teachers are committed to their vocation and doing the best they can with limited resources and often with limited parental and community support. What could they do if our schools and teachers had a bit more money, more parental support, and even more -- community support?

Ultimately, change will come when we realize that education is about more than learning to add numbers and read words. It's more than simply a tool to make a living. Education is about exploring the universe in all its complexity. It involves learning to read, write, add, and subtract, but it also involves the exploration of music, philosophy, literature, science, and yes -- religion. The old “liberal arts” education was designed to form a well-rounded citizen. Isn't that still a wonderful idea?

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One of my greatest concerns today is the lack of civility in public discourse. It afflicts young and old, conservative and liberal. Maybe if we “redeem the nerd” and elevate the pursuit of wisdom, we will also restore civility to the public square. The issue here is not about levels of education or blue collar versus white collar. It's really a matter of valuing, what are from a Christian perspective, the divine gifts of wisdom and knowledge that form the basis of civilization. When we value curiosity and questioning of things, then we will be ready to learn from each other.

This pursuit of knowledge and wisdom has value for the religious community as well as the general populace. Though I value religious experience, unfettered and unreasoned experience can be dangerous. In his summary of the Law, Jesus calls on us to love God with “all your heart, soul, mind, and strength” (Mark 12:30). May we seek this balance and honor God by using our minds to their fullest. In doing this, we will redeem not only the nerd, but society as a whole.

Dr. Bob Cornwall is pastor of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Lompoc (www.lompocdisciples.org). You may contact him at lompocdisciples@impulse.net or C/O First Christian Church, P.O. Box 1056, Lompoc, CA 93438.

March 19, 2006