Disruptive Witness

An Arc Conversation with O. Alan Noble

In this Arc Conversation, I talked to author O. Alan Noble, whose book, Disruptive Witness: Speaking Truth in a Distracted Age, just came out.

Berny Belvedere: Hi, Alan. Thanks for coming on.

O. Alan Noble: Sure thing.

Belvedere: Who are three of your favorite thinkers in the history of ideas, and what is one thing about each of them that you most appreciate?

Noble: Here are my three.

Socrates: his commitment to philosophy as a proper concern for every person for the good of their soul.

Augustine: his contribution to Christian thought which arises from a deep, experiential understanding of sin and the grace of God.

Charles Taylor: his rich knowledge of history, literature, art, and philosophy which allows him unparalleled insights into the history of Western thought.

Belvedere: A quarter century ago, Mark Noll said that the scandal of the evangelical mind is that there is not much of an evangelical mind. Regardless of whether it was originally true — is it true today? Why or why not?

Noble: It is certainly getting better.