In his recent essay on Christian intellectualism, Alan Jacobs dates the high point of the public Christian intellectual in America as being in the late 1940s. Citing the influence of thinkers like CS Lewis, WH Auden, and Reinhold Niebuhr, Jacobs argues that the movement began to fade in the 1950s and, by the 1960s, was largely a spent force. By that time Lewis, Auden, and Niebuhr were no longer as relevant in contemporary debates and the next generation had not yet emerged. By the time that generation of leaders did, Jacobs argues, the culture had moved past them and they had become more conversant in the intramural discussions happening in conservative religious circles rather than the broader cultural conversation.
true
Want to keep reading?
Subscribe for free to access this article and all of our resources.
I’m very grateful for the work of MO and have really appreciated the things I’ve learned and the companion that it has been for me on my spiritual journey.
Mere Orthodoxy reader
Thank you for offering thoughtful, reasonable and decent commentary. It is a boon to my sanity at this stage of my life in this cultural moment.
Mere Orthodoxy reader
Mere Orthodoxy is (for me) a counterpoint to social media, a place of depth and critical thought.
Mere Orthodoxy reader
You're in. Check your inbox.
Something went wrong. Try again.
Jake Meador
Jake Meador is the editor-in-chief of Mere Orthodoxy. His writing has appeared in The Atlantic, Commonweal, First Things, Books & Culture, National Review, Comment, Books & Culture, and Christianity Today. He is a contributing editor with Plough and a contributing writer at the Dispatch. He lives in his hometown of Lincoln, NE with his wife and four children.
.png?width=5000&height=2188&name=Mere%20Orthodoxy%20-%20Banner.png%20(1).png)
