Darryl Tippens, retired University Distinguished Scholar at Abilene Christian University, will be guest speaker at the November meeting of the Abilene Association of Congregations.

The meeting, which is open to the public, will be held Wednesday, Nov. 15, at Wylie Methodist Church, 3430 Antilley Road. Lunch will be served at 11:45 a.m. A $3 donation is requested.

The intriguing title of Tippens’ presentation is, “What About the Crusades? Some Thoughts on How to Talk to the Nones, the Dones, and the Wons.” His summation follows:

“You’ve no doubt heard about the rising number of “nones” in America–those who in surveys check “none” when asked about their religious affiliation. The “dones” are those who were raised in a faith community, but have become disillusioned or angry and are now “done” with religion. The “wons” are those who have converted to the faith. Even if they have adopted the Christian faith, they may have doubts because they are subjected to a litany of complaints about Christianity. They hear the charges: Christians carried out the crusades, invented the Inquisition, endorsed slavery, they subjugated native peoples, blessed colonization, decimated indigenous peoples, etc. What do we say about such things?  

While I can’t provide full answers in one short talk, obviously, I will introduce a key idea expressed in Tom Holland’s brillaint book Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World (2019) and Glen Scrivner’s very engaging book The Air We Breathe: How We All Came to Believe in Freedom, Kindness, Progress, and Equality (2022). Both writers uncover a deep irony and paradox which pervade the popular critiques of Christianity today: the very values used to critique Christianity derive from Christianity. Critics are actually being deeply Christian when they fault Christianity for its moral failures. Even atheists and secularists breathe the air of Christianity as they level their complaints (though they not be aware of this). In other words, the Christianization of the West is an inescapable reality as we deal with the challenges before us. One way or another–whether critic or true believer–there is a sense in which we are all singing from the same song sheet. A better understanding of our own history could help us towards better dialogue, greater compassion, and more patient understanding.”