Into the battle of ideas

We are living in one of the great epochs of human transition, and most of us are aware that the civilization our grandchildren will inherit may bear little resemblance to the civilization we now know, or at least once knew. Christians, increasingly aware of what is now at stake, must also realize that the dominant ideas of any age will eventually determine the shape of civilization. In our moment, this is not a comforting thought.

Christians are called to the battle of ideas, and faithful discipleship requires careful thinking. The Bible honors the life of the mind, and Christians in our time have learned the necessity of thinking through the lens of a Christian view of the world and our place in it.

WORLD Opinions is a bold venture into the battle of ideas. For decades, WORLD has been known and respected for its commitment to journalistic excellence, front-line reporting, spiritual insight, and keen cultural analysis. In recent years, WORLD has made outstanding advances in digital outreach, including podcasting. WORLD Opinions now builds on that foundation and enters the world of commentary and opinion.

Why? Why now? Frankly, the need for WORLD Opinions has been made evident by the challenge of our times. In every cultural arena, from politics to popular culture, a contest of ideas dominates the landscape. There is no shortage of opinion, but there is a dangerous deficit of helpful opinion.

The vision of WORLD Opinions is to offer the evangelical reader authoritative and trustworthy opinion on the crucial and timely issues of the day. The editorial anchor for the entire project is confessional Protestantism and the full wealth of the classical Christian tradition. Our standpoint is an unapologetic commitment to biblical truth and to Christian assertion and analysis as understood through a Christian view of the world and human events. That standpoint will be, in light of the current nomenclature, unquestionably conservative, and marked by a commitment to preserve and defend the unique contribution of Western civilization as established under the influence of Christianity.

Essays published within WORLD Opinions will be respectful, truthful, timely, hopeful, and trustworthy. We will treat our readers with respect, even as we seek to inform and persuade them. We will avoid despair, rhetorical bombast, irreverence, and unfair generalization. We will be committed to serious and thoughtful engagement with our readers and will be equally serious and determined in our effort to make every article count in the struggle to defend and explain the truth. We will defend the truth and the honor of what T. S. Eliot described as the “permanent things,” even as we address issues that arise in the course of current events.

We will offer serious commentary and opinion, but will respect our readers and our beliefs by avoiding slander, innuendo, untruth, distortion, and personal attack. Even when our criticism and confrontation must be strong and direct, we will remember the fact that every human being we address or mention in our articles is an image bearer of God.

Our effort must be to provide authoritative commentary and opinion, seeking to make arguments that will stand the test of time in both tone and substance.

We will defend truth without hesitation, and we will offer unapologetic opinion in the defense of truth and the assertion of conviction.

A first-rate team of writers and contributors—all serious Christian thinkers already engaged at the intersection of thought and events—is ready for the task. Five days a week, WORLD Opinions will bring readers front-line editorial opinion and thought. From time to time, events will demand immediate response. We will be ready.

The Apostle Paul exhorted believers to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). What an incredible calling—and it comes to every believer. This generation of believers arrives at this responsibility with a particular urgency. As a member of WORLD, you know this already.

May God bless this bold effort, and keep us faithful in this calling. And now, into the battle of ideas we go.