Dear brothers and sisters,
When Jacob Holt and I decided to form the G. K. Chesterton Society (GKC), we understood immediately that there would be several objections and misunderstandings we would be subject to in the process, and we sought to structure and explain it so as to avoid those misunderstandings. Unfortunately, some of the objections we sought to avoid have come up anyway. I would like to take this opportunity to address these.
The GKC does not oppose the Alexis de Tocqueville Society (ATS). Someone (we don’t know who) has been spreading the rumor that GKC is “A Christian version of ATS.” This is silly and inaccurate on multiple levels. First of all, it implies that ATS is not a Christian organization. I disagree. From what I understand of its aims and ideological focus, ATS is indeed a very Christian organization. In this respect, we are and must be the same. Also implied in the rumor is the idea that Jacob and I are subtly condemning ATS in some way. This is in no way our intention. As I have gotten to know some of the members of ATS a little better over the past semester, I have become increasingly impressed with what they are trying to do.
We also see that GKC differs significantly from ATS, not in our Christianity or our goals, but in the focus of our studies and our general organization. As far as I can tell, ATS focuses more on how a Biblical worldview applies to politics and culture, while GKC focuses more on the theological and philosophical aspects of a Biblical worldview. There is, of course some overlap, but we find that our focus and approach are sufficiently different enough to make starting a new club the best choice. Also, the structure of GKC is more open and informal than ATS. We plan to hold weekly or biweekly meetings to discuss a non-fiction work of literature, and also possibly publish a year’s-end pamphlet or blog of essays. We have much less of a structured approach. This is not a criticism of ATS’s structure, but merely an acknowledgement that for optimal effectiveness, different studies require different approaches.
We have also observed that several ATS members have become a strong political coalition on campus, and we haven’t wanted to join ATS because we felt the political activities of some of its members would distract from our goals, which are very non-political in nature. We do not want GKC to be a politically-oriented club. This was one of our reasons for making membership as open as possible; we wanted to have a politically neutral club in which people from various factions could lay aside their differences in the common pursuit of the knowledge of Christ. There is a place for political organization on campus. I wish more of our political factions would acknowledge their own existence as honestly as these ATS members and their friends have done. But GKC is not a venue for political expression.
There is a second objection to this club which has not been made. I almost do not want to suggest it for fear that it will raise unfounded suspicions. But I believe it is best to be forthright. The GKC does not oppose the professors or the administration of Patrick Henry College. We believe we are placing ourselves in a position to more fully realize the College’s goal of shaping our culture for the purpose of a more Christian society. We also will not oppose any of the administrative policies of the college, or any personalities within the administration or faculty.
In spite of this attempt at clarification, I fear I may have raised more questions than I have answered. If you have any questions or criticisms, I am grateful for your input. I promise to listen to you humbly even if I don’t agree with you. Let’s make this school a place where we can talk about things honestly instead of judging each other and feeding off rumor and suspicion.
In Christ,
Peter C. Schellhase
President, The G. K. Chesterton Society of Patrick Henry College
