George and West GS ’80 discuss Christianity

Rather than disagreeing with each other at the event, which was billed as a debate, George and West spent most of their conversation highlighting their areas of agreement, frequently through jokes.

During the talk “In the World But Not of The World: What it means to be a Christian,” West and George spoke extensively about doctrine, salvation and faith to a crowd of more than 300 gathered in McCosh 10. The talk was co-sponsored by the Aquinas Institute, Hallelujah!, Manna Christian Fellowship and Princeton Faith in Action.

George stressed that it is impossible to treat one’s faith and actions as discrete entities. He cited President John F. Kennedy, a Catholic who led a predominantly Protestant country, who emphasized that he would not take orders from the Pope.

George claimed that the former president “got it wrong, at least how he’s been interpreted,” when Kennedy argued that religion is a purely private matter, adding, “I think that’s crazy!”

West similarly framed his view of religion as a motivating force. “I am a Christian because I can say that my life has been fundamentally transformed … I am no longer the gangster that I was before,” he said.

“My concept of Christianity is to be maladjusted to any kind of idolatry and maladapted to any kind of indifference,” West said. He added that Christians have much to learn from figures like Charles Darwin and Anton Chekhov, who made significant contributions to our ethical understanding even though they did not have a specific religious affiliation.

George added that Christians can learn a lot from their “secular brothers and sisters” as well as from Muslims and Hindus.

The biggest challenges of living a Christian life at Princeton, George said, are the twin temptations of prestige and status. “These are the riches we have simply by virtue of being here,” he explained.

One strong point of Christianity is the religion’s emphasis on all people’s humanity, George argued, noting that this teaching calls on people to defy a natural tendency to dehumanize those who are disadvantaged.

“I really liked the talk, and I think I agreed with most of what they said,” Birgitt Boschitsch ’13 said. “To me, the part about faith and reason was the most appealing. I think your faith is truly reflected in all your actions.”

Marshall Everett ’11, president of Princeton Faith and Action, said in an e-mail before the talk that West and George were chosen to speak because of the strong influence Christianity has in their personal and academic lives. “We believe that both professors will give thoughtful, well–regarded talks on what it means to be a Christian in today’s world,” he said. “Christianity was relevant 2,000 years ago, is relevant today, and will be in the future.”

Correction: A previous version of this article misquoted Cornel West as discussing "adultery" when, in fact, he was discussing "idolatry." It also inaccurately stated that Fyodor Dostoyevsky did not have a specific religious affiliation.