Yesterday, June 26th, 2026, I made the mistake of commenting on a post from Dr. Ian Paul’s on Facebook page. Dr. Paul posted a link to a post on his own blog criticizing the Archbishop of Canterbury for her recent visit to the ‘Holy Land’. (See here). I respect Dr Paul a great deal and have had for many years. I am a regular reader of his Psephizo.com blog (although I’m still not sure how to pronounce it!) Usually, I only read his posts concerning the revised common lectionary. I skip over his posts about the Church of England because they don’t interest me much. I notice that he is vocal for conservative social positions, while I take more inclusive positions. His scriptural insights are wonderful, and I enjoy each video he posts to YouTube with his compadre Rev. James Blandfor-Baker. I am even a Patreon supported of Dr. Paul, albeit in a small way. I am grateful for his ministry.
However, it was a mistake because as I learned once before in an interaction with another academic that I admire – Australian missiologist Michael Frost – high profile scholarly people seem to spoil for an Internet fight, and that is not at all my style or desire. My comment was simply that I disagreed with him – unusually. Rather than a ‘please say more’ I experienced a series of challenges in which Dr. Paul didn’t so much enter a dialog but a discussion (emphasis on the ‘cussion’ part of that work – to exchange blows). I am learning that academics thrive on an interactive style that just feels to me as contentious and even aggressive. I suspect that to Dr. Paul, this is feels very different, normal, usual.
I discovered that I just don’t have that kind of fight in me anymore. I am not motivated to cross swords with anyone. I am weary to my bones with polemics. I just want a charitable chat, as if sitting in a pub with a pint of good beer and an old friend. That is my speed these days. So, after a few rounds of discussion, I bowed out, apparently beaten, and that’s OK with me. We think differently, and I’m not likely to change my views on the abhorrence of the current Israeli regime, and I am pretty sure I will have zero effect on Dr. Paul, even though he says he is open to changing. I can’t imagine having the energy or time for offering a scholarly rigorous presentation that would persuade him. Reading his interactions with other interlocutors remind me that Facebook responses are often more heat with little light, and also that I just dislike this academic food-fighting mode of dialog.
Truly my most effective way of influencing the world concerning the abominable treatment of Christians in the Land of the Holy One is to shine a light on individual acts of hate and cruelty, and to occasionally write to my US Senator. That and pray. I think I will stick to those. And I will continue to read Dr. Paul’s posts on the RCL which continue to be excellent. (And continue to listen to the lefty liberal Pulpit Fiction podcast, which is also differently excellent.)