I’ve always loved foxes. They’re elusive, clever, and beautiful. I’ve always thought hedgehogs were pretty neat, too. Although I’ve never seen one in the wild, I’ve encountered a few people who had them as pets. They’re cuddly and fascinating creatures.
The Latvian-born British philosopher and political theorist Isaiah Berlin (1909-1997) popularized an ancient Greek proverb including both animals: “The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing.” From here the analogies, analysis, and lessons multiply—in personality assessments, in historical profiles, and in business practice.
Psychologist Phil Tetlock summarizes the parable of the Fox and Hedgehog this way: “Foxes have different strategies for different problems. They are comfortable with nuance; they can live with contradictions. Hedgehogs, on the other hand, focus on the big picture. They reduce every problem to one organizing principle.”
We might view these two approaches as cognitive styles, or ways of thinking and viewing the world. Yet people aren’t often reducible to such ideal types. We simultaneously try to find theories to organize our lives and perspective (worldviews, one might say), and we’re often willing to acknowledge the complexity of some situations. It might be best to say that some people, especially writers and the people we occasionally call “intellectuals,” tend more toward one animal or the other. But they still surprise us when they offer nuance, and when they show they haven’t lost the forest for the trees.
Enter Churchatopia. From 2010-2020, I wrote for a website I helped found: the Helwys Society Forum. This site continues to showcase the thinking of dear friends and colleagues. But over the last year, I’ve increasingly tried to work toward the development of an online venue for my own idiosyncratic, eclectic interests; a place where I don’t seek to resolve every problem or answer every question (think fox). On the other hand, I’m no unbiased observer of reality. I stand firmly in the tradition of Christ, the Western philosophical tradition, the Baptist tradition, and the Free Will Baptist family. I not only have a worldview, as all folks do, but I think it’s necessary to help others see what’s at stake in everyday cultural artifacts, ideas, and institutions. In other words, what does it mean for the church to be faithful in its perspective on all of reality? (think hedgehog).
I first thought of the word “Churchatopia” many years ago. I’ve held it in private during that time, thinking of what it meant to take seriously the centrality of the church to Christian existence. I’ve had many Baptist thinkers who’ve helped me along these lines, such as John Hammett and Mark Dever, as well as Presbyterians (Michael Horton) and former teachers, like the great Stanley Hauerwas. And this doesn’t begin to name the many within my own church tradition who have taught me by practice what it is to cherish the church.
Naturally I don’t think any of these individuals have cornered the market on this topic. Above all, my own experience as a church member and church leader have formed me to think in particular ways about God’s people on earth. And no, I don’t think the church is a utopian community in the Thomas More sense of things. I do, however, recognize it as (a) the people God is continuously sanctifying, preparing for eternal glory, and (b) the ideal and appropriate place from which to ground and center intellectual pursuits, including this Substack page.
What to Expect
People familiar with my writing at the Helwys Society Forum, FWBTheology.com, and other print venues can expect more of the same: a humble attempt to say things worth saying, and to say them well.
In terms of format, I plan to publish a weekly newsletter with general observations about various things I’m reading, personal and vocational experiences, and current events—provided “current” is understood more elastically than the folks at CNN, FOX, and the like do. These newsletters will typically range from 600-1200 words, but at any length, I aim for them to be interesting and not overly time-consuming.
I’ll also write the occasional article, essay, or book review, not unlike what I’ve been doing for years. These will be published on a different day of the week than the newsletter.
I intend for these two types of writing to be the cornerstones of this site, available free to subscribers. As the site hopefully finds its legs and an audience, I hope to expand into more digital content, some of which will likely be available to paid subscribers. Rest assured, I appreciate my current status as an amateur writer, so any future paid subscription options will be modest.
Finally, in the interest of avoiding the unconstructive dialogue and psychological distraction that often arise from comment threads, I will offer all readers the same opportunity at dialogue by providing my personal email address: jacksonwatts@hotmail.com. “Attaboys,” “What-the-hecks,” and “Did you consider this?” may be directed there.
Soli Deo Gloria
W. Jackson Watts
January 2022