The Pharisees read and footnote each other’s books and journal articles, confer honorary degrees on one another, devote themselves to a single-minded pursuit of tenure so they can receive glory from other tenured theologians. They impose a brutal knowledge regime on their colleagues, ignoring dissenters when they can and excising them when they can’t. When they run out of arguments, they turn to insults and finally take away the union card. Don’t think it won’t happen to you. The greatest danger is for those called to spend their lives studying and teaching theology. But whatever you plan to do with your degree, your training will tempt you to become a Pharisee. When some superstitious old woman gently reminds you of some basic truth of the gospel, you’ll be tempted to object, “Yes, but the Greek says. . . .” When an untrained nobody wants to teach you something, you’ll be tempted to respond Pharisaically, “You want to teach me?” And if he persists, you’ll be relieved he’s not part of your little club.

Peter Leithart via LOEGRIA: What theology club are you from?.