Every Square Inch Conference addresses agnosticism amid discord in culture

Liberty University hosted the 10th annual Every Square Inch Conference last week, encouraging the next generation to find their purpose in Christ while living in a culture that increasingly identifying as ‘non-religious.’

The two-day conference, co-sponsored by Liberty’s Center for Apologetics and Cultural Engagement (ACE) and Student Activities, provides an opportunity for the Liberty community to work out the implication of Christ’s dominion over all aspects of culture.

Thursday’s plenary session included a message from former ACE Executive Director Dr. Joshua Chatraw, who now serves as Beeson Divinity School Billy Graham Chair for Evangelism and Cultural Engagement at Samford University, and a panel discussion with Chatraw, ACE Director Dr. Kevin Richard, Biblical Studies Professor Dr. Mark Allen, and Center for Public Christianity Executive Director and former ACE Executive Director Dr. Jack Carson.

Highlighting the rise of discord and contention in America Chatraw argued humanity’s embrace of secularism leads to nothing but chaos and de-formation. Instead of finding purpose as created beings of an all-powerful God, he said agnostics and other nonbelievers often try to create their own purpose.

“Created meaning has become part and parcel with self-creation,” for agnostics, he said. “A DIY attitude crafted with a curated identity is the way to significance. If you are going to validate your life, you must achieve it. (They believe) if you are going to live a meaningful life, it’s up to you to spin the webs of significance.”

“We are experiencing social fragmentation, shrinking circles of trust, a dehumanizing media culture that many of us are very much wrapped in every day, a mental health crisis, loneliness has been declared an epidemic … depression rates are climbing, and depths of despair have reached an alarming low. We are literally killing each other and killing ourselves,” Chatraw added.

He also argued today’s social media craze has contributed to a prioritization of increased ratings and further division, where people often care more about proving someone else wrong than healthy discourse.

Drawing from French philosopher Blaise Pascal, Chatraw noted three ways Christians can seek to convert unbelievers and lead them to the Truth of the Gospel. First, they should demonstrate the reasons why Christianity must at least be respected as a religion. Second, Christians should demonstrate how their worldview offers beauty, goodness, and livability. Finally, Christians must convince others that the Bible is reasonable and credible.

If humanity refuses to accept its natural place as created beings in service of God, Chatraw said the world will continue its dangerous slide to destruction. This struggle for control only leads to more pain.

“Worse than our inability to reign as great lords is the thought that when we do manage to seize control, we often make things worse,” Chatraw said. “After all, it’s humans that are enslaving other humans. People who are exploiting creation and other creatures. Our ability to control nature has led to lifesaving medicines and life-destroying weapons. The problem with the world is not that we can’t control it; the problem is that we often can.”

“This mismatch between our capacity for genius and our ethical aspiration on one hand, and our disintegration and alienation on the other, is a disturbing reality of our existence.”

Through pointing others to the story of creation, Chatraw said Christians can help them see their need for Christ.

Three breakout sessions were held on Friday, all led by former ACE directors.

The first session dealt with the role of the Psalms in helping Christians understand the Transcendent.

During the second breakout session, Carson discussed how modern Americans often struggle with meaninglessness and turn to distractions like social media to help them cope.

“Since we cannot solve our own unhappiness, we choose to ignore it. But it impossible to just ignore. It’s always sitting there in the back of our minds taking up space,” he said.

“The internet is like a solvent. It mixes all of reality together into a soup of information that promises us nothing more than to show us reality more quickly. In so doing, it takes Pascal’s concept of diversions to a new level.”

Carson also addressed Pascal’s wager, in which the philosopher argues that belief in God is the safer option because of its inherent benefits of eternal life. He argued every human being must decide for themselves whether Christ is the answer to life, and scientific proof alone cannot lead someone to a meaningful relationship with God.

“The wager doesn’t prove God exists,” he said. “Instead, it proves that we are the obstacle to belief. Gain theory would demand we choose God every time. It’s rational and safe. The wager raises the question, ‘What’s keeping people from belief?’”

Carson ended by encouraging students to set aside time each day for a Prayer of Examen, participate in digital fasts to break technology’s hold on modern life (Liberty is currently encouraging a Digital Rest for students in the month of February), and to pursue strong community absent of distractions. (The Prayer of Examen is an ancient daily practice of thanking God, reflecting on His presence in daily life, praying for forgiveness, and preparing for the next day.)

The third breakout session provided an opportunity for ACE student fellows to present research on philosopher Jonathan Haidt, which they conducted for last year’s Research Week.

The conference concluded that evening with a free concert with award-winning musical artist Gable Price featuring Joseph’s Coat, hosted by Student Activities in the LaHaye Event Space.

“This Every Square Inch Conference in particular is special because we have been around for 10 years, and we wanted to celebrate all the work that’s been done through previous directors,” Richard said. “Second, we want to continue to help students and edify them and get them thinking about being properly ordered in their loves and how society and culture can distract us from that — myself included.”

Outside of hosting the conference, ACE conducts multiple faculty lecture series throughout the school year and publishes the “Faith and the Academy Journal” series.

“One thing we try to do is be students of culture and observe trends and the way things are moving and shifting so we can be effective in our engagement,” Richard said.

Students interested in becoming student fellows can visit the center’s website.