Christian scholarship

Before Mark Noll, before George Marsden or Duane Litfin, there was, thankfully, at least someone who understood the urgent necessity for Christian scholarship:

Christian scholarship is the Church's prodigious invention to defend itself against the Bible, to ensure that we can continue to be good Christians without the Bible coming too close. Oh priceless scholarship, what would we do without you?

That from Kierkegaard, who in lieu of another commentary on the New Testament, simply offered the confession that he was unable to meet its demands. Thanks to plough for the free book.