I’ve asked fellow teachers, and certainly wrestled myself with the following question: How much as a teacher of God’s Word do you introduce others to the complexity, debates, and depth of Christianity?
Teachers should seek to edify and equip. American Christians have a decidedly anti-intellectual bent coupled with an allergy to complexity. How much does a teacher push back on those by introducing topics that cause people to be uncomfortable with how flimsy their beliefs may be?
My thought would be ‘push back with humility’ so that the student is willing to be tutored and challenged rather than being defensive.
I agree. The tricky thing is that some subject matter is so threatening that the greatest amount of humility doesn’t always work. I think of Jesus who was “humble in heart,” yet many did not like what He taught.