The New Wave of “Experts”
Social media and AI have transformed everyone into a source of knowledge—whether in medicine, media, philosophy, or countless other fields. New “authorities” are emerging everywhere, revamping the world’s marketplace of ideas. This phenomenon isn’t limited to one or two domains; it has affected my field—theology and the Bible—where everyone now has a voice and a platform, often one far more influential than my own. It’s clear that this democratization is happening; we see it every day.
Have you ever seen the meme that says, “Do not confuse your Wikipedia research with my [insert degree here]”? Well, I hate to say it, but people are confusing them. And the issue isn’t that they’re getting everything wrong—it’s that they’re getting so much right.
Navigating the Zeitgeist
As someone trained in theology at the greatest seminary on planet Earth—DTS [cheers erupt in the background, mingled with gasps of unbelief]—I’m experiencing this shift firsthand. But, like I said, it’s a transformation that affects every field. Social media has flattened traditional hierarchies of knowledge and changed the way we engage with ideas everywhere.
[For those of you who aren’t as theologically trained as I am, this kind of cultural shift is called the zeitgeist…—I don’t care if you already knew that. Act like you’re impressed!]
Medical and Theological Authority Redefined
Of course, this shift is most visibly seen in science and medicine—most notably during COVID when public trust in “expert” knowledge reached an all-time crisis. But for a seminary-trained juggernaut like myself, who can proudly place the three letters ThM after my name [cheers slowly begin to break out again], it’s a similar experience. The world where traditional authority once carried weight is being completely redefined.
And like everyone else, I’m learning to approach every conversation with more humility, realizing that expertise can come from unexpected places. The landscape is shifting, and adapting to this new reality is truly a journey in itself. But this doesn’t have to be a bad thing.
Challenges and Responses
There’s been a massive backlash against this shift. You have the people on the left saying (no political pun intended), “I’m the doctor,” or “He’s the theologian, you’re not,” while those on the right (again, no pun) dive deep into hither-to unknown alternative black-site-type knowledge databases producing answers that truly challenge or contradict the traditional voices.
The moment the first group dismisses the second simply because of their credentials (or lack thereof), they lose. No one listens. That response doesn’t reinforce authority; it exposes insecurity.
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The New Scholasticism
This reminds me of how medieval scholastics approached debate. The best of them—Aquinas being the prime example—didn’t just assert authority; they engaged opposing arguments at their strongest. They didn’t rely on who said something, but on what was said.
I’m not saying formal education doesn’t matter. It does. Seminary degrees, doctorates, years of study—these things carry weight and evidence dedication. But dismissing someone simply because they didn’t follow the traditional academic path is meaningless. Calling someone a “Wikipedia theologian” or an “Internet doctor” does nothing to engage the actual issue and, more importantly, does nothing to serve the truth.
Embracing Collective Wisdom
We need to start recognizing how incredibly smart people are. Yes, some are misinformed. Yes, there’s plenty of bad reasoning out there. But that doesn’t mean we should stop listening. These people are in the image of God. Being such, they are worthy of our respect, not our presuppositional downgrading.
Here is a quick example without getting into specifics. Last night, I started losing a debate/discussion [I know, hard to believe]. I knew it. A quick panic hit me—What do I do? How can I shut this guy down? He had already started referencing the original languages and syntax. My first instinct was to pull rank:
“I’ve had eight years of Greek. You haven’t. I’ve studied under…”
But then I realized—this guy knew just as much, if not more, about syntax than I did. It didn’t matter who he learned it from. If I played the authority card, I wouldn’t just look foolish—I would be foolish. I would be arguing for a position rather than for truth.
Community Insights in “Through the Church Fathers in a Year”
This shift isn’t just happening in online debates. I see it every day in our Through the Church Fathers in a Year group, where we have 450 people [!]—from pastors and seminary-trained scholars to brand-new believers—all reading the Church Fathers together.
[Yes, anyone can join! It’s never too late.]
The insights in the discussions aren’t divided by education level. Some of the most profound comments come from people whose backgrounds I know nothing about.
There’s one guy who writes deep, detailed responses that I always stop to read. I don’t know his education. I don’t know where he went to school—if he even did. But what I do know is that he wrestles with the issues. Then there’s a lady who posts short comments that consistently hit the nail on the head.
At first, as the seminary-trained leader, I felt pressure to provide profound insights just to make sure everyone knew who was boss. But then I realized—we’re all sharpening each other. The value isn’t in credentials. It’s in true engagement and enlightenment.
[Although, I don’t want to lie. I do continue to break the new norm and provide incredibly deep (and godly) insights.]
A Call for Authentic Engagement
This is exactly what social media—and now AI—have forced us to do. The traditional hierarchy of knowledge is gone. And this is a good thing. You can’t just claim to be a doctor, theologian, or scientist and expect people to listen.
You can’t dismiss anyone with a moniker or a meme. That won’t work. The gap between expertise and lay knowledge is shrinking—not because education doesn’t matter, but because information is more available than ever.
NOT SEMINARY TRAINED???
Here You Go!
Solved!
A Call for Excitement
And why should anyone be threatened by this? This means weak reasoning will be exposed faster than ever before. No one can hide behind credentials. You can’t win arguments by saying, “Trust me, I have a degree.” If that’s all you’ve got, you’ve already lost.
Okay, I think I am repeating myself. Let me get to the main point I started writing this for:
A Call for Authenticity
Here’s the key: The way to get people to listen to you isn’t by flashing a degree, a title, or any other badge of authority. The only way to gain real influence is through authenticity.
People don’t trust traditional sources of authority anymore, and they won’t trust you just because you studied somewhere prestigious. What people do trust is transparency.
Everyone thinks they’re right. And why wouldn’t they? In a world where you can always find something to support your position, no one feels the need to admit they’re wrong. But the moment you double down on credentials and dig in your heels, you close people off.
The moment you let your heels up, become real to them by acknowledging when you’re wrong and admitting what you don’t know, people actually start listening.
Ironically, the more you say “I was wrong,” the more credibility you gain. That’s what we need—a revolution of authenticity.
Conclusion
We are in the middle of a knowledge revolution—perhaps 100 times greater than the Enlightenment. And those who resist it?
They will be left behind.
