A Tribute to Robert George

On June 11, I was honored—along with Sherif Gergis—to offer a tribute to Robert P. George from a younger generation perspective at an award ceremony held in his honor by the Colson Center. Below are my prepared remarks.
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I want to thank the Colson Center for the opportunity to offer a tribute to Robert George. It really is an honor. 

I’m joined on this stage by two men, Russell Moore and Robert George, whose contributions to the development of the Christian mind in the public square—at least to me, personally— stands unrivaled. Tonight, I’m here to pay tribute to Robert George as someone from a younger generation.

From a younger evangelical perspective, (though having just turned 30, I’m quickly aging out of the “young generation”), the debt we as a younger generation owe Robert George simply cannot be repaid.

One of the stories that I’ve heard Dr. George tell is that after receiving tenure at Princeton, what immediately went through his mind was how he intended, to quote Dr. George, “to make Princeton regret the decision to give him—a conservative Catholic gadfly—tenure.” I think we can all agree that he has been successful at achieving that goal.

As humorous as this story is, it communicates wise advice for a younger generation. It’s easy, as a conservative Christian, to want to be the gadfly that stands athwart liberalism yelling, “Stop!” But what Dr. George’s witness communicates is that what matters is being the right type of gadfly—the type of person who is winsome and gracious, but laser sharp in argument—one whose ideological counterpart is forced to take seriously.

The combination of his scholarly output, his acumen at building diverse coalitions, his fierce, yet winsome examination of differing viewpoints, and his care and attentiveness to the next generation is each a model for us to follow as we enter into the next generation of debate about issues so integral to Christian faithfulness, but that are also vital to a healthy, functioning social order.

I’ve gotten to know Dr. George over the past three years, but I’ve been an admirer and student of his work since college onto seminary, and now in my current role with The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. I’ve gotten to know Dr. George as someone who possesses the virtues of statesmanship and scholarship.

One personal story serves to illustrate the kind of man Dr. George is, especially concerning his zeal for valuing ideas and truth as virtues in themselves, as well as his attentiveness to young voices. Though I consider myself an advocate for the natural law—something Dr. George has devoted his career to—last year, I wrote an article criticizing a certain formulation of the natural law.

Within a day or two, I awoke—bleary eyed—to see an 800-word rebuttal of my comments awaiting me in my inbox. My heart rate pulsing, and now in my stomach, I read as “the” Robert George—the one The New York Times called “the conservative Christian big thinker”—rebutted my argument line by line. He did so, of course, with characteristic grace. But a few things struck me after reading his comments: One, he took the time to read the thoughts of a zealous millennial, which itself is an honor. Two, he took time to correct. But he did so in a way that invited me to journey with him in the quest toward greater understanding. He wasn’t dismissive. He wasn’t harsh. He didn’t frame his rebuttal in a towering, Princetonian missive. He was admonishing and encouraging as though he himself was still a student on the journey, as well. What I came away with was this: Never in my thirty years on this earth has being told I’m wrong felt so affirming.

Anyone who knows Dr. George knows of his unflappable admiration for his students who venture out in defense of The Permanent Things—among them life, marriage, and religious liberty. Truly, this is a moment where we confess that we, as young scholars and young activists in defense of the Permanent Things, stand on someone else’s shoulders. Dr. George, you’ve spoken of how the time of “convenient Christianity” is now over. But I want you to know, tonight, that the legacy you’re passing on is being passed on to a generation that is willing to take up its cross to follow Christ. The honor we bestow on you this evening is equal to the legacy you’re passing on—it is simply incalculable. Thank you.