What prevents Christian adults from learning?

... is the interesting title of a 1985 book by John M. Hull which I am reading at the moment. The writer was at that time a Senior Lecturer in Religious Education at the University of Birmingham and his approach is interdisciplinary, drawing on insights from sociology, psychology and theology. In the first chapter he examines the ways in which modernity and christianity have influenced and been misunderstood by each other. Here are a few quotes from the chapter:

"But while it is true that modernity and religion have learned from each other, it is also true that they have reacted against each other, and a profound isolation has been created between the two patterns of life and forms of consciousness. The result of this is that many secularized people, thoroughly imbued with the spirit of modernity, find it extremely difficult to learn from religion, while religious people, who have built up protective barriers against modernity ... now find it extremely difficult even to consider the possibility of learning from modernity."

"The electronic churches represent both a high point of adaptation and a maximum of resistance to modernity. They are ideologically closed but technologically open."

"In an organisation which places a premium upon conservation rather than innovation, anyone who attempts to think for herself is bound to arouse suspicion. The Protestant emphasis upon education was often accompanied by a fear of too much education."

So far, a good book which is really making me think about my own faith development and the way I try to teach and influence others. I'll keep posting as I work through the book. Comments are welcome :)