Cannibal Guy & Cannibal Boy, Back to Back

When I heard the students enthusing about Cannibal Guy, I assumed they were talking about me. The child-eating episode from 2 Kings 6 figured prominently in one of my lectures, after all, and I took great pleasure in dramatizing the story, leaving many students -- who hadn't previously imagined the Bible contained stories like that -- dumbfounded with amazement. (At any rate, they were still awake at the end of the class session.) But it wasn't me they were talking about with such affection, I soon discovered. It was Mike Schutt.

I shouldn't have had anything to fear from Mike -- he was a law professor, after all, and we all know how exciting torts can be. But somehow he'd dug through the dusty annals of legal history and discovered a humdinger of an illustration: a Victorian shipwreck that forced castaway crewman to make a meal of the cabin boy, which made for an awkward rescue and judicial conniptions back home. Naturally I had to sit in on this lecture, knowing deep down that my illustration had to be better (it was inspired, after all). I was wrong, though. My cannibalism anecdote was amusing enough, but Mike's was downright thoughtful. It was more than an outrage; it posed a dilemma. (And really, any situation that makes cannibalism ambiguous has got to have didactic value.)

So I had to concede that Mike was the Cannibal Guy. I was second-best. Cannibal Boy, if you like.

This didn't bother me, though, because frankly I admire the guy. I have since the first day we met. It happened about six years ago at Baylor University. We'd both been invited to teach trial classes at Worldview Academy. Since we were there for the week with not much to do, we decided to do it together. Clearly we were kindred spirits. On the drive up, I'd been listening to the latest Mars Hill Audio Journal, and that was the only thing that let me keep up. Mike seemed to know something about everything. I exhausted my little fund of knowledge and fell back on Mars Hill, shamelessly stealing insights from the various contributors and passing them off as my own. But there didn't seem to be a topic Mike hadn't been briefed on. Desperate, I threw out something about bio-ethics -- I could hardly remember the details from the tape, so I couldn't help mangling them. Mike nodded his head and started explaining to me what I was trying to explain to him. Try as I might, I couldn't snatch the grasshopper from his hand.

The mystery was solved when we hopped in his car and headed to the bookstore. There on the dashboard was the latest Mars Hill Audio Journal. Mike had listened to his copy (and retained more information) on the drive to Baylor!

So we were both Mars Hill fans, both booklovers, and we both had a penchant for tales of cannibalism. Over the years we've encouraged and prodded each other. Mike landed a book deal, then loaned me his proposal so I could see what they're meant to look like. We traded notes on books we'd read and people we'd met. There are some people you get enough of, and some people you don't. Mike is the latter. Whenever I spend time with him, I always wish I'd had a little more. Eventually I got a book deal, too, and in God's providence our books came out at around the same time.

How nice, we thought. It's only fitting.

Then Mike told me last fall that he'd been interviewed for Mars Hill Audio Journal. I confess I was jealous. But Mike had written an excellent book, and if anyone deserved the recognition, he did. He told me all about the process, and I naturally hung on every word. Our friendship was founded on Mars Hill, so this was quite a milestone.

A few months passed, and I got an e-mail from Mars Hill myself. Ken Myers wanted to interview me after the release of Rethinking Worldview. I've never been so nervous in my life. I went to the local public radio station, did the interview, then sat back to wait. Mike's interview still hadn't gone out. Wouldn't it be cool if ... but no, that would be too good.

Then it happened. Volume 90 of the Mars Hill Audio Journal was released, and the lead interview was with yours truly. Mike came next. (He was better -- but then, he's Cannibal Guy, and I'm just Cannibal Boy.) The segue even linked our names. I listened to both and could hardly believe it. Our first conversation had been about Mars Hill (though we didn't realize it until later), and now we were side by side in Volume 90. And we're not alone. This edition features interviews with Dana Gioia, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, and Eugene Peterson, among others.

If you don't subscribe to the Mars Hill Audio Journal, you should. It's one of those essentials for thinking Christians -- artists and intellectuals alike. I'm not just saying that because I'm in it. My third-ever blog post, back in March 2003, recommended a Mars Hill subscription. Back then, Volume 60 had just come out, featuring an interview with David Naugle about his book Worldview: History of a Concept. (Dr. Naugle was kind enough to endorse my Rethinking Worldview when it came out. He wrote: "Bertrand’s book is a rich gift to serious citizens of the kingdom of God.")

It doesn't seem real yet, though I've listened to the interview and am pretty sure it happened. It's an honor to be included with so many fascinating people. But the thing I appreciate most is that little stroke of providence that put Mike and I side-by-side once again. The only thing better than reaching a milestone, after all, is reaching it with a friend.

-- JMB

J. Mark Bertrand is the author of Rethinking Worldview: Learning to Think, Live, and Speak in This World (Crossway, 2007). He's also the curator of the world's leading (and perhaps only) blog devoted to the design and binding of Bibles, appropriately called BibleDesignBlog.com. He writes about his book and Christian worldview issues at RethinkingWorldview.com, and tackles the life of a literary-turned-crime-writer at Write About Now. And of course there's the mother ship: JMarkBertrand.com. Recently, his friend and future co-author Deeanne Gist spilled the beans about their upcoming project.

Comments

[Karen Schravemade]

This is very cool! All the way on the other side of the world, my husband is completely addicted to Mars Hill podcasts. He listens to them when driving, running, cycling, and sometimes instead of going to church ;)

I'm forever hearing "you HAVE to listen to this!" We've listened to a few of them together and yes, anything that comes out of that place is thoughtful, challenging and incredibly insightful. No wonder people seem to get hooked. Congrats to you for being part of it.

[Jeanne Damoff]

Fun! If publishing your book is the main course, these friend "coincidences" make the perfect side dishes.

This morning George pointed out that, in the current edition of World Magazine, Marvin Olasky recommends Rethinking Worldview as a good graduation gift for "college survivors heading to seminary or graduate school." Olasky says the book is "worth having and giving." Nice free advertising! :)

[Jacob]

I hadn't met Mike until back in October when I went down to New Braunfels for Fall Camp. The "cannibal" lecture was very good (as was the one he did on leisure). To students, you're more the "wisdom guy" then "cannibal guy."
Interestingly enough, at Fall Camp, Mike actually discouraged some people from buying his book, since it is intended for Christians in the law field, or at least Christians contemplating a career there. I'm not sure if he's changed his tune, but I found that to be rather interesting.

[Mike Schutt]

Thanks, Mark, you're the best-- not second best, even on cannibalism. Besides, the shipwreck teaching tool isn't even my own brainchild-- I was taught those principles by others, in the same way that everything I knew about bioethics came from Mars Hill. And everything I know about French literature (and the fall of Constantinople) I learned from you.

I couldn't be happier that we've shared this milestone together-- thanks for the wonderful reminiscence and the kind words.

[jana]

That's awesome. I think the first summer I met you guys I couldn't really tell you apart since you always were together around campus and discussing crazy things way over my head in the classrooms after lectures. (or carrying suitcases on opening day)But when someone asked me about which guest lecturers had had the most influence with students in discussions and lecture material 'mike'n'mark...either or both' were at the top of the list.