The scandal of the Evangelical mind is that doctrine determines academic conclusions. Degrees, books, papers, and other marks of prestige are valued—provided you come to predetermined conclusions.
Academic Freedom
are “evangelical” and “academic” oxymorons (and who are you calling a moron?)
I’m not trying to pick a fight or even be controversial here. It’s an honest question. I’ve been thinking about this for several years, and what has brought it back to mind is the all-too-common phenomenon of professors “resigning” (wink, wink) from their positions (e.g., see here, here, and here). Here is the problem in a nutshell. Many […]
Wheaton College vs. Larycia Hawkins : maybe it’s about evolution (it’s ALWAYS evolution)
OK, I think I might be figuring out this whole Wheaton debacle. Well. . . not me actually, but one of my readers who emailed me, the gist of which basically goes like this: “Dear Pete. I read your blog and your books regularly, and I think the sun rises and sets on everything you […]
“We are all heroes of our own stories”: interview with Brandon Withrow on academic freedom in evangelicalism
Today’s post is an interview with Brandon Withrow, who teaches religious studies at the University of Findlay, about his latest book Consider No Evil: Two Faith Traditions and the Problem of Academic Freedom in Religious Higher Education (co-authored with Menachem Wecker). Withrow and Wecker examine seminaries affiliated with two faith traditions–Christian and Jewish–and explore the challenges, as well as prospective solutions, confronting […]
is anyone getting tired of this yet? (yes): Bryan College “takes a stand” on creationism
Whatever. Here’s the article. Another college feels it needs to take a “stand” on the Bible–meaning recommitting themselves to a view of the Bible that is inexcusable for an institution granting academic degrees, whether in Bible, the sciences, Christian thought, or anything else. Professors at Bryan College are understandably worried about their jobs. They will […]
My trip to Canada, what I said there, and I got home anyway
I spent this past week speaking in British Columbia, but first some general observations on Canadian culture. I’m not used to courteous driving, and I aged 2 years watching my drivers slow down in anticipation of green lights possibly turning yellow, letting other drivers weave in, or just generally not being violently aggressive. They’d never make it on the east […]
Why Adjunct, Underemployed, and Otheremployed Evangelical Professors May Be The Key to the Future
Adjunct, underemployed, and otheremployed professors have it tough. You’ve put in a lot of years into studying and want all your effort–and family sacrifices–to mean something. You make far less than you are worth, and it’s demoralizing and scary. (For earlier posts on this general topic, see here, here, here, here, and here.) But…. You […]
Science, Faith, and Academic Freedom: notes from a conference
I was in Ohio (pronounced o-HI-o) earlier this week. I hadn’t been there since 2005 when my son and I drove out to visit Kenyon College. After the second trip we decided 8 hours was too far, and that he should go to school in Vermont, a mere 6 1/2 hours away. Anyway, Ohio is […]
The Deeper Scandal of the Evangelical Mind: We Are Not Allowed to Use It
Mark Noll’s 1995 book The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind hit a raw nerve when he declared “The scandal of the evangelical mind is that there is not much of an evangelical mind.” He argued that Evangelical scholarship had a minimal presence in doing serious academic research, and that they need to–and can–do better. His followup book in […]
Can Evangelical Colleges and Seminaries Be Truly Academic Institutions?
Believe it or not, I’m not trying to pick a fight or be controversial here. It’s an honest question. I’ve been thinking about this for several years, and what has brought it back to mind is the recent spate of professors “resigning” (wink, wink) from their positions (see earlier posts here, here, and here). Here is […]