The Fundamentalist Purging Continues
Over the past few years it seems like nearly every week an evangelical academic institution in the US takes an anti-intellectual stance that costs someone a job. A few years ago it was Pete Enns at Westminster Theological Seminary. Then it was Bruce Waltke at Reformed Theological Seminary. The past eight months have also seen the dismissals of Anthony LeDonne (Lincoln Christian University), Christopher Rollston (Emmanuel Christian Seminary), and Michael Pahl (Cedarville University). Well, it seems that Cedarville Univerity is not yet through with their purging. Not content to dig itself deeper into the tribalism of biblical fundamentalism in their biblical studies division, Cedarville now has plans to dissolve its philosophy department and terminate the employment of affiliated professors. This descent into hyperfundamentalism from another evangelical school in the US is quite disturbing. One of my former students (who is also a Cedarville alum) asked me to bring attention to this situation. This link will allow you to read more about the situation and show your support. I have to be honest and say that I don’t think it will do much good. What’s more, I can’t imagine being in the shoes of one of these professors and having my job salvaged only to realize that I am at an institution that sees no value in what I do. I’m beginning to wonder more and more, along with Pete Enns, if evangelical colleges and seminaries can function as true academic institutions.
Exploration in to academia and fundamental beliefs ( and I mean in the root word ) are two sides of the same coin…..they need each other both to expand the boundaries of knowledge and to set boundaries for the fundamental elements of the Faith.
This is getting really absurd. The recent matter of Prof. Rollston inspired the new Metacriticizing Biblical Scholarship Consultation to plan a session at the Baltimore SBL in November, so folks can air their concerns at the national conference and hopefully help motivate a discipline wide response.
Is it so surprising that they are turning into madrassas? The only serious question is whether the state or regional accreditation agencies should be maintaining those schools’ authority to offer degrees. When Hasidim spend years memorizing, learning and discussing the Torah, there’s no degree involved. If these schools want to be Bible-only, fine, but they should also not then be able to issue degrees.