A group of Erskine students and alumni signed a petition which expressed “deep and urgent concerns” to the ARP General Synod that Erskine College is failing to carry out its given mission to be a Christ-centered liberal arts institution, and asked the leaders of the Church to help in seeing Erskine as a whole embrace and implement that mission. These events, along with the creation of the “SAFE” website, have caused much controversy and heated debate among Erskine students, alumni, and staff. It seems that all of us (myself included) love Erskine College, but many of us disagree on what it should look like. From reading many of the comments posted online and hearing many others, I have come to realize that there are many misunderstandings and misconceptions about what a Christian liberal arts education truly is and what the integration of faith and learning really looks like. My purpose here is to answer some of the specific objections that have been raised to the recent appeal to ARP General Synod. However, I wish not merely to answer objections, but to also positively present what a Christian liberal arts education at Erskine might look like. It is my hope that all of you, whatever perspective you may hold to, will take the time to consider this letter. Also, if you disagree with something I say from the outset, please don’t let that discourage you from reading the rest! It is also my sincere hope that my comments will be gracious to all and likewise graciously received.
I have tried to honestly represent those who hold to these particular objections, but please contact me if you believe I have been unfair. I also realize that some may share certain objections or parts of objections and not others.
Objection 1: We do not want Erskine students to be sheltered. The real world is a place that constantly challenges the Christian faith and Erskine students need to be prepared.
I wholeheartedly agree! I also do not want Erskine students to be sheltered. Indeed, we do live in a world that constantly challenges, in fact, constantly attacks Christianity, and Christians absolutely need to be prepared. But what do we mean by “sheltered?” And how are students best prepared? My response to this objection will be in two parts: first, I will attempt to positively set forth what a true Christian liberal arts education might look like at Erskine, and second, I will attempt to show what kind of education truly prepares Christians to face the challenges of the world.
A Christian Liberal Arts Education
Many fear that if there is more integration of faith and learning, Erskine College will become a fundamentalist, separatist school that completely shelters its students from the outside world. Quite the contrary! Integrating faith and learning does not mean separating from the world. Rather, an evangelical Christian liberal arts institution will encourage students to explore, study, and interact as much as they possibly can in all subjects. Integration means that everything that is explored and studied is done so in light of God’s general revelation (His creation) and special revelation (His Word).
All education is done from a particular perspective. All professors have particular faith commitments and their teaching will be done from that particular perspective, whether Christian, secular, or otherwise. However, the goal of an evangelical Christian liberal arts institution naturally would be to teach everything from an evangelical Christian perspective. Colossians 1:18 proclaims of the risen Christ, “He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might have the supremacy.” The goal of a Christian liberal arts education should be that in everything Christ should have the first place—not just in Bible classes, in particular campus ministries, in ethics—but in everything! And this means teaching all subjects from a Biblical perspective, desiring to submit all learning to Christ’s lordship.
So does this mean putting away our biology or English textbooks to have theological discussions? Of course not. At this point, I would humbly like to submit what Christian commitment and excellence in learning might look like in various subjects. I will start with science, since for many this is where the integration of faith and learning seems to be most impossible. After all, science is concerned with studying the natural, physical world according to the scientific method. And faith is concerned only with spiritual things. Therefore, they have no practical relationship to each other. You can have faith, but it has no bearing on science. Right?
A Test Case: Christianity and Science
First of all, I would like to point out that this dichotomizing of faith and science to different spheres is in fact impossible. All scientists have faith commitments and worldviews that affect the way they do science. Everyone brings their presuppositions to the table. A scientist who is an atheist brings with him the faith commitment that God does not exist. A scientist who is a Christian brings with him the faith commitment that God in facet does exist and has created all things. Because of the beautiful design of God’s creation and because of his grace, scientists with varying underlying presuppositions can and do discover truth about His creation.
However, presuppositions cannot help but affect the process. For instance, one scientist who is an evolutionist and another who is not can observe the same piece of evidence and interpret it in a different way to give strength to their opposing theories. This process is part of all areas of science. The scientific community holds the theory of evolution (here referring to descent from a common ancestor) in light of all the evidence to be accepted knowledge. Many scientists interpreting the same evidence disagree, but they are dismissed for supposedly letting their faith affect their science. Such a dismissal is uncalled for. Everyone has faith commitments, Christian, secular, or otherwise, that affect their science. The same is true for all subjects—history, languages, psychology, religion, etc.
Can Christianity simply be reduced to a matter of personal faith dealing with spiritual things and not with the natural, physical world? Can the Christian faith really be separated from science? To look again at Colossians 1, verse 16 says about Christ, “by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible.” Christ is the Creator of all things, both physical and spiritual. When studying the physical world, how then can Christ not be involved? He created it! Furthermore, “in him all things hold together” (Col 1:17). Without Christ holding every single part of the entire universe perfectly in place, it would disintegrate. We wouldn’t be here, and there wouldn’t be any science.
Christianity is based on God’s acting in this physical world. The beautiful story of God’s redemption is not one of merely saving souls, but of redeeming his people body and soul and redeeming all of creation!
“For the creation was subjected to futility; not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God…and not only the creation but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies” (Rom 8:22-23).
How is this beautiful redemption, God’s salvation, accomplished? God himself, Jesus Christ became a physical human being. He lived a perfect life here on this earth. He physically died on the cross in our place for our sin, sin with consequences of physical, spiritual, and eternal death. And he physically rose again from the dead so that we can live forever with God, body and soul in the new, restored creation! 1 Corinthians 15:17 says “if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.” The Christian faith depends on God’s interaction with the physical world. Otherwise, it is useless. Christianity cannot be reduced to merely personal faith in the spiritual realm; if it is so reduced, then it is not Christianity.
If one wishes to have a Christian liberal arts college, then there must be integration, not separation, of faith and science. So what does this look like in the classroom? Science is done with an open appreciation and awe for God’s glory reflected in the majestic beauty and mind-blowing complexity of his creation, from galaxies to cells. God has created his world to operate in an orderly way to make our scientific efforts fruitful. An acknowledgment of God’s beauty and design in no way takes away from the rigors of employing the scientific method or soaking in complicated concepts. On the contrary, such an approach encourages rigorous investigation, enriches one’s science, and gives it true meaning and purpose.
With regards to evolution, an evangelical Christian liberal arts college does not mean simply ignoring evolution and cutting out lectures and labs to study Genesis 1. Evolution should indeed be presented as thoroughly and excellently as possible. Scientists from both sides of this debate often misunderstand each others’ views and raise arguments and objections that are not effective or even legitimate critiques. However, it does mean that the theory of evolution should be thoroughly examined in light of what God reveals not only in His creation, but in His Word. Science should not be conducted in such a way that says (only in passing) that God created the universe, but then functionally proceeds as if He didn’t, attributing scientific phenomenon to principles of random chance.
Although I disagree with theistic evolution, I certainly understand that many Christians, including faculty and students at Erskine, do hold to the theory of evolution and say that evolution is God’s sovereign way of creating and sustaining the universe. However, even this is not coming across in Erskine classes. Rather, it seems that belief in God is affirmed, but followed by functionally proceeding with naturalistic presuppositions. If one believes that evolution is indeed God’s design of natural processes, why proceed with science as if it were the natural processes in control? Why shy away from giving God the glory? Furthermore, if a professor were to legitimately hold to theistic evolution at an evangelical Christian liberal arts institution, it would have to be held from a perspective that takes Scripture seriously as God’s inspired and inerrant (without error) Word. As an institution, Erskine is commissioned to hold to this high view of Scripture. God’s Word is authoritative for all of life, including science.
Integrating Faith and Other Disciplines
What about history? Of course it does mean that we forsake all other areas of history to focus only on history recorded in the Bible. However, it does mean that when the Biblical historical accounts are interacted with, they are treated not critically (in a skeptical sense), but as real history because they are from God’s Word. It means seeing all of history as the design and plan of sovereign God. All of world history is God’s grand story of redemption that will come to a great and glorious end when Christ Jesus returns and all of creation is restored! And we are part of that history! Seeing that history has a direction and a purpose gives true meaning and purpose to its study. Acknowledging this grand movement and design motivates one to dig deeper into the complexities and interrelationships of people and events through all time in every area of history, intellectual or social, Ancient Near Eastern or modern European.
What about psychology and sociology classes? All theories should be presented, explored, and rigorously studied, but they should also be examined in light of the truth of Scripture, to recognize legitimate insights and to critique deficiencies. Music? We of course do not mean playing or singing only sacred Christian literature, nor do we mean simply making sure we have a couple of sacred songs in the repertoire. Rather, we mean that all music studied, sacred and otherwise, should be studied in light of Scripture, wrestling with the underlying philosophies and worldviews of the notes and lyrics, and making sure that in all of our performances, no matter what is being played or sung, the audience has no doubt of commitment to Christ. Business? Not merely telling students to be honest in their dealings, but showing them how Christ affects the very way we do business.
I could go on, but I trust that the point is made. No doubt, integration looks very different and takes different forms across the various disciplines. I understand that integration takes great wisdom and skill, and I do not pretend to have all the answers. But we must have the proper underlying philosophy. As an evangelical Christian liberal arts institution, all disciplines should be approached this in the light of God’s revelation in creation and Scripture, so that in everything Christ may have the supremacy.
And yes, all should be done with excellence!