A Christian Liberal Arts Education

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“About those misconceptions”: Article by Brandon Kai Oberle, Class of 2012

Wednesday, July 8th, 2009

Editor’s Note: The following article is a reprinted version, with minor stylistic edits, of a note the author posted elsewhere. It is reprinted here with the author’s permission.

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“The whole idea of a stereotype is to simplify. Instead of going through the problem of all this great diversity – that it’s this or maybe that – you have just one large statement; it is this.”
-Chinua Achebe (Novelist, Poet, Professor)

“We can rarely see things from the point of view of another person because we look at the facts through the screen of an impression or an interest which distorts our view; and then there are accusations, quarrels and misunderstandings.”
-Barry Long (Philosopher, Teacher)

“We fight amongst ourselves,
We obliterate ourselves, yeah, yeah.”
-Pennywise (Melodic Skate Punk Band)

Dear Erskine Community and Affiliates,

As a rising Sophomore at Erskine College, it has come to my attention that several false accusations concerning the intent of Students Aligned for a Faithful Erskine (SAFE) have arisen in lieu of the decision by the ARP Synod to create a formal Commission to investigate the commitment of Erskine’s faculty and administration to Jesus Christ, and if a proper implementation of the “ARP Philosophy of Higher Christian Education” exists. Along with these false accusations are many misconceptions about the various individuals who agree with SAFE. What are these false accusations and misconceptions I speak of? They accuse SAFE of not wanting non-Christian students at Erskine College. They characterize the supporters/editors of SAFE as naïve students who are being maliciously directed behind the scenes by ARP ministers and non-Erskine students. They seem to have the erroneous impression that SAFE desires a Bob Jonsian culture of strict rules and regulations. Lastly, there are those who view SAFE of being nothing more than “silly/misguided/cultish students” and legalists confined to a specific cultural niche. This information has come to me by way of YouTube, personal conversations, letters on the “In Defense of Erskine College” blogger page, and a Facebook group called Alumni For Erskine-A Christian Liberal Arts College. For the sake of clarity, the majority individuals in the Facebook group or on the “In Defense of Erskine College” blogger page have not accused SAFE of anything that I have mentioned; I would cautiously venture to say that many of the members simply joined the Facebook group because of its name without actually researching what the group promotes. Having said these things, I proudly claim Erskine College as my own and vigorously support the efforts of SAFE.

Before I go on, some proper introductions are in order. My name is Brandon Kai Oberle’ or simply “Oberle“, as most call me. I agree with the concerns of SAFE, support the Synod’s decision to investigate Erskine, and truly desire academic excellence. I served as Freshman Class President for the class of 2012, participated in the Midnight chalking protest, played in the Sinfonia, was accepted into the Euphemian Literary Society, and will serve as the Dead Philosophers Society President for my Sophomore year. Click to continue »

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Reflections on the Nature and Value of a Christian Liberal Arts Education

Wednesday, July 8th, 2009

Editor’s Note: The following is the text of a talk given by Dr. John C. Wingard, Jr., then Professor of Philosophy at Erskine College, at convocation in the spring of 2007. Dr. Wingard did not post this text to the SAFE website. We are posting it here because of its clear explanation of the integration of Christian faith and learning that ought to occur in a Christian liberal arts education.

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Learning to Read Two Books:

Some Reflections on the Nature and Value of Christian Liberal Arts Education

John C. Wingard, Jr.

I want to thank the Convocation Committee for inviting me to speak with you today about something that I’m quite passionate about – the project of integrating Christian faith and learning. What a privilege to be engaged in such a project and to get to speak to you about it. In the brief time we have together this morning, I’d like to set forth in broad outline a vision for scholarship and education that is faithful both to Christ and to the traditional idea of liberal arts education – a vision that, where realized, has real promise of bearing significant fruit of the sort that traditional liberal arts education is all about.

The Secularistic Mainstream Academic Model

To get into our topic, let’s begin by noting a significant feature of the prevailing educational perspective today. The default setting in educational philosophy in our culture is one, inherited from modernism, that recognizes a fairly rigid dichotomy between the sacred and the secular. On this view, the secular is supposed to be public and the domain of reason rather than “faith” (divine revelation). The sacred, on the other hand, is personal and private, and the domain of “faith” (divine revelation) rather than reason. Now, according to the mainstream academic model, scholarship and education are supposed to be on the secular side of the divide and somehow neutral or non-committal with respect to religious perspective or worldview.

Consequently, there is in the mainstream academy the expectation that in doing our scholarly work within our disciplines, we will keep our own particular worldviews and religious commitments on a shelf – like children’s shoes at a McDonald’s Play Place or your baggage when you board an airplane. What that means for those of us who are Christians is that we are to do our scholarship and teaching as if there is no God and no interaction between God and the world. In other words, in our work we are ordinarily expected to adopt naturalism – at least methodological naturalism, if not metaphysical or worldview naturalism. Naturalism is the view that the natural world is all there is. There’s no God, no reality that transcends the natural, material world. As the astronomer Carl Sagan, one of the high priests of naturalism, used to say, “the cosmos is all that is, or ever was, or ever will be.” (Of course, Sagan is now dead; and I seriously doubt that he’s still a naturalist. Ironically that’s something about which Christians and naturalists will agree! But I digress.) What I’ve just described is worldview naturalism. Methodological naturalism is a commitment essentially to pursue our work as if naturalism is true – to accept naturalism as a foundational commitment for the sake of our scholarship and teaching. In other words, I can be a Christian theist on my own time, but not while on the job.

Now, this is part of the prevailing philosophy of scholarship and education within the academy at large in the West. But for Christians this is obviously quite problematic, isn’t it?! Let’s consider just four problems: Click to continue »

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Questions and Answers about the Christian Liberal Arts, Part IV: by William Hunter, Class of 2008

Wednesday, July 8th, 2009

Editor’s Note: This represents a continuation of Part III of Mr. Hunter’s article.

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Objection 3: These students should not be going to the ARP Synod about this. They should be going personally to those they disagree with to dialogue. What about Matthew 18 and Christian unity?

I certainly agree that students should be in dialogue with other students, faculty, and administration about these issues. All of us probably need to do more of that. I also would like to say that I do not necessarily agree with all that is said on SAFE or the manner in which it is said. However, I would like to point out that this is not primarily about personal issues—a small group of students discontented about how they were personally treated at Erskine—these are institutional issues. These are deep and urgent concerns about the direction Erskine as an institution is heading. As the petition letter points out, Erskine has mandates from the ARP church in its “A.R.P Philosophy of Christian Higher Education” and “Institutional Mission and Commitment” that many students believe Erskine is not being faithful to. It is appropriate that these students appeal to the leaders of the ARP church for help in seeing Erskine be faithful to the mandates given by the denomination that funds and supports the college. I understand that many will disagree with my vision for Erskine and Christian liberal arts. That is perfectly fine, but the primarily issue is not what kind of Erskine you, me, or anyone else personally wants to see. The issue is what kind of institution is Erskine College commissioned to be?

I also believe with all my heart that if Erskine was truly faithful to its mission as institution there would be Christian unity on campus like has never been seen before. There would be love for non-Christians like has never been seen before. If in everything Christ had the supremacy, if Scripture was taken seriously, Christ would be gloriously present on campus, transforming hearts, minds, and relationships for His glory. May He be praised!

Will Hunter
Class of 2008

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Questions and Answers about the Christian Liberal Arts, Part II: by William Hunter, Class of 2008

Wednesday, July 8th, 2009

Editor’s Note: This represents a continuation of Part I of Mr. Hunter’s article.

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Facing the Challenges of the World

Many students and alumni have argued that the challenges to their Christian faith they have faced at Erskine have actually strengthened their faith. I have no doubt that this is the case, as I would include myself in that category. Challenges to faith indeed often motivate our minds to think, send us to search the Scriptures, and drive us to prayer, and we are refreshed and reassured of God’s promises in Christ. However, I would like to point out that this has clearly not been the case with everyone! In fact, some have not been strengthened in faith, but rather weakened, or even encouraged to fall away. What about students who may be seeking or considering Christ? Are they being encouraged to look to Christ or away from him? The fact is, is that students are being de-evangelized! Surely no Christian would want this to happen at a Christian school.

No doubt God in his grace can work through them, but is a lack of a strong Biblical foundation or in some cases assaults on Christian faith how Christians really how we are supposed to mature? Yes, Christians will face intense challenges from the “real world” their entire lives. The whole point of a Christian liberal arts education is to help equip and prepare them for those challenges, not to assault them with those challenges and leave them to fend for themselves. The Apostle Paul, longing for the maturity of young believers in the early church in the face of persecution and false teaching, prayed that “Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith,” being “rooted and established in love” and “may have power together, with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ” (Ephesians 3:17-18), so that “you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Colossians 1:9-10). If a school is commissioned to be a Christian liberal arts institution, shouldn’t every effort be made for Christian students to grow in knowledge and richness of Christ’s love? And for non-Christian students to come to faith and know and experience this same love? Should it not be a legitimate concern that while some students are growing in love for Christ, others are being shaken or encouraged to look away from Christ because of what is being taught in some of the classrooms? Click to continue »

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Questions and Answers about the Christian Liberal Arts, Part I: by William Hunter, Class of 2008

Wednesday, July 8th, 2009

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. Click to continue »

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The ARP Philosophy of Christian Higher Education

Wednesday, July 8th, 2009

Editor’s Note: Both SAFE and the student and alumni petition effort affirm the ARP Church’s Philosophy of Christian Higher Education. It, along with the Erskine College Mission Statement and the ARP Definition of an Evangelical Christian, comprises the institutional standards for Erskine College. It is to those standards that the petition effort made its appeal and those standards that explain the educational philosophy and vision that SAFE and the petition effort were and are committed to.

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Statement of the Philosophy of Christian Higher Education of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church

June 8, 1977

Christian higher education for the service of God in church and society finds its roots in Biblical revelation. For over one hundred and forty years, Christian higher education has been an integral part of the mission of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. Truly, the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, through its institutions of Christian higher education, has a history of distinguished service. The value of its mission is immeasurable, for this mission has been an influence for good in the lives of thousands of men and women who have attended Erskine College, Erskine Theological Seminary or Bryson College. Through many of these men and women, the Church itself has been blessed with strong Christian leadership and dedicated

The General Synod believes that there is a continuing need for the church to express its objectives, to reaffirm its purpose, and to restate its philosophy of Christian higher education, including goals and purposes of Erskine.

In the following statement, the General Synod desires to preserve and incorporate all of the redeeming elements of the Church’s philosophy that have prevailed at the College and Seminary from their beginning. In this statement the terms “Erskine” and “Erskine College” refer to both the undergraduate school and the Seminary, unless the context indicates otherwise.

I. The Role of the Church in Christian Higher Education

The Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church should reexamine on a continuing basis its total program in the use of its resources and in all areas of its mission. To this end the Church should ask itself continually what it is doing and what it should be doing in the field of education. It is clear that every Christian denomination should involve itself deeply in Christian education. A parallel question which every Christian denomination should ask is whether it also should be involved in the field of higher education and, if so, at what level and in what way.

We believe in the importance of education, and we believe that education represents a vital part of the mission of the church.

Furthermore, we believe that our denomination has a definite role to play in Christian higher education.

We believe this is so because this area of service offers the Church a unique opportunity to present Christ and the Christian viewpoint and to demonstrate in a tangible way the value of a life which is lived in right relation to God and man. We believe that only such a life can realize its fullest potential in terms of usefulness to society and inner satisfaction to the individual.

We believe that the Church has a responsibility not only to initiate the organizational structure for such participation, but also a responsibility to continue to nurture that organization and to provide theological and philosophical guidance to it. Click to continue »

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