Unique Contributions of the Theological Librarian in Campus-Wide Programs of Faith Integration

Many Christian colleges and universities have academic programs that emphasize “faith and learning” or “faith integration.” The religious or theological studies librarian can have a unique role in assisting faculty across the disciplines to develop a better awareness of theological writings and resources that might reflect spiritual themes within their discipline. This paper will suggest ways for theological librarians to collaborate with colleagues, highlighting integrative work at Azusa Pacific University—including one-on-one and classroom resource instruction, the development and use of faith integration and special collections, integrative coursework, reading groups—and concluding with a few suggested resources.

Epilogue

In the mid-twentieth century leading scholars such as Reinhold Niebuhr or David Riesman wrote off conservative evangelical education as fading. William McLoughlin also saw the new revival movements as ephemeral. Billy Graham and Carl Henry had ambitions to start a major university around 1960 but did not have the resources. Wheaton College in Illinois, the leading ex-fundamentalist college, began to rise academically despite the anti-intellectualism of its tradition. Calvin College had been an ideologically isolated Reformed school but by the 1960s had produced leading Christian philosophers. Intervarsity Christian Fellowship helped raise consciousness regarding strong scholarship, and by 2000 the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities had grown to over one hundred schools with well-trained faculties. Like-minded Christian scholars founded their own academic societies. Baylor University became an intentionally Christian research university. Evangelical Protestant and Catholic scholars often cooperated. Despite many challenges, distinctly Christian scholars could hold their own in twenty-first-century academia.

Second Founding Presidents

A comparison of contemporary changing college presidents in a specific microcosm of 163 Christian colleges and universities is made, framed by 10 newer or newly emphasized roles and engagements recently observed among college presidents. Contemporary changes and challenges specific to contemporary presidents in the microcosm are clarified. Historical presidents, primarily founding presidents and ones presiding at critical points in institution sagas, are described relative to the framework of roles and engagements. Discussion of the comparison between the historical and contemporary presidents leads to a conclusion: the changing college president in this microcosm is a “second founding president.”

Have Christian Colleges and Universities Become More Inclusive of LGBTQ Students Since Obergefell v. Hodges?

Due to rapid changes in societal attitudes toward LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer) people, as well as the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2015 decision Obergefell v. Hodges legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide, Christian colleges and universities are experiencing more pressure to become inclusive of LGBTQ students. This article draws on U.S. Department of Education data on all four-year, not-for-profit Christian colleges and universities, as well as an original longitudinal dataset of LGBTQ student groups across Christian colleges and universities, to describe the landscape of LGBTQ student inclusion on Christian campuses before and after Obergefell v. Hodges. In 2013, two years before the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage, just under half (45%) of Christian colleges and universities had LGBTQ student groups. However, the U.S. Supreme Court’s Obergefell decision has evidently had little effect on holdouts: in 2019, the percentage of Christian colleges and universities that were home to LGBTQ student groups was only slightly higher (47%). Logistic regression analyses reveal that Christian colleges and universities that have recently become home to LGBTQ student groups were already predisposed to having LGBTQ groups in the first place, given that they are associated with social justice-minded denominations, have large student bodies, and have higher percentages of women students. The article’s findings hold implications for ongoing research on the status of LGBTQ people within Christian institutions.

Christian or Secular School: Examining the Stated Identity of Methodist University College Ghana (MUCG)

It has been argued that, Christian Universities or Christian higher institutions are not the ones that merely recognize a historic connection to a church, denomination or Christianity. They are also not institutions that are members of religious associations of colleges and universities due to their historical connections but that do not identify their religious identity as influencing their mission or as being central to their institutional identity. This paper has sought to examine the Methodist University College Ghana (MUCG) to find out if its Christian identity is as stated or it is simply assumed. The paper employs the qualitative case study approach in analysing MUCG’s stated identity as expressed in its core values, vision and mission statements, from the perspective of the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) and the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU). The findings do not indicate that MUCG’s identity as clearly and emphatically stated in its philosophy as Christian. It has therefore not been able to express it adequately in its core values, vision and mission statements. It is therefore recommended that if MUCG really intends to be classified as a Christian Institution, then there is the need for a complete review of its stated philosophy from which every institution’s identity, core values and mission are derived. This paper contributes to knowledge in the identity of Christian Educational institutions.

Reframing, Reconciling, and Individualizing: How LGBTQ Activist Groups Shape Approaches to Religion and Sexuality

Past research reveals the multiple ways that people grapple with the connections between religious and sexual identities. Some people perceive religious identities to be in conflict with lesbian, gay, bisexual, or queer (LGBQ) identities, but others believe such identities to be compatible. Some people look to religious authorities for guidance in understanding the connections between religious and LGBQ identities, whereas others rely on strategies of religious individualism. What factors affect people’s approaches to understanding the connections between religious and sexual identities? Drawing on 77 interviews with participants in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) activist groups at four Christian colleges and universities, and employing Goffmanian insights, this article shows how LGBTQ activist groups’ different audiences inspire distinct approaches to understanding religion and sexuality. The study demonstrates that activist groups can powerfully shape understandings of seemingly disparate social identities and suggests a theoretical framework for future research.

How Christianity Animates a Teacher’s Background Beliefs

This chapter and the next two explore the following question: What difference does being a Christian make for a person’s teaching? Chapter 2 begins by reviewing the authors’ findings concerning the background role that teachers’ Christian identity and related convictions play in their teaching practices. Although various scholars explore this question by drawing from theory or their personal experience, most discussions about the difference Christianity might make for teaching have not relied on empirical findings. In light of this gap in the literature, this chapter describes the sample (2,300 Christian teachers at 49 Christian colleges and universities) and focuses on the background role that teachers’ Christian identity and related convictions play in their teaching. Overall, the study found that participating teachers’ Christian identity influences three factors: (1) their motivation to teach, (2) the ways they think about teaching, and (3) their understanding of their students.