Posted on 05/15/2006 12:40:17 PM PDT by ZGuy
New president and academic dean announced after 5 of school's 16 faculty quit in protest.
A contentious debate at Patrick Henry College that began over theological differences, the interpretation of Scripture, and academic freedom has prompted 5 of the school's 16 full-time faculty members to announce they will not be returning to the conservative, Christian college next year. The announcements bring the total number of departing professors to nine in the past year, not including two adjuncts, as well as four senior executives who left in the past 18 months.
Founded with the high hopes of becoming an "evangelical Ivy League" institution dedicated to producing the next generation of Christian politicians and leaders, the Northern Virginia-based college in Purcellville has received national attention for its conservative Christian theology and mission. It draws a majority of its students from home-schooling families.
Michael Farris, a constitutional lawyer and general counsel of the Home School Legal Defense Association, founded the school in 2000 as a "Christian college blending classical instruction with apprenticeship methodology." It prides itself on the high number of White House internships secured by its students, whose SAT scores average over 1300.
"We were brought here on false pretenses," said David Noe, assistant professor of classics who has taught at Patrick Henry since its founding. "We are leaving due to a long train of abuses by Farris in violating both academic freedom and due process, as well as many other issues relating to Farris's running of the college."
Noe, Root, and rhetoric and theology professor Todd Bates agreed to go public after Farris repeatedly denied their requests to respond to accusations that beliefs they had expressed were biblically unsound.
"Farris said that we threatened the college's fidelity to its mission. He spoke to the press, but then told us we couldn't."
(Excerpt) Read more at christianitytoday.com ...
PING!
Patrick Henry College has been going down hill fast ever since Hugh Akston quit.
;-)
He's just waiting to come back and re-open it.
Good one!
CC&E
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Hugh Akston
Since Aug 19, 2000
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They're-talking-about-you |
That's HUGH!
This sounds a bit petty and childish to me. Why does it matter if professirs had a different interpretation of the bible as long they were conservative on major issues such as being against abortion.
Not that the professor does not say what the false pretense was. He just says their academic freedom and due Process were denied.
That is a lousy way to try to make a case. What false pretense? Did the Dean promise the students would respect the professor and they didn't?
Academic freedom? Did the professor want to teach that the earth was flat and the Dean would not allow the professor to do so?
Due Process. Did the Dean refuse to debate if the earth is flat?
These are ridiculous examples. When a complainant tells me which rules were broken but not what was actually done to them, it leads me to believe the complainant is afraid I might agree with the Dean if they told me what actually happened.. rather than just state which rules they say broken.
My way or the highway. From farther down the article...
"He said St. Augustine was in hell," said Root. "I heard it with my own ears." Other professors and students said Farris has repeatedly disparaged Calvinist theology.
"There is a sense that you face antagonism as someone who is theologically Reformed," said Bates, who sparred with Farris over a speech he was planning to deliver at the college's annual Faith and Reason Lecture, and again over the use of Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology textbook. According to Bates, Farris considered it "too Reformed."
"We are put in a hard position," said Bates. "We're told this is an open dialogue, but if you engage in open dialogue, you're in trouble. It's infuriating because you're an academic and want to engage in ideas."
Bates said that at a meeting with Farris, "He told me that a person of the Reformed position to which I hold cannot in good conscience sign the statement of faith. When I responded that I failed to see the discrepancy between the two, he replied, 'I define the statement of faith.'"
No one will take seriously any college that will not allow professors to ask students to consider the good that St. Augustine and Plato contributed to Western thought.
Nuf said.
The full article gives more details. CT only allows posting excerpts on FR.
This is certainly a good example of PC from a rightist perspective:
The debate reached a head when Root published an article entitled "Of St. Augustine, the Teacher, and Politics" in the campus publication The Source. The piece argued that St. Augustine "deserves to be called a Saint because he was instrumental in making political philosophy palpable to Christians and vice versa. … [He] taught Christians how to engage the culture around them."
Soon after its publication, Root learned his contract was being "temporarily withdrawn" based on the article as well as a complaint from a student's parent over his use of the "lifeboat example" in class. Root said the illustration was used to explain Thomas Hobbes's state of nature argument. "Acting academic dean [Marian Sanders] told me I couldn't use that any more," said Root. "She said that there are some questions we can't ask in class or entertain."
In a February 28 e-mail message, Farris asked Root to respond to seven "questions."
"The overall question is the fidelity to the biblical worldview in your role at PHC," stated Farris. The letter claimed "the well-known 'lifeboat' game" was "a recognized tool of those who wish to contend that there are no absolute values." It further asked for an "explanation about this episode and the underlying philosophy that this represents."
Raymond and Dorothy Moore could have predicted this - he had had prior problems with the homeschool community over various issues in the late 80s or early 90s.
" The piece argued that St. Augustine "deserves to be called a Saint because he was instrumental in making political philosophy palpable to Christians and vice versa. … [He] taught Christians how to engage the culture around them."
"
Scripture says the opposite; to render unto Caesar separately from God, and that a good soldier doesn't get entangled in the things of this world.
And why would this Baptist reckon Augustine to be in hell?
It's a good thing Mike Farris understands this or he might endanger his soul by running for lieutentant governor or endorsing candidates or something.
"It's a good thing Mike Farris understands this or he might endanger his soul by running for lieutentant governor or endorsing candidates or something."
Attaboy. Now you're talking.
Exactly!! A real saint would even shun voting!!
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