Religious School Fires Theologian For "Open Theism"

Christianity Today ^ | 12/22/04 | Stan Guthrie

[kiriath_jearim]

Open or Closed Case? Controversial theologian John Sanders on way out at Huntington. By Stan Guthrie | posted 12/22/2004

While John Sanders and the Board of Trustees at Huntington College in Indiana disagree on whether God exhaustively knows the future, they agree that his days as a theology professor at the evangelical school are running out. The issue, according to both Sanders and G. Blair Dowden, the college's president, is not Sanders' belief in open theology, but his notoriety in advocating the doctrine. Both acknowledged that others on the faculty hold the same open theology views.

"You can be an open theist," Sanders told CT. "You just can't be a well-known one. That makes this a very interesting case."

After an executive session of the board was held in October, Dowden told members of the faculty that there "was very little support for John's continued employment at Huntington." Neither Sanders nor Dowden expect him back for the 2005-2006 academic year, which begins next fall. Dowden told ct that while the controversy is "directly related" to open theism, there is no requirement for professors on the issue.

"Not at all," Dowden said. "We have some other faculty who are open theists, but they're not teaching theology or Bible. It's not a litmus test."

Sanders, who has taught at the school of about 1,000 students for seven years, has been a focus of controversy over open theism for the past four years, he said. In November 2003, Sanders narrowly avoided being expelled from the Evangelical Theological Society over his beliefs. Some society members believe open theology violates the society's commitment to scriptural inerrancy.

Huntington removed Sanders from the tenure track over the controversy, but school officials attempted to give him some financial security by signing him to three-year rolling contracts, automatically renewable annually, unless the administration or board says No. In the event Sanders were to be dismissed, he would receive payment for the balance of the contract.

Sanders told ct he expects to be relieved of his position shortly, and that Dowden has "made it clear that my contract will not be renewed after the 2004-5 academic year." Sanders said that he is looking into other teaching positions and research grants, but that he has no other options waiting in the wings right now.

Earlier reports in ct and the Chronicle of Higher Education that Sanders had been "fired" were inaccurate. Dowden, who called Sanders a "brilliant scholar" and "excellent teacher," has been a defender of Sanders.

"John has done everything we have asked of him," Dowden said. But Dowden said that the United Brethren in Christ, which sponsors the school, "finds open theism troubling—some [leaders find it] very troubling."

Dowden added that academic freedom, while important, is not absolute. "For all Christian colleges, academic freedom is bounded in some way."

Sanders said the school is not following its own guidelines. "I do believe that the right to publish and academic freedom statements that the professors actually are working under are being violated," Sanders said. "They are being trodden upon."

Some students at the school are upset. Joni Michaud, a senior history major who is a leader in a student group supporting Sanders, said the controversy is "a case study in academic freedom." The group meets weekly to discuss strategy, has sent letters supporting Sanders to the board, and is seeking to raise awareness among other students. Michaud said the treatment of Sanders violates the school's statements lauding the "benefits of controversy" in an academic setting.

"If Dr. Sanders is indeed fired, I will graduate with a much lowered opinion of the institution," said Michaud, a pre-law major. "I will probably not make any financial contribution, and I will discourage people from attending."

Such talk is no doubt troubling to administrators, who have announced a freeze in tuition rates for the 2005-2006 academic year. Huntington College, to be renamed Huntington University in mid-2005, says the annual U.S.News & World Report survey of colleges consistently ranks it as one of the top comprehensive colleges in the Midwest.

Dowden said the board will next meet January 19-23, and the fate of Sanders could be formally decided then.

[Stan Guthrie is senior associate news editor for Christianity Today]

[Raycpa]

Only God can bring Glory, not sinners.

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" (Romans 3:23)

Men get no credit for being saved. Only Jesus.

without a correct choice from a spiritually dead sin enslaved person the deal can not be completed and therefore Christ's atonement is not complete and adequate by itself. Beyond reason.

Please show me how a dead person can make a correct choice.

[rwfromkansas]

You are claiming things that are outside orthodox Christianity, Calvinist or not.

[Raycpa]

Perhaps if you could give me an example of a knowable truth, without a scripture quote, it would help me to understand.

When a hammer falls on your head, it hurts.

[Raycpa]

Election, as Scripture details, is completely God-caused.

I agree despite every being of my mind wanting to disagree.

[Raycpa]

Nearly all religions have a core belief that you should love your neighbor.

But do thay have a belief that we are basically evil and need God to redeem us in order to be able to love our neighbor ?

[PFC]

But do thay have a belief that we are basically evil and need God to redeem us in order to be able to love our neighbor ?

If believing that helps you love your neighbor, I would not want to change your beliefs.

[suzyjaruki]

Thank you for taking the time to explain your beliefs at least in summary. As my father-in-law says, "Someday we will know, won't we?" There is one absolute truth we can all agree on at FR, and that is, that we are going to die. What we believe, while we are still living, has relevance for that moment doesn't it?

[OneVike]

(Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.)

You say you believe in God, yet how can you believe in God if you do not believe his word.

For the Word IS God.

Either you believe or you do not, you cannot have it both ways. Which is it?

[Raycpa]

But do thay have a belief that we are basically evil and need God to redeem us in order to be able to love our neighbor ?

Do you believe that man is basically good ? If so, we should have elimated evil deeds long ago.

[PFC]

Thank you for taking the time to explain your beliefs at least in summary. As my father-in-law says, "Someday we will know, won't we?" There is one absolute truth we can all agree on at FR, and that is, that we are going to die. What we believe, while we are still living, has relevance for that moment doesn't it?

Yes it does because it pushes us to be more than we are.

[Raycpa]

Either you believe or you do not, you cannot have it both ways. Which is it?

Personally, I believed in God before I believed that scripture was written by God. It was only after studying it over time that I came to begin to appreciate all that it is. No other writings can compare.

[rwfromkansas]

It is tough stuff. It took me a long time to accept it because I did not like it either.

But, now that I have, I feel like I am finally free to let God be God and just be grateful he gives mercy to any of us.

[editor-surveyor]

"Is this biblical?"

Certainly not now, but with all of the "new translations" popping up all the time, who knows if God will even survive the next ten years?

[maestro]

.....Ephesians 1:11

[maestro]

......Ephesians 1:11 KJV

[PFC]

You say you believe in God, yet how can you believe in God if you do not believe his word.

For the Word IS God.

Either you believe or you do not, you cannot have it both ways. Which is it?

For many the Bible and God is inseperable. And many believe that the only way to God is through the Bible. I don't share that belief. I do believe the Bible that can bring people to God. But I believe it was written by men about God, not by God. As a work of man there will be errors.

[kidkosmic1]

"You are a heretic."

This is nonsense. God forbid that you would call me a "heretic" for quoting black and white KJV Scripture. I believe the Bible is the literal word of God and that Jesus Christ is the great I Am who came down from Heaven in the flesh to sacrifice His perfect, sinless life to save mankind from his wretched sins. God forbid that you'd say such a thing. Do ye worship at the alter of John Calvin or the Pope? How absurd.

[DannyTN]

"Why do you believe this?"

A number of reasons

• I grew up in a Christian family and in church and could see the difference in my family and in other church members compared to friends families that were not active in church. For that matter, I could see a difference in the happiness level of people in the church who really seemed to try to apply the concepts and those who were kind of marginal members.
• I started praying at a young age and have seen a lot of answered prayers. Sure, some of them can be passed off as coincidence, but they add up. The totality of the evidence is awesome. And some answered prayers just can't be passed off as circumstance.
• I started reading the Bible at a young age and came to realize that the standard the Bible holds up is the purest standard I've ever seen. That it's message is true and wise. That you can put it's concepts to test and see the effects.
• I also became familiar with the prophecies contained in the Bible and realized that the Bible has a phenomenal track record. The prophecies can be time dated prior to fulfillment and are often quite specific. Some such as the prophesies about the return of Israel and descriptions of the last days can be seen to be lining up with modern day events.
• What's more the Bible is kind of like a tapestry. You have this very clear logical thread. Moses being confirmed as a prophet by huge miracles before millions. Moses prophesying about future prophets and how to recognize them. Moses and the prophets all prophesying about Jesus, but in a way that it's kind of hard to put it all together until the picture is complete. But in addition everything else seems to come together despite having been written by so many different authors. It's like a intricate web in it's complexity.
• It makes sense. It is reasonable that God would hold up a perfect standard of love and judge us by His expectation rather than grade us on a Bell curve. It is reasonable that He would condemn us for our failures to love. It's not reasonable that He would pay the price for us, but then love isn't reasonable and in the context of "God is Love", then it's understandable.
• I have looked enough at other religions to realize they don't compare.
• Christianity has the power to change lives. From my Grandfather who was an alcholic before accepting Jesus and for about 9 months after that. To countless people who live happier fuller lives because they have embraced the Lord. To myself who at 42 continues to learn things about myself that don't measure up from studying the Bible and ways to become a better person.

  There's probably a lot of other reasons. But that's a pretty good start.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

Ned Nickerson, I presume? 8~)