News

Confession Clash

Flagship college cited for faculty faith statement.

In his 25 years at Trinity Western University, Harro Van Brummelen says he has been free to teach as he chooses.

The fact that Trinity requires him to affirm the Bible as the final authority without error frees him to pursue truth from a Christian perspective. “In a sense, I have more academic freedom here than I would have in other situations,” said Van Brummelen, professor of education at the British Columbia school.

But Trinity’s faith statement for faculty puts it at the center of a national debate on whether such confessional standards are compatible with academic freedom.

The Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) says they are not. The 65,000-member advocacy group has found that Trinity, Canada’s largest evangelical college with 4,000 students, imposes “unwarranted and unacceptable constraints on academic freedom,” and noted that other religious universities impose no such limits.

“I understand they feel they must have these constraints,” said Penni Stewart, CAUT president and associate professor of sociology at York University. “In the end we disagree. It’s a clash of values, really.”

Trinity president Jonathan Raymond called the report “an arbitrary attack” and a “blacklist[ing]” that makes faculty appear “less worthy in Canadian academia.”

CAUT is investigating other flagship Christian colleges with required faith statements, a move that worries some Christian scholars. They are concerned the report could hurt Trinity’s standing with the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC), a prestigious body that has endorsed the school’s academic practices.

“The danger is that it will provoke the AUCC to reconsider the membership of these confessional schools,” said John Stackhouse, a theologian at Regent College in Vancouver. “That would be the equivalent of having your accreditation withdrawn.”

The CAUT report could have a “chilling effect” on other Christian colleges if it leads AUCC to reconsider their status, said Robert Sweetman, interim president of the Institute for Christian Studies, a Toronto graduate school.

The controversy is a new wrinkle in the long-standing tension between Christian and secular higher education in Canada. In 2001, the Supreme Court of Canada overturned the British Columbia College of Teachers’ refusal to accredit Trinity’s teacher education program because the school prohibited gay relationships.

Trinity is the first school cited by CAUT under a 2006 policy on ideological or faith tests.

Some Christian scholars say CAUT’s definition of academic freedom ignores the synergy that arises from shared beliefs.

“I have no problem with the idea of signing up to a confessional belief,” said David Lyon of Queen’s University, a secular Ontario school. “We all come to our research and teaching with particular sets of assumptions.”

Copyright © 2010 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Related Elsewhere:

Other recent education stories include:

Fight Between Erskine College and Its Denomination Will Head to Court | Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church fired board members, alleging mission drift. (March 17, 2010)

The Litmus Test | Trustee ban on “advocacy of homosexual practice and same-sex marriage” stirs up Calvin faculty. (October 28, 2009)

Liberty Unbound | How Jerry Falwell’s ambitious sons have led the Lynchburg university to financial success and a burgeoning student body. (September 10, 2009)

Also in this issue

The CT archives are a rich treasure of biblical wisdom and insight from our past. Some things we would say differently today, and some stances we've changed. But overall, we're amazed at how relevant so much of this content is. We trust that you'll find it a helpful resource.

Our Latest

News

Died: Bill Pannell, Black Evangelical Who Raised the Issue of Racism

He wanted white believers to reckon with “cultural captivity,” but saw them become “more and more American and less and less Christian.”

The Bulletin

Stop. Look. Listen. | Voting Third Party

The Bulletin’s Stop. Look. Listen. miniseries, part one: Why Matt Martens is voting third party.

Where Ya From?

Winning with Justice with Maya Moore Irons

 Hear basketball legend Maya Moore Irons’s remarkable story of faith, love, and justice.

News

How Messianic Jews Are Serving Israelis Displaced by Hamas and Hezbollah

In Israel’s only communal village of believers in Jesus, three women reflect on loving their neighbors—and their enemies—in the midst of war.

My Friend, Bill Pannell

A reflection on the trailblazing Black theologian and his influence on American evangelicalism.

News

When the Elder Calls—From Outer Space

Two sick church members in their 90s got a pastoral “visit” from a friend—an astronaut stuck on the International Space Station.

What Are Parents For?

Scripture has a clear vision for parents as stewards of our children. It’s not an instruction manual for modern parenting spats.

Being Human

Trauma, Tenacity, and Trusting God with Beth Moore

The Bible teacher and author reflects on the Lord’s presence throughout her life.

Apple PodcastsDown ArrowDown ArrowDown Arrowarrow_left_altLeft ArrowLeft ArrowRight ArrowRight ArrowRight Arrowarrow_up_altUp ArrowUp ArrowAvailable at Amazoncaret-downCloseCloseEmailEmailExpandExpandExternalExternalFacebookfacebook-squareGiftGiftGooglegoogleGoogle KeephamburgerInstagraminstagram-squareLinkLinklinkedin-squareListenListenListenChristianity TodayCT Creative Studio Logologo_orgMegaphoneMenuMenupausePinterestPlayPlayPocketPodcastRSSRSSSaveSaveSaveSearchSearchsearchSpotifyStitcherTelegramTable of ContentsTable of Contentstwitter-squareWhatsAppXYouTubeYouTube