Student editorial: Quit dissing religion classes
By Jeff Brown
Sophomore
Concordia College
Martin Luther once wrote, “Parents cannot prepare a more dependable treasure for [their] children than an education in the liberal arts.” For Luther, education was a must, and parents had the joyous responsibility to grant their children an education. But note that Luther talks about a liberal arts education – a diverse, well-rounded, make-you-think-outside-of-the-box education.
Concordia’s purpose is grounded in this thought. Concordia is strong in the liberal arts, as an ELCA college. This place ensures that our brains and our souls work in partnership to better ourselves and better our world. However, I have noticed differing thoughts in some students toward this liberal arts idea of education. There is a lack of challenge, a lack of risk-taking, a lack of vulnerability. Nowhere do I see this more prevalent than in religion classrooms.
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A religion major myself, I have witnessed on occasion some students adhering rigidly to their own opinions and ideas, as if the issues, texts, and ideas could be easily “answered,” so to speak. This is not the Lutheran tradition that Concordia was founded on.
In his book “Lutheran High Education: An Introduction,” Dr. Ernest Simmons commented on this idea: “The Lutheran tradition is the commitment to ecumenical (communal) dialogue…It was the tradition of Luther and his colleagues to debate vigorously with one another and engage in dialogue with other reformers…The way of Lutheranism contributes to ecumenical dialogue and also affects the way faith and learning are exemplified in institutions of higher learning.”
I am not writing to call anyone out on anything done in the classroom, but I am urging my fellow Cobbers to give these religion classes and professors a chance.
I am not writing on behalf of the religion department or any professor(s). I have simply seen enough negativity towards these classes that I feel a voice needs to be heard. These classes are designed to enrich your education and you, not to make you question your faith or convictions. These professors have studied deeply for years in biblical texts, ethics, history, etc., and deserve the utmost respect for what they present to us, as do all professors.
According to Concordia’s academic catalog, “The study of religion is an essential component of the academic program at Concordia. Religious beliefs and practices organize human life around ultimate commitments and concerns. Understanding the varied forms and elements of the religious life contributes to quality liberal arts learning, and to personal enrichment through engagement with perennial questions about meaning, truth and value.”
It seems to me that Concordia’s religion department is right on track with Martin Luther’s idea of a liberal arts education.
Now, I do understand that to set aside deeply held convictions in the classroom can be very difficult. I can honestly say I have struggled with it myself, and this is coming from a pre-seminary student, planning on becoming a pastor. Yet, I have found that, as difficult as it can be at times, these classes actually can – and do – enrich one’s faith and convictions.
In his book “Holy Restlessness: Reflections on Faith and Learning,” Concordia President Emeritus, Paul J. Dovre wrote: “As a college, we speak of the liberal arts as a means of freeing people from ignorance and equipping them for a meaningful life. These classes are designed to better one’s self – to be a better, more educated Christian, Jew, Muslim, whatever the case may be. Even if one does not adhere to a faith, these classes offer a chance to broaden horizons and experiences, making for a better-rounded individual – for the sake of the world.”
We are enriched by those around us, and even more so by those who share experiences and ideas different than what we might have. Dr. Simmons expanded: “The [Lutheran] tradition provides colleges with both the freedom and the responsibility to confront culture. Jesus moved about in the culture of his day…Lutheran colleges are freed, indeed obliged, to follow this example.” This is the firm foundation on which Concordia stands.
Should we, as students at this place, not also stand on that same foundation? Dare to challenge yourselves, Cobbers. Dare to make yourselves vulnerable. Dare to enhance your faith and values.
Concordia College is in Moorhead, Minn. This commentary first appeared in The Concordian, the college’s student newspaper. It has been reprinted with permission of the school.
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Tags: Cobbers, Concordia, Jeff Brown, religion
The following individuals are known murder victims with ELCA ties killed since Pretty Good Lutherans was started in September 2009:
March 16th, 2010 at 8:55 am
Related:
http://www.student.virginia.edu/~decweb/lite/
March 16th, 2010 at 10:41 am
Regardless of what you may think about Jeff’s argument, he displays good writing and critical skills. I want to be supportive of young people who write by providing a platform for their work.
March 16th, 2010 at 10:51 am
As a former Concordia College grad from a long time ago, I applaud Jeff’s courage in writing this article for the Concordian. I feel I had a wonderful education at CC, and the religion profs were my favorites. I am sorry to hear that some students feel they need to refute rather than learn. Honest questioning is one thing–closing the mind to new learning is another. My faith grew and matured at Concordia largely because of wise religion professors who challenged us to go deeper into the Bible than we had done as children.
March 16th, 2010 at 12:03 pm
Susan, thanks for posting this.
I am a Concordia College student and I actually live a few doors down from Jeff. One of the main reasons why he wrote this, I believe, is because of a select group of students affiliated with Campus Crusade for Christ (CC).
Concordia did not grant club status to CC because student affairs officials determined they did not meet standards for organizations that we have as a college of the ELCA. In other words, because they are very exclusive and fundamentalist, the college did not think it was a good idea to approve of this or promote it.
In fact, the atheist group–which was also denied club status–got even more approval than CC. Why? Well, the atheist group did not exclude folks or–after their second constitutional change–make them subject to any sort of belief (or lack of belief).
But CC is not giving up.
At the beginning of the year they hosted pizza parties. (I should mention this is common nationwide with CC–as heard on National Public Radio.) What’s so harmless about a pizza party? The members of CC go to freshman during orientation and tell them to head over to the courtyard for a gathering–not mentioning their CC agenda–and once they are comfortable and eating pizza, begin to talk about “The Crusade!”
The reason for these gatherings, I have noticed, is (1) they cannot advertise like approved student organizations and (2) as mentioned before, it is their standard tactic.
There is another newly denied organization that cooperates with CC on campus: “The Remedy.” The Remedy is a group of music students that feel Campus Ministry (the ELCA) is not catering to their style of worship i.e. because the ELCA now welcomes homosexuals in committed relationships, they believe separation is needed.
It’s like the “CORE” of Concordia.
Disturbingly, The Remedy attracts a big crowd at their gatherings. So, out of curiosity I went one Monday evening. (SIDE NOTE: I went under the impression that The Remedy was affiliated with Campus Ministry and the ELCA)
When I arrived, I was not feeling so welcome. The format of The Remedy is to have music for the first twenty minutes with no lights on, a featured speaker, and gender specific bible study.
The bible study portion is when I decided I could not go back.
Rather then discussing, well, the Bible, the student leaders talked about how Concordia professors (in the Religion department) are trying to turn them “atheist.” They say they came to Concordia because they expected an environment where Christ is first and they teach the bible–literally, of course–because “that’s what you do at a Christian college.”
I should also note that the name of the course in question is Religion 100: Christianity & Religious Diversity–a required class for all students.
I guess they missed the religious diversity part.
March 16th, 2010 at 1:03 pm
Dear Matt,
I know well the “evangelism” tactics you describe. I was still a Catholic in college, and at a public university, so Campus Crusade for Christ and InterVarsity Christian Fellowship came after me with a vengeance. It was horrible. Their understanding of Catholicism was built on prejudice and stupidity. They routinely slid “pope is the anti-Christ” pamphlets under my door.
As a reporter, I’ve written extensively about their tactics. They see the manipulation of students as okay as long as they’re “winning souls for Jesus.” The fact that the students may already be active in a church or enjoy a vibrant faith doesn’t matter.
In my day, InterVarsity planted their followers around campus as new students arrived to “help” the newcomers with their luggage. IV members would then invite the new students to pizza parties, etc., and pretend to be their friends. After trust was built, the unsuspecting students would be bombarded with the fellowship’s narrow view of Jesus and religion.
It’s a terrible ruse that causes confusion for students. I know many heartbreaking stories of students led into these groups, and away from their families. Although both Campus Crusade for Christ and InterVarsity enjoy a stellar reputation in nondenominational and Southern Baptist circles, I think their attitude that Christians who don’t believe their way are in need conversion is despicable and un-Christian.
Susan
March 16th, 2010 at 1:10 pm
P.S. Could you tell Jeff Brown hello?
March 16th, 2010 at 3:36 pm
There is another newly denied organization that cooperates with CC on campus: “The Remedy.” The Remedy is a group of music students that feel Campus Ministry (the ELCA) is not catering to their style of worship i.e. because the ELCA now welcomes homosexuals in committed relationships, they believe separation is needed.
It’s like the “CORE” of Concordia.
To be more accurate, this group ( http://www.livewiredj.net/concordian/pacercms/article.php?id=1155 ) appears to be more Pentacostal in nature – the comments about the lights being off to “focus on God more”, etc.
In combatting groups like this, students (and really, the campus pastoral staff) does need to focus on not only visceral reactions, but also a firm apologetic in defense of the faith with a strong leaning toward making an argument for your particular belief or viewpoint. (Luther was a particularly strong defender of the doctrine of justification; so should we all be.)
This is actually a shortcoming – see Edmundson’s article – about how we approach the liberal arts. The authors and thinkers you encounter in a liberal arts tradition aren’t just providing entertainment or amusements – they are making arguments meant to convince you of a particular value or set of facts. I can recall from my days on campus a particular attitude toward the arguments proposed by an author/thinker that does a particular violence to intellectualism – the “Oh, well – everyone has opinions, you know” type of discussion.
CC and IV are two groups that focus on a particular defense of a particular viewpoint that someone steeped in the “oh, well” lines of thought is particularly vulnerable to. (Either by purposeful training or the belief that liberal arts are just stepping stones to getting a “real” degree.)
One word of warning: when someone from a prison fellowship group doing campus evangelism physically stops you (hand on chest) to proof-text an argument as to why you’re going to hell, it’s best not to anger him by explaining the context of a poorly interpreted verse or to paraphrase Shakespeare with “the devil can quote scripture to his own purposes”. Everyone sins, and sometimes their sins can are of the particular predilection that led them to prison in the first place.
(The example I’m thinking of invoked the presence of a few campus security officers and my quick exit-stage-right maneuver to my next class…)
March 16th, 2010 at 5:04 pm
Part of the lesson here is mainline Protestant denominations continue to decrease support for campus ministries. Some nondenominational groups are eager to fill that ministry gap and, in fact, seize upon it as opportunity.
March 16th, 2010 at 5:56 pm
In my time at an ELCA college in the mid-00s, I found that evangelical religious groups had more and more influence over the student body as the years went on. I think my college allowed groups like Campus Crusade, or, at any rate, I knew a lot of people who were very active in organizations like that. I don’t recall the staff of the Lutheran campus ministries having much of anything positive or negative to say about them. A lot of students were involved in both.
The pastor who led the Lutheran ministry at the public college where I completed my M.A., though, was downright scornful when he discussed Campus Crusade. Much of the work he did on a daily basis involved counseling students who were kicked out of the organization for questioning the group’s interpretation of the Bible, or coming out as gay or lesbian, etc. These people’s faith was so tied up in their involvement in Campus Crusade that being removed from the group really caused them to question whether they could even be Christian or have a spiritual life outside of the organization.
I had to take two religion classes as an undergraduate, and I loved both of them. The way that I understand my faith, the Bible, and Lutheranism was influenced greatly by these courses, and the religion department had some of the very best professors on campus – and I say this as someone who never considered a major in their department for a second. Great, thought-provoking article and comments, here. Thank you.
March 16th, 2010 at 6:15 pm
Ann,
Thank you for your thoughtful comment.
Susan
March 17th, 2010 at 8:15 am
I think it’s great that Jeff wrote this article. I was a religion and philosopher major at a Methodist university and was challenged and strengthened.
However.
For every story like mine (or Jeff’s, or Ann’s), there are stories like that of my wife, who attended an ELCA university and was told by a professor (who also happens to be an ELCA pastor) that who was she to think that, even if there was a God, that God would care about something as insignificant as her. Not even the most egregious thing that professor said, unfortunately.
I don’t know that trading war stories is helpful; but perhaps we could focus on what ELCA campus ministries can do to help those students who are struggling with what their professors say (including giving them strength to respectfully challenge their professors), rather than label those students as close-minded, fundamentalist, or whatever the most popular label is these days.
March 17th, 2010 at 9:48 am
Keith,
Thanks for sharing.
One concern of mine is that financial support for campus ministries has dropped significantly across mainline Protestant denominations over the years. So yes, supporting campus ministry is significant.
“War stories” feels pejorative to me. Trading stories about religious groups that aggressively prey upon students and proselytize is important. It’s how you raise awareness.
Does that mean members of Campus Crusade for Christ and InterVarsity Christian Fellowship are to be condemned? Many would say only for deceptive tactics, but not for their zeal, faith or ways of worship.
I don’t know if that professor was an atheist, but clearly what he or she said upset your wife. I’m sorry for that. At the same time, the question posed is often used as a rhetorical device by people of faith to reflect on the magnificence of God.
Again, thanks for writing. I hope my note isn’t coming across as argumentative, because I’m writing as though we are sitting across a table having a friendly conversation. I worry the written word doesn’t convey that.
Kind regards,
Susan
March 19th, 2010 at 1:06 pm
This comment thread is probably dead now, but I’ve been thinking more about this column and had some additional thoughts to share.
I teach college students now, and I think there is also a real resistance among many students to the type of liberal arts education that a lot of the ELCA colleges offer. Few students are interested in knowledge for the sake of knowledge, or in expanding or changing their world view (no matter where on the political or theological spectrum they land). For many, courses like those in the religion department are just another thing to check off the list before they can graduate and go into the “real world.” They don’t want to be confronted with things that would change how they perceive the world around them. They want to punch their ticket, complete all the requirements, get a degree, and start making some money. They are customers of the university and it is not the university’s place to make them uncomfortable about their political or religious views.
I was very surprised by this attitude among my students when I first encountered it. I loved that my college encouraged me to explore my interests, take classes in lots of different disciplines, and learn something new. My commitment to the liberal arts caused my GPA to suffer a little, as I often chose unfamiliar classes that sounded interesting over easier classes that I knew I would do well in. I learned very quickly that I (and Jeff Brown) are in the minority.
March 28th, 2010 at 5:24 pm
I might be the last to comment in this thread, but I wanted to thank Jeff for his post. I graduated from St. Olaf (another ELCA college) in 2004, and had a similar experience to his at Concordia now. I have to say, though, that when I arrived the fall of my freshman year and was in some required intro religion class, I felt like my professor was crazy to ask questions of God and wonder anything about God creating evil, and other hot topics. Looking back, I don’t know what kind of religious standing my prof. had, but I do think he was trying to challenge us and play devil’s advocate. I don’t know if I was ready for it at the time and I criticized him and the religion department for trying to stuff their agenda down our (students’) throats (and I got involved in IV and FCA…CC wasn’t allowed at St. Olaf either). Little did I know then that I would end up pursuing the religion major and love the religion profs more than any others on campus. They challenged me and helped build me into who I am today.
It’s one of my theories that as young adults – jr. high, high school, into college – we look for structure and well-defined boundaries. In the realm of faith that means that I think we look for the black and white b/c the grey is too hard to figure out when the rest of life feels like it’s in turmoil. I’m sure this doesn’t apply to everyone, but it was true for me, and I see it in our youth today. As a youth minister I struggled to figure out how to do ministry and proclaim a gospel to kids that exists in the grey. Black and white seems so much easier for them – for all of us – b/c it’s easy to say who’s in and who’s out. Unfortunately we don’t build community that way – we tear it down. And love is not proclaimed. That’s enough for today…
March 28th, 2010 at 5:35 pm
What I meant to say with my own experience is that sometimes we need to be there to give people time to get to the point when they can open their eyes and experience the conversation that Jeff pointed out is a core Lutheran value – to engage in ecumenical dialogue. In order to engage in ecumenical dialogue, one has to be able to let go of what they believe and entertain the notion that they might not be right. That is a threatening place to be when you’re struggling to hold onto one thing that feels right in the world (read: freshman in college).
As people who want to engage ecumenically, we get to walk with those who aren’t ready: walk with them, encourage them, talk with them, and wait for them, until we can dialogue together. I think it’s great that Jeff is where he is – ready to engage in that deep level of conversation. I want to encourage him to be patient with those who aren’t – they might come around eventually, like I did. They need people like Jeff, and maybe people like Jeff (and now myself) need them too.