This is interesting in light of the Union University departure:
WASHINGTON – The Council for Christian Colleges & Universities is pleased to announce the inclusion of the following new member and affiliate campuses:
- Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas, and Wisconsin Lutheran College in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, have both joined the CCCU as members.
- Southwestern Christian University in Bethany, Oklahoma, has joined the CCCU as an affiliate member.
The CCCU Board of Directors approved the admissions at its July meeting. Together these three institutions join 120 member campuses and 60 affiliate campuses from around the world in promoting Christian education.
Welcome aboard Harding University and Wisconsin Lutheran!
Addendum: Chris Gehrz just pointed out on Twitter that both Wisconsin Lutheran and Harding are conservative and traditional on marriage. Harding was mentioned in a New York Times article on gay identity at Christian colleges and Wisconsin Lutheran affirms that “homosexual lifestyle is a sin.” Yet these two schools have joined the CCCU precisely at the time that other schools, such as Union, are leaving over this issue.
Why is this the case?
It strikes me that both Harding University (Churches of Christ) and Wisconsin Lutheran College (Wisconsin Synod Lutheran) are from denominations that do not embrace a Reformed approach to cultural transformation in the way that Union does. I don’t know the Churches of Christ very well, but Lutherans do not tend to be culture warriors. Just a thought.
The cultural transformation point is interesting, John. Not sure what this means at Wisconsin Lutheran itself, but its denomination's statement on homosexuality tries to wrestle with the “two kingdoms” heritage and winds up with this: “We must distinguish between our duties as members of the church and our duties as citizens, though the first may have an effect on how we carry out the second…. As Christian citizens we should work for laws that will protect society from the harmful consequences of sin. As citizens we promote such laws on the basis of reason and natural knowledge of the law. If the state tolerates moral evils, which violate God’s law, we will continue to oppose them on the basis of God’s Word.” I'm curious to see how conservative Christian models of cultural engagement/transformation shift. Russell Moore's posture — staunchly oppose changes to traditional sexual ethics, yet also reject Christendom and culture war — might be an early example…
Harding was mentioned in a New York Times article on gay identity at Christian colleges and Wisconsin Lutheran affirms that “homosexual lifestyle is a sin.” Yet these two schools have joined the CCCU precisely at the time that other schools, such as Union, are leaving over this issue.
Why is this the case?
John: Correlation is not causation. It will be interesting to watch this unfold.
pietistschoolman.com said…
The cultural transformation point is interesting, John. Not sure what this means at Wisconsin Lutheran itself, but its denomination's statement on homosexuality tries to wrestle with the “two kingdoms” heritage and winds up with this: “We must distinguish between our duties as members of the church and our duties as citizens, though the first may have an effect on how we carry out the second…. As Christian citizens we should work for laws that will protect society from the harmful consequences of sin. As citizens we promote such laws on the basis of reason and natural knowledge of the law. If the state tolerates moral evils, which violate God’s law, we will continue to oppose them on the basis of God’s Word.”
I'm curious to see how conservative Christian models of cultural engagement/transformation shift. Russell Moore's posture — staunchly oppose changes to traditional sexual ethics, yet also reject Christendom and culture war — might be an early example…
This is not necessarily germane, since “cultural” transformation is a slippery enough term. “Christendom” is of course a risibly archaic term: The only question now is only how much the state shall assert sovereignty over the culture.