Robert Cargill is collecting letters in support of Christopher Rollston, a tenured professor of an endowed chair at Emmanuel Christian Seminary who is facing possible termination. Personally, I don’t know Rollston, but this particular situation mocks the whole idea tenure and academic freedom. If you’d like to contribute a letter of support for Cargill to post you can do so by going here.
Also, I’d like to bring attention to a post by Anthony LeDonne that I think needs to be given more attention. As we see quality scholar after quality scholar shoved out the door of their respective institutions we must ask if there is anything we can do to provide a network of support for them. In his post “What can be done for academics burned by Christian fundamentalist?” LeDonne asks if anyone has any ideas they’d like to share. I suggested we find a handful of spiritual retreat centers (Christian camps, monasteries) where we can all put money into a general fund to be used the next time someone like Enns, or Licona, or LeDonne, or Pahl are mistreated. If the costs are paid said scholar and family can go spend some time in recovery afterward without using their own money. I am sure that there are other good ideas out there, so discuss!
Finally, it appears the this year’s AAR/SBL Biblioblogger’s Gathering has been scheduled. It will be Sunday evening, November 18th at 7 PM. We will meet at Kitty O’Shea’s Irish Pub at the Chicago Hilton. For more information see James McGrath’s announcement here.
the archives near Emmaus 
I am not an academic. But I have thought for a while that this is an area where some reasonable people can get together and work out some solutions that work on both sides. I know that losing a job is big deal. So I don’t want to minimize that at all.
But it seems to me that this is always going to be a problem. People will do research and they will come to different conclusions. Sometime it is clear that the institution is in the wrong. Sometimes the professor really has moved outside the theological spectrum of the institution.
I think the best solution is for a foundation to be created to provide for a year (or two) in academic residency for those that are being dismissed. It would be great if several seminaries would also participate to house that residency and provide some care to the individuals involved.
While I think it is a decent idea to fight for academic freedom, I just don’t think it is something that in the long run really helps anyone. So give the institutions some cover and provide some assistance to the recovering academics as they find new positions
I know that is probably too simplistic. But it seems like a reasonable solution.
Usually, I agree that there is little we can do. For example, I don’t think Michael Pahl had anything close to tenure, so while it may be annoying to watch Cedarville University toss him aside it is not the same as Emmanuel Christian Seminary dishonoring the meaning of tenure. Also, as Cargill has shown there are some very unique mistakes being made by ECS with legal implications.
I will add: one way to send a message to places like Lincoln Christian University and Cedarville University is to avoid accepting positions at their institutions. I know that is hard for many, but these institutions do not deserve quality scholars.
Just FYI I saw a quick little article on Christianity Today about whether Christian schools should give tenure at all http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2012/november/should-seminary-professors-be-granted-tenure.html
Honestly, I am fine with an institution deciding that tenure isn’t an option for their professors, especially a confessional institution. I think Western Seminary (where I studied) did not offer tenure. At least professors know that they can plan to be somewhere only as long as their contract stipulates, that they can be removed if they change their mind as regards affirming the school’s doctrinal statement, and that they work for a institution that does not offer them the opportunity to work for tenure or any long term stability.
I think places like Cedarville University and Lincoln Christian University made mistakes and mishandled their professors, but I think that they are less culpable than an institution that offers tenure and then tries to go back on it.
Brian, I’m with you – this is getting ridiculous. We’re seeing before us the collapse of Christian thinkers at seminaries.
That said – what makes this not a slippery slope? Shouldn’t a seminary have the right to decide between employing a John Shelby Spong and a Craig Evans? If seminaries are outright denied the ability to impose (self-imposed) standards as to who they employ, doesn’t it degrade into a slippery slope?
I join you in lamenting what is happening, but I feel the seminaries engaged in these practices ultimately have to sleep in the bed they make – which means if they continue doing this seminarians will follow the talent away and these abuse of confessionalist actions are ultimately self-regulating.
Andrew
I do think institutions like Christian universities, colleges, and seminaries should be given the right to hold their faculty to a statement of belief. If an institution offers tenure though this means that this institution knows that they are offering a professor the earned right to protected academic freedom. In this case, while it may be annoying to have someone turn from a statement of belief affirming faculty member to a John Shelby Spong that is still the function of tenure. Institutions that want to avoid this altogether are wise to avoid offering tenure at all, even if that prohibits them from hiring some of the best educators.
In the cases of LeDonne and Pahl (two of the most recent ones) I think the problem isn’t that these people went away from the statement of belief as much as they didn’t align with some ultra-conservative people’s interpretation of the statement of belief. Statements of belief should have flexibility. If an institution doesn’t want that flexibility than they need to be honest and define what they mean in their statement of belief, even if it makes it really long.
The call really should be in support of God and HIS ways. Not academic freedom and those who choose to disobey God and call Him wrong.
Well, I agree in part. I say ‘in part’ because seminaries are centres of ‘education’, competing with one another for students, which means as much as we’d like to treat them as though they have the single purpose of preparing shepherds for the flock, fact is they are under tremendous pressure to do more.
In addition, because they employ faculty more than mere teachers, they are under tremendous pressure to do research. When you say ‘God and HIS ways’, that isn’t exactly something fully understood – hence the ‘research’ part. Our understanding of ‘God and HIS ways’ comes from our study.
So the dichotomy and the choice isn’t entirely black or white.