|
MAINSTREAM MESSENGER Vol. 1, No. 2 September 1998Preserving and Protecting Academic Freedom at Oklahoma Baptist University by Rick McClatchy My involvement with Baptist universities involves being a student at one, teaching at one, and being a pastor to students and workers at one. Also Baptist university employees have worked on my church staff and preached and taught from my pulpit. I graduated from Howard Payne University, a Texas Baptist college. After my seminary education at Southwestern Seminary, I was an adjunct professor at Howard Payne for seven years. When I moved to the pastorate of University Baptist Church, Shawnee, I met many young men and women attending OBU. The administrators and faculty who belonged to that church included Tom Terry, John Parrish, and Larry Walker. I can testify to their Christian commitment and church involvement. I also worked with University church staff who taught at OBU: Alan Henderson, Randall Bradley, Ron Davis, Jim Vernon, and Keith Whitmore. Warren McWilliams, an OBU religion teacher and University Baptist member, preached or led Bible studies at the church during my pastorate. The faculty at OBU represents the type of people we need in our Baptist universities. All these experiences led me to value what Baptist universities offer churches. However, their values apply in direct proportion to the academic freedom on campus. Without academic freedom, I believe Baptist universities have little to offer the church. I concur wit the Covenant statement of Mainstream Oklahoma Baptists: a Baptist university needs to be "theologically rooted but not creedally restricted." Think about that! First, the instruction needs to be theologically rooted. Within Baptist tradition, our theology must be based on what the Bible teaches. Since our authority is the Bible, teaching at a Baptist university must have reverence for biblical authority. As the Baptist Faith and Message states, "the freedom of a teacher in Christian school, college, or seminary is limited by the Pre-eminence of Jesus Christ, by the authoritative nature of Scriptures, and by the distinct purposes for which the school exists." But, teaching at a Baptist university should not be creedally restricted. The goal of theological education in the Baptist tradition is not simply to stuff a mind with a single theological viewpoint. It must develop a mind that can analyze various theological views and formulate a personal theological view. Therefore, education must be conducted in an atmosphere of responsible, open inquiry. The Baptist Faith and Message asserts that Baptists may formulate doctrinal statements, but these "are not to be used to hamper freedom of thought or investigation in other realms of life." Simply put, Baptist education requires open inquiry without creedal restrictions. Teachers and students need to have the freedom to responsibly explore various theological views in their studies, readings, and associations with other groups. This may mean that, at times, someone at a university may challenge prevailing interpretations or practices of Baptists. But where would we be today if a teacher like T.B. Maston had not challenged Baptists about their racial viewpoints in the 1950's? Baptist universities have much to offer to the church if they maintain a biblical reverence and are allowed to operate in an atmosphere of open inquiry. We must work to preserve and protect this type of academic freedom -- "theologically rooted but not creedally restricted" -- at Baptist universities like OBU. This article was written on invitation of editor Richard kahoe; the editor is fully responsible for any mis-cues due to editing to fit space limitations in the printed edition. |
|
Online since April 7, 1999
E- mail questions or comments about this web site to bprescott@mainstreambaptists.orgCopyright © 1999-2003 MAINSTREAM OKLAHOMA BAPTISTS P.O. Box 6371 Norman, OK 73070-6371 (405) 329-2266.
|