Re: [asa] Luther Rice University Masters degrees (was: The image of God)

"Yes, we absolutely do favor and encourage the formation of a
CHRISTIAN understanding; here we differ with the experience Burgy
described. "

After three years at Iliff, I think I can speak for them, as well as
Bill Dean, on this one. Clearly the Christian understanding (and
commitment) is favored at Iliff and by Dean. (Bill is a Lutheran BTW).
But non-Christians are not disfavored. Aside from a few Unitarians,
there were very few of them. One Unitarian (grudgingly, in the manner
of CS Lewis) converted to Christianity while we were there.

I like the way you teach. Exploration of varying views is almost
always a "good thing."

On 10/13/09, Ted Davis <TDavis@messiah.edu> wrote:
> Burgy's description of this course is not much different from my own
> approach to origins issues at Messiah. I don't tell students what I think
> unless they directly ask about a specific point (in which case I will tell
> them my view on that point), and I do tell them that their grade is based on
> their understanding of the issues and their ability to articulate that
> understanding, not upon the particular view they favor or even argue in
> favor of.
>
> At Messiah, we want to produce graduates who can think and who own their own
> understanding of Christian faith--not my understanding, not their parents'
> understanding, not their friends', but their OWN. Yes, we absolutely do
> favor and encourage the formation of a CHRISTIAN understanding; here we
> differ with the experience Burgy described. I won't defend that, simply b/c
> I don't think I should need to, given who we are. But the specifics of that
> understanding are what we encourage students to explore, in many different
> academic and non-academic settings.
>
> Ted
>
> Burgy wrote:
>
> Some one asked "What do you believe?" His answer was to the point. "If
> you say, however eloquently, that you believe as I do and can't
> explain reasons, you will flunk. If you say you believe something
> else, and explain so with passion and thought, you will get an "A." As
> far as what I think, that is not the subject of this course nor will
> it be."
>
>
>
>

-- 
Burgy
www.burgy.50megs.com
To unsubscribe, send a message to majordomo@calvin.edu with
"unsubscribe asa" (no quotes) as the body of the message.