Wittenberg Door Campus Ministry
  • Home
  • Calendar
    • Events
  • Blog
  • Recording Archives
  • Resources
    • Christianity 101
    • Greek Tutorials
  • About
    • About Wittenberg CoMo
    • Support Us
    • Contact Us
  • Position Papers
  • Sandbox
  • Greek Tutorials

It's Tough to Eliminate Religion

11/28/2018

0 Comments

 
Wednesdays are for Bits and Pieces
11/28/18
Sommerville, C. John. The Decline of the Secular University.  New York: Oxford University Press, 2006.
Chapter 4 “Trouble Eliminating Religion” pp. 47-59.

Sommerville points to educational challenges which relate to secularism, a removal of religion from all disciplines. However, he has not yet clarified what he means by “religion.” In Summerville’s paradigm it is not a system of creeds and dogmas. Those are normally present in religion, but Sommerville takes religion to be broader than that. He includes the idea of the traditional intellectual virtues to be included in religion. There may be numerous different religiously held philosophical points of view in academia. Not all are clearly religious sects (Sommerville 2006, 47). Sommerville treats as religious those questions which “elicit one’s ultimate concerns and commitments” (Sommerville 2006, 48). Because these are important questions they deserve exploration. However, he finds they are merely dismissed by academia, eve though many of the important trends in Western thought can be traced to religious, and often distinctly Christian, roots. Because so many ideas in the academic traditions are derived from Christianity, Sommerville suggests it would not be harmful to allow Christianity to speak in the academy.

Sommerville notes the alarm with which this idea is received. This alarm is often based on the fact that Christianity still thinks it has answers for this day, as opposed to being simply historically useful (Sommerville 2006, 49). Sommerville points out that while Christianity is not very helpful in developing data points and proof of events, it can b very illuminating as we try to interpret the significance of the evidence. This is the bulk of the work in many areas of academia (Sommerville 2006, 50). For the most part, the university population is pursuing disciplines which seek the human good. Therefore, they often work outside the realm of definitive proof. This allows room for debate about what human good actually is.

Religion, then, stands apart from secularism. Yet as we pursue a secular naturalism, we find less room “to express human values” (Sommerville 2006, 51). These expressions of human values are still needed and commonly used. Sommerville fears that removing those values from academia will simply drive more of a wedge between the academy and common life. Rather, he would like to see more of the diversity which is found by open discussion of ethical and value-laden topics. Sommerville further finds that Christians have typically been willing to discuss  these issues with secularists but that the secularists have not been willing (Sommerville 2006, 52). Sommerville goes on to discuss the objections of postmodern pioneer Stanley Fish, who found secularists too closed-minded toward historic religions (Sommerville 2006, 52ff). Fish’s analysis concluded that the secularists were committed to analysis which discounts all traditional authority, while the Christians viewed traditional authority as something valuable and profitable (Sommerville 2006, 54). In sharp contrast to this pattern, Sommerville cites John Stuart Mill, who was a staunch secularist, but who urged education for training the will in moral and religious values (Sommerville 2006, 55).

Because humans continue to think and speak in terms of values and morals, Sommerville concludes that there is an important role for religion in our research and discourse about the sciences and humanities (Sommerville 2006, 56). In history, the religious or moral value which has often held intellectual discourse together has been a concept of honor. “Honor depends on pride and class prejudice, being the focal point of a self-regarding value system. Scientists had to invest honor with an importance that makes strange reading today. It served its purpose in guaranteeing and enforcing scholarly standards when they were new and unfamiliar” (Sommerville 2006, 57). The codes of honor which could protect truth claims and prevent fabrication of evidence were very helpful in terms of guarding academic integrity, at least for some time. Sommerville suggests that the condes of honor may have been replaced, at least partly, by the assumption that intelligent people will abandon religious faith at an early age, then teach others to do so (Sommerville 2006, 57). This leaves a strong impression that religion is childish and useless. It also actively discourages teachers of religion from urging young people to pursue challenging intellectual topics (Sommerville 2006, 58). This weakens both the religious organization adn the academy.

​
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    ​Help Fuel This Ministry by Clicking Here!

    All the work of Wittenberg Door Campus Ministry, including this blog, is supported by the generosity of people like you. Please consider joining our team of prayer and financial supporters. Read more here!
    Please Note: The opinions presented in blog posts are not necessarily those of Wittenberg Door Campus Ministry. Frequently we report on contrary views, often without comment. Please chime in on the discussion.

    About Throwing Inkwells

    When Martin Luther was dealing with struggles in his life he once saw what appeared to be an angelic being. Not trusting that he was going to be informed by someone other than the God revealed in Scripture, he took the appearance to be untrustworthy and hurled his inkwell at it. The chipped place in the plaster wall is still visible at the Wartburg Castle, though apparently the ink stain on the wall has been refreshed periodically by the caretaker.

    Blog Feeds

    RSS Feed

    Want to keep up with what's happening at Wittenberg Door? Subscribe to our mailing list!

    Categories

    All
    1 Corinthians
    1 John
    1 Kings
    1 Peter
    1 Samuel
    1 Thessalonians
    1 Timothy
    2019-02-feb
    2 Chronicles
    2 Corinthians
    2-john
    2-kings
    2 Peter
    2 Samuel
    2 Thessalonians
    2 Timothy
    3-john
    Academic-success
    Acts
    Advent 1
    Advent-1-a
    Advent-1b
    Advent-1c
    Advent 2
    Advent-2-a
    Advent-2b
    Advent-2c
    Advent 3
    Advent-3-a
    Advent-3b
    Advent-3c
    Advent 4
    Advent-4-a
    Advent-4b
    Advent-4c
    Alesso-2009
    Alexander 1999
    Allitt-2010
    Alon 1996
    Amos
    Aristotle
    Ash Wednesday
    Audet 1996
    Augustine
    Bakker 1993
    Bammel 1996
    Baptism Of Christ
    Baptism-of-the-lord-b
    Bauckham 2006
    Belonging
    Ben-Amos 1999
    Betz 1996
    Biesenthal 1893
    Boehme-2010
    Braaten 2007
    Bruce1988
    Bruce-1988
    Bryennios
    Butler 1960
    Canonicity
    Capon1998
    Capon-1998
    Carson-1991
    Carson-moo-2005
    Catholicism
    Christmas-1b
    Christmas-1c
    Christmas Dawn
    Christmas-day
    Christmas Eve
    Christmas Midnight
    Chronicles
    Circumcision And Naming Of Christ
    Colossians
    Confession Of Peter
    Confessions
    Connolly 1932
    Connolly 1933
    Connolly 1934
    Constanza-2013
    Culley 1986
    Daniel
    DeHalleux 1996
    Deuteronomy
    Didache
    Diversity
    Dix 1933
    Dix2005
    Dix-2005
    Doane 1994
    Draper
    Draper 1989
    Draper 1995
    Draper 1996
    Draper 2000
    Easter 2
    Easter-2a
    Easter2b
    Easter-2c
    Easter 3
    Easter-3a
    Easter-3b
    Easter-3c
    Easter 4
    Easter-4a
    Easter-4b
    Easter-4c
    Easter 5
    Easter-5a
    Easter-5b
    Easter 6
    Easter-6a
    Easter-6b
    Easter-6c
    Easter 7
    Easter-7a
    Easter-7b
    Easter-7c
    Easter-b
    Easter Day
    Easter-sunday-a
    Easter-sunday-c
    Ecclesiastes
    Eleutheria-2014
    Elman 1999
    Ephesians
    Epiphany
    Epiphany-1c
    Epiphany-2-a
    Epiphany-2c
    Epiphany-3-a
    Epiphany-3b
    Epiphany-3c
    Epiphany-4-a
    Epiphany-4b
    Epiphany-4c
    Epiphany-5-a
    Epiphany-5b
    Epiphany-5c
    Epiphany-6-a
    Epiphany-6c
    Epiphany-7-a
    Epiphany-c
    Epistle Of Barnabas
    Esther
    Eucharist
    Eve Of The Circumcision Of Christ
    Exodus
    Exodus-20
    Ezekiel
    Ezra
    Fagerberg1988
    Fagerberg-1988
    Farrell 1987
    Flew-2007
    Flusser 1996
    Forde-2007
    Fraade 1999
    France-2007
    Galatians
    Genesis
    Gibbs 2006
    Glover 1958
    Gonzalez-2010
    Grosvener & Schaff 1885
    Grosvenor 1884
    Guardian Of Jesus
    Habakkuk
    Haggai
    Harnack 1884
    Hebrews
    Henderson 1992
    Henderson-1992
    History
    Hoffman 1986
    Holy Innocents
    Hosea
    Hutchens-2013
    Hymes 1994
    Infertility
    Isaiah
    Jaffee 1999
    James
    Jeffreys 1986
    Jeremiah
    Jerome
    Job
    Joel
    John
    Jonah
    Joseph
    Joshua
    Jude
    Judges
    Jungmann 1959
    Justin-martyr
    Kelber 1987
    Kelber 1995
    Kevil
    Kings
    Kleinig-2013
    Koch-2010
    Kolb2000
    Kolb-2000
    Kolbarand2008
    Kolb-arand-2008
    Kurekchomycz2009
    Lamentations
    Last Sunday Of The Church Year
    Last-sunday-of-the-church-year-a
    Last-sunday-of-the-church-year-b
    Last Sunday Of The Church Year C
    Lectionary
    Lent 1
    Lent-1-a
    Lent-1b
    Lent-1c
    Lent 2
    Lent-2-a
    Lent-2b
    Lent-2c
    Lent 3
    Lent-3-a
    Lent-3b
    Lent-3c
    Lent 4
    Lent-4-a
    Lent-4b
    Lent-4c
    Lent 5
    Lent-5-a
    Lent-5b
    Lent-5c
    Lessing2014
    Lessing-2014
    Leviticus
    Lincoln 1885
    Long-2009
    Lord 1986
    Lord 1987
    Luke
    Luther
    Maas-2014
    MacCoull 1999
    Malachi
    Mark
    Marty-2016
    Martyrs
    Mason 1998
    Matthew
    Matthias
    Mazza 1996
    Mcknight-2014
    Micah
    Milavec-2003
    Milavec-2012
    Mitch-2010
    Molina & Evers 1998
    Montenyohl 1993
    Morris-1992
    Motyer-1993
    Mueller 2006
    Music
    Nahum
    Nehemiah
    Neufeld 1999
    Newsletter
    Newtestament
    New Testament
    Niditch 1995
    Niederwimmer 1996
    Numbers
    Obadiah
    Oldtestament
    Old Testament
    Olsen 1986
    Ong 1987
    Ong 1988
    Ong 1995
    Orality
    Ordination
    Orphan-hosting
    Osborne-2002
    Osborne-2013
    Ozment1980
    Ozment-1980
    Palm-sunday-a
    Palm-sunday-c
    Parks 1986
    Passionb
    Pearce 1993
    Pentateuch
    Pentecost-10a
    Pentecost-10b
    Pentecost-10c
    Pentecost-11a
    Pentecost-11b
    Pentecost-11c
    Pentecost-12a
    Pentecost-12b
    Pentecost-12c
    Pentecost-13a
    Pentecost-13b
    Pentecost13c
    Pentecost-13c
    Pentecost-14a
    Pentecost-14b
    Pentecost-14c
    Pentecost-15
    Pentecost-15a
    Pentecost-15b
    Pentecost-15c
    Pentecost-16
    Pentecost-16a
    Pentecost-16b
    Pentecost 16C
    Pentecost-17a
    Pentecost-17b
    Pentecost 17C
    Pentecost-18a
    Pentecost-18b
    Pentecost 18 C
    Pentecost-19a
    Pentecost-19b
    Pentecost 19 C
    Pentecost-1a
    Pentecost-20a
    Pentecost-20b
    Pentecost 20 C
    Pentecost-21a
    Pentecost-21b
    Pentecost 21 C
    Pentecost-22a
    Pentecost-22b
    Pentecost 22 C
    Pentecost-23a
    Pentecost-23b
    Pentecost 23 C
    Pentecost-24a
    Pentecost-24b
    Pentecost-24-c
    Pentecost-25b
    Pentecost-25-c
    Pentecost-26b
    Pentecost-26-c
    Pentecost-2a
    Pentecost-2b
    Pentecost-2c
    Pentecost-3a
    Pentecost-3b
    Pentecost-3c
    Pentecost-4a
    Pentecost-4b
    Pentecost-4c
    Pentecost-5a
    Pentecost-5b
    Pentecost-5c
    Pentecost-6a
    Pentecost-6b
    Pentecost-6c
    Pentecost-7a
    Pentecost-7b
    Pentecost-7c
    Pentecost-8a
    Pentecost-8b
    Pentecost-8c
    Pentecost-9a
    Pentecost-9b
    Pentecost-9c
    Pentecost-b
    Pentecost-c
    Pentecost Sunday
    Peterson2010
    Peterson-2010
    Philemon
    Philippians
    Philosophy
    Pieper1924
    Pieper-1924
    Piper 1947
    Preaching
    Presentation Of Our Lord
    Proper-19c
    Proper-20c
    Proper 21C
    Proper 22C
    Proper 23C
    Proper 24C
    Proper 25C
    Proper 26C
    Proper 27C
    Proper 28C
    Prophets
    Proverbs
    Psalm
    Quinquagesima
    Quintilian
    Receptivity
    Reformation
    Revelation
    Rhetoric
    Romans
    Rordorf 1996
    Rosenberg 1986
    Rosenberg 1987
    Rosenfeld-levene-2012
    Rueger-2016
    Russo 1994
    Ruth
    Saenger 1999
    Sailhamer1992
    Sailhamer-1992
    Sale 1996
    Samuel
    Scaer2004
    Scaer-2004
    Schaff 1886
    Schaff 1888
    Schaff 2014
    Schaff-2014
    Schollgen
    Seeliger 1996
    Septuagesima
    Sermon
    Sexagesima
    Smith-2009
    Sommerville-2006
    Songofsongs
    St. Andrew
    Stark 1997
    St. John
    St. Matthias
    St. Paul
    St. Stephen
    St. Thomas
    St. Titus
    Sunday Of The Passion
    Taylor 1888
    Teaching
    Telfer 1939
    Thielman-2010
    Timothy
    Titus
    Transfiguration
    Transfiguration-a
    Transfigurationb
    Transfiguration-c
    Trinity 1
    Trinity 10
    Trinity 11
    Trinity 12
    Trinity 13
    Trinity 14
    Trinity 15
    Trinity 16
    Trinity 17
    Trinity 18
    Trinity 19
    Trinity 2
    Trinity 20
    Trinity 21
    Trinity 22
    Trinity 23
    Trinity 3
    Trinity 4
    Trinity 5
    Trinity 6
    Trinity 7
    Trinity 8
    Trinity 9
    Trinity-a
    Trinity-b
    Trinity-c
    Trinity Sunday
    Tuckett
    Ty 19
    Van De Sandt 2002
    Van-de-sandt-2010
    Van-de-sandt-2011
    Veith1993
    Veith-1993
    Veith-sutton-2017
    Vikis-Freibergs 1997
    Voobus 1969
    Warfield 1886
    Wasson & Toelken 1998
    Weston-2009
    Wilson2011
    Wilson-2011
    Wilson20113470b5cf10
    Ysebaert-2002
    Zechariah
    Zephaniah

Proudly powered by Weebly