Faculty Forum Mission . . .
Inspired
by the life and legacy of C.S. Lewis, the C.S. Lewis Foundation Faculty Forum
is dedicated to networking and supporting Christian faculty and administrator
in advancing the renewal of Christian thought and creative expression throughout
the world of learning.
Consider . . .
The Christian faith at one time constituted the over-arching paradigm that inspired and shaped the intellectual and aesthetic work of countless scholars and artists. The momentum it generated throughout western culture and beyond contributed vitally, not only to the formation of the culture at large, but also to the development of the modern university itself. In stark contrast, all traces of this once vibrant intellectual and imaginative tradition have, within the last century, virtually disappeared from the academic landscape of mainstream higher education. Christianity’s cogent and redemptive perspective on life and thought now finds few defenders, let alone dynamic proponents, within the ranks of today’s teaching and research faculty. This has important consequences for society at large:
* The university is denied meaningful access to one of the primary intellectual traditions that contributed substantially to its own development;
* The selective definition of "pluralism" currently in vogue tends to promote the expression of all but religiously informed points of view, thus compromising the university’s claim to serve as a genuine marketplace of ideas;
* The all too easy equation of religion with "indoctrination" and secularism with "education" evidences a marked double standard. Faith-based approaches to subject matter are viewed with suspicion while other forms of "indoctrination," offered in the form of passionately held secular ideologies, are readily tolerated; and
* Finally, under the status quo, students are denied access to an education that adequately prepares them to function effectively within a highly diverse society, one which includes substantial, thriving, and highly influential religious constituencies.
Imagine . . .
A very different intellectual ethos governing the mainstream of contemporary
higher education - one that affords faculty and students alike the liberty
to articulate and defend positions grounded in divergent world views, including
those based upon religious premises. Imagine a university characterized by
open access to both secular and religious forms of thought in its curricular
as well as its extra-curricular life. Such a university would:
* Reject the current anti-religious bias in favor of a more classic liberal intellectual stance that encourages interaction with ideas very different from one’s own;
* Demonstrate a more authentic commitment to academic freedom by actively encouraging the expression of divergent points of view, affording no philosophy - whether secular or faith-based - privileged protection from the rigors of scholarly critique;
* Foster greater dialogue and understanding between disparate worldviews, thereby fulfilling its stated mission to function more truly as a free marketplace of ideas;
* Move beyond the prevailing utilitarian, information-driven, and career-oriented vision of higher education in favor of a vision that takes equally seriously the challenge of nurturing an appetite for wisdom and the search for principles relevant to the art, as well as the technique, of living; and
* Reflect more fully the rich diversity of its social environment. If the academy is to take pride in its embrace of multiculturalism, then it must also respect the fact that it is preparing students to live in a society made up of thriving and diverse religious constituencies.
Response . . .
The C.S. Lewis Foundation and its associates within the Faculty Forum represent an initiative of Christian faculty which asserts the view that the tradition of Christian thought, and indeed of all religious thought, has a constructive contribution to make within the scholarly and artistic life of the academy Faculty comprise the very heart of higher education. Any substantive change within the academic domain must therefore find its genesis in the ranks of the professoriate itself. Given this fact, we believe it is essential that Christian faculty play a leading and creative role in fostering a new climate of tolerance towards religious thought and opinion in our respective colleges, universities and professional associations. The hallmarks of a vibrant academic life are those of reflection, expression, critical assessment, and collegial dialogue. Accordingly, the Faculty Forum seeks to:
* Facilitate the interaction of college and university faculty, administrators, and trustees of all Christian traditions;
* Celebrate our common commitment to "mere Christianity," the historic faith of Jesus Christ, as expressed in the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments and the ancient creeds;
* Create opportunities for reflection, research, and debate among Christian faculty, as well as between Christian faculty and those of other persuasions, both secular and religious;
* Nurture the development of a consensus concerning the legitimacy of rationally defended, religiously informed thought — whether Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, Native American, or other — within the curricular life of our academic institutions;
* Provide programming, research, teaching and financial resources in support of projects that are relevant to the Forum’s mission; and
* Work in cooperation with existing campus ministries.
To meet these objectives, the Faculty Forum has successfully:
* Facilitated faculty-led strategic planning retreats aimed at the development of constructive initiatives addressing the current intellectual climate within higher education;
* Sponsored local, regional, national, and international conferences and other events to network Christian faculty and trustees with the aim of encouraging a renaissance of Christian thought and expression within the mainstream of contemporary higher education; and
* Acquired and fully restored "The Kilns," the home of C.S. Lewis in Oxford, England, for the purpose of establishing it as an international residential study center for visiting Christian faculty, scholars, and artists.
Projected initiatives include:
* Expansion of the Faculty Forum beyond the borders of the United States and Canada to include the international scholarly community;
* Formation of an independent task force, representing a wide range of religious and non-religious constituencies, to define the place of religiously informed thought and scholarship within the curricular life of the academy. Through the drafting of a formal "Educational Policy Statement on Faith and Academic Freedom," it is hoped that such a document will provide useful guidance to all secular institutions, professional associations, and accrediting agencies seeking to find common ground on this often divisive issue; and
* Continued provision of world-class conferences, seminars, workshops, and related resource materials designed to better assist university faculty and other professionals in their personal efforts to translate faith into practice through a more integrated understanding of the role of faith within the compass of their professional lives.
What leading academics say about the issue. . .
" . . . in our sensible zeal to keep religion from dominating our politics, we have created a political and legal culture that presses the religiously faithful to be other than themselves, to act publicly, and sometimes privately as well, as though their faith does not matter to them." - Stephen L. Carter, Cromwell Professor of Law, Yale University
"Academic fundamentalism is the issue, the stubborn refusal of the academy to acknowledge any truth that does not conform to professorial dogmas. In the famous "market place of ideas," where all ideas are equal and where there must be no "value judgments" and therefore no values, certain ideas are simply excluded, and woe to those who espouse them. Such individuals are terminated, lest their corruption spread to others." - The late Page Smith, Historian and Founding Provost, University of California, Santa Cruz
"If we do not recover the language and practice of Christianity, if we do not discover that the kingdom of heaven is our only true home, the place that defines our most essential humanity, then not only can we not contribute to a genuine pluralism, but we will be lost in the wilderness of decayed traditions…. Our greatest contribution is to try to be who we are." - Robert N. Bellah, Professor Emeritus of Sociology, University of California, Berkeley
What leading academics say about the Faculty Forum. . .
"We
are in the throes of culturally sanctioned forgetfulness concerning much of
the best in our literary, philosophical, and theological legacy. The C.S.
Lewis Foundation is exemplary in fighting this forgetfulness and reminding
us that an intelligent present can only be based on interpretation and engagement
with those who have gone before us." - Jean
Bethke Elshtain, Ph.D. Laura Spelman Rockefeller Professor of Social
and Political Ethics, University of Chicago
"The C.S. Lewis Foundation has, for over a decade, provided international leadership in relating Christian faith to the academic world with intellectual and academic integrity. Through its Summer Institutes, and now through its Faculty Forum, it offers fresh insight and inspiration to Christians, and to all scholars of faith, working within the academy." - Stephen T. Davis, Ph.D. Professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies, Claremont McKenna College
"The C.S. Lewis Foundation Faculty Forum provides valuable opportunities to help raise consciousness about how Christian faith can be related to the highest learning without compromising either." - George M. Marsden, McAnaney Professor of History, University of Notre Dame
"I think the initiative is a long-overdue attempt at a much needed goal: the construction of a broadly Christian philosophy of society infused by the corporate researches, communication and indeed fellowship of Christian academics. The benefit of this network for American culture is immeasurable; its impact on education in this country will surely be immense. I gladly accept the honor of being placed on its Council of Academic Advisors." - Andrew H. Trotter, Jr., Ph.D., Executive Director, Center for Christian Study, Charlottesville, VA
"I am pleased with the development of the Faculty Forum project. It is important that Christian faculty and administrators engage in serious dialogue about the moral dimensions of higher education and matters of faith and belief. The stated intent to be ecumenical and inclusive rather than sectarian is encouraging." - James D. Appleton, Ph.D., President, University of Redlands
"Christians on campus need all the support and encouragement we can get in living the academic life and the Christian faith. The C.S. Lewis Foundation's Faculty Forum is a creative intellectual response to the challenges of being an academic and a Christian at the same time." - Rev. William H. Willimon, S.T.D., Dean of the Chapel, Prof. of Christian Ministry, Duke University
"It is a distinct privilege to add my endorsement to the formation of the C.S. Lewis Foundation Faculty Forum. In the field of higher education there is a distinct need to encourage the integration of "Faith and Learning" and to bring Christian faculty together whose world view is that one cannot develop a knowledge of life without first having an understanding of God who has revealed Himself in the person of Jesus Christ. Graduate education on the secular campus has taught us that our research is to be free of value judgments, especially any religious beliefs. However, in forums sponsored by the C.S. Lewis Foundation, Christian scholars are encouraged to foster the relevance of faith in Jesus Christ, both through their research and their teaching, but at the same time to observe the academic world's expectations of scholarly integrity." - Irving F. Ahlquist, Ph.D., Professor of History Emeritus, CSU Long Beach
C.S. Lewis Foundation Council of Academic Advisors
James R. Appleton, Ph.D., President, University of Redlands
Jeremy Begbie, B.D., Cambridge University, Ridley College
Faculty of Divinity
Frederick P. Brooks, Jr., Ph.D, Kenan Professor of Computer
Science, University of North Carolina
James T. Como, Ph.D., Professor of Rhetoric and Public Communication,
City University of New York
Stephen T. Davis, Ph.D., Professor of Philosophy and Religious
Studies, Claremont McKenna College
Kenneth G. Elzinga, Ph.D., Professor of Economics, University
of Virginia
Paul Ford, Th.D., Professor of Systematic Theology and Liturgy,
St. John's Seminary, Camarillo, CA
Lawrence T. Geraty, Ph.D., President, La Sierra University,
Riverside, CA
George Giacumakis, Ph.D., Professor of History, CSU Fullerton;
Director, Mission Viejo Campus
Owen Gingerich, Ph.D., Professor of Astronomy and of the
History of Science, Harvard University
Hugh Hewitt, J.D., Professor of Law, Chapman University School
of Law
Thomas Howard, Ph.D., Professor of English Emeritus, St.
John's Seminary, Boston
R. Wesley Hurd, Ph.D., Founder, McKenzie Study Center, Eugene,
OR
Christopher Isham, Ph.D., Professor of Theoretical Physics,
Imperial College, London University
David Lyle Jeffrey, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of Literature
& Humanities, Baylor University, Waco, TX
Peter Kreeft, Ph.D., Professor of Philosophy, Boston College
Joseph A. Maciariello, Ph.D., Horton Professor of Business
Admin., Claremont Graduate University
George M. Marsden, Ph.D., Francis A. McAnaney Professor of
History, University of Notre Dame
Stephen V. Monsma, Ph.D., Dean of Social Science, Professor
of Political Science, Pepperdine University
Armand M. Nicholi, Jr. M.D., Associate Clinical Professor
of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School
James I. Packer, Ph.D., Professor of Theology, Regent College,
Vancouver, B.C.
Mary S. Poplin, Ph.D., Dean of the School of Educational
Studies, Claremont Graduate University
Barbara Reynolds, Ph.D., Cambridge scholar in Italian studies
and literature; Dorothy Sayers biographer
Jon Robertson, D.M.A., Chair, Department of Music, UCLA
Rev. Michael Scanlan, TOR, Chancellor, Franciscan University
of Steubenville
Eleanore Stump, Ph.D., Professor of Philosophy, St. Louis
University
Andrew H. Trotter, Jr., Ph.D., Executive Director, Center
for Christian Study, Charlottesville, VA
Hendrika VandeKemp, Ph.D., Independent Scholar; former Prof.
of Psychology, Fuller Graduate School of Psychology
Paul C. Vitz, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, New York University
Kallistos Ware, Ph.D. , Greek Orthodox Bishop of Diokleia,
Fellow and Lecturer in Theology, Pembroke College, Oxford University
Dallas Willard, Ph.D., Professor of Philosophy, University
of Southern California
Rev. William H. Willimon, S.T.D., Dean of the Chapel, Prof.
of Christian Ministry, Duke University
Archive of Faculty Forum events:
- The Faculty Forum - Rediscovering Evil (February 2, 2002)
- The Faculty Forum - The Christian Scholar
in the Contemporary University:
A Place to Stand (March 30 - April 1, 2001)
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2003 C.S. Lewis Foundation
The C.S. Lewis Foundation and its associated Faculty Forum is a non-partisan,non-sectarian,
donor supported 501(c)3 corporation.
