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Dr. Ralph Wood, professor of Christian theology and literature at Baylor University in Waco, TX, was the featured speaker at Campbell University's Faculty and Staff Lecture, Monday, March 29, in Scott Concert Hall of the Rogers Fine Arts Center. Wood's topic, "A Radical Vision for the Christian University," was a dynamic presentation of seeking academic excellence in contemporary Christian universities.Wood began his lecture by addressing the question of whether a Christian university is a contradiction in terms, citing George Bernard Shaw and others who have alleged that reason and religion cannot coexist. Quoting St. Augustine, Wood pointed out that academic excellence and Christian conviction should be mutually invigorating: that faith should always seek understanding. Wood went on to discuss the effect of Baptist life on colleges and universities, pointing out the different types of fundamentalism and liberalism, traditional and modern, and how those beliefs affect Christian thought. In his final remarks, Wood contended that a Christian university needs to be more than a Christian environment, instead a place where faith can be integrated throughout all learning experiences. "Most of our curricula is a cafeteria line of courses," Wood said. "We are educating students to become consumers...we need to be forming character and shaping identity." Wood concluded his lecture with the hope that education in Christian universities will become more ecumenical, given that churches and schools are meant to serve each other.
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| P.O. Box 488 Buies Creek, NC 27506, 1-800-334-4111 |
