Faith and Reason at Harvard by Suzanne Hadley Gosselin on 11/28/2006 at 9:40 AM

According to yesterday's "BreakPoint" commentary, a faculty panel at Harvard University has issued a report calling for a "faith and reason" requirement to be included in the school's core curriculum. Their reasoning: Knowledge about religion is integral to a good education. Discussing reactions to the decision, Chuck Colson writes:

Predictably, there were those who objected to Harvard's "faith and reason" requirement. A Harvard Crimson editorial said that the requirement gives "religious ideas" a "preeminence incommensurate with their proper place in understanding the modern world." In other words, while religion is important, it's just not that important, so says the postmodernist.

Besides, the Crimson argued, students can learn enough about religion from the general education requirements. Oh sure! Just as they learned what they needed to know about history from such requirements. That's why 65 percent of seniors at elite colleges like Harvard flunked a high-school level history test, and 23 percent of them thought it was John F. Kennedy who said, "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country."

Also writing in the Crimson were two Harvard students who got it. They articulated what the editorialists could not or would not understand: "Studying religion," they said, "involves coping with unanswerable questions, confronting humanity’s limitations, and thinking beyond oneself. No literature or science course can teach these skills." Nor can ethics be taught without a religious base. Remember Mr. Skilling of Enron, who is heading off to prison, was a Harvard graduate.

While the "faith and reason" requirement most likely will not return Harvard to its original spiritual purposes of training men for the clergy, Colson points out that facilitating religious discussion is a step in the right direction.

We ought to welcome the opportunity for an open, free debate. Then we Christians can present the evidence of our faith's positive effect on building the greatest civilization the world has ever known.

HT: The Point

Faith and Reason at Harvard by Suzanne Hadley Gosselin on 11/28/2006 at 9:40 AM

According to yesterday's "BreakPoint" commentary, a faculty panel at Harvard University has issued a report calling for a "faith and reason" requirement to be included in the school's core curriculum. Their reasoning: Knowledge about religion is integral to a good education. Discussing reactions to the decision, Chuck Colson writes:

Predictably, there were those who objected to Harvard's "faith and reason" requirement. A Harvard Crimson editorial said that the requirement gives "religious ideas" a "preeminence incommensurate with their proper place in understanding the modern world." In other words, while religion is important, it's just not that important, so says the postmodernist.

Besides, the Crimson argued, students can learn enough about religion from the general education requirements. Oh sure! Just as they learned what they needed to know about history from such requirements. That's why 65 percent of seniors at elite colleges like Harvard flunked a high-school level history test, and 23 percent of them thought it was John F. Kennedy who said, "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country."

Also writing in the Crimson were two Harvard students who got it. They articulated what the editorialists could not or would not understand: "Studying religion," they said, "involves coping with unanswerable questions, confronting humanity’s limitations, and thinking beyond oneself. No literature or science course can teach these skills." Nor can ethics be taught without a religious base. Remember Mr. Skilling of Enron, who is heading off to prison, was a Harvard graduate.

While the "faith and reason" requirement most likely will not return Harvard to its original spiritual purposes of training men for the clergy, Colson points out that facilitating religious discussion is a step in the right direction.

We ought to welcome the opportunity for an open, free debate. Then we Christians can present the evidence of our faith's positive effect on building the greatest civilization the world has ever known.

HT: The Point

Comments

[1. Samuel PG said the following at 12:40 AM on Dec 1:]

1

It is not clear, but it seems as if the faith aspect is being reintroduced for the sake of more and better ethical behavior from Harvard students. While I agree that Christianity is the single best thing in history for the development of ethical people it has a fairly poor track record when it is used as the means for this end. Christianity for the sake of anything other than Christ is not true Christianity. God will not be used to just make moral people.
Still, it does seem as if Christians might be afforded a special opportunity through this class to begin discussions that may one day lead to the winning of souls. That would be worth it.

[1. Samuel PG said the following at 12:40 AM on Dec 1:]

1

It is not clear, but it seems as if the faith aspect is being reintroduced for the sake of more and better ethical behavior from Harvard students. While I agree that Christianity is the single best thing in history for the development of ethical people it has a fairly poor track record when it is used as the means for this end. Christianity for the sake of anything other than Christ is not true Christianity. God will not be used to just make moral people.
Still, it does seem as if Christians might be afforded a special opportunity through this class to begin discussions that may one day lead to the winning of souls. That would be worth it.