6
learning would better protect the Christian institution from the deleterious effects of
modern ways of knowing.
Implementation of an integrationist philosophy into a church-related university is
one of three components that Robert Benne argues is essential for an institution to retain
its religious distinctiveness. According to Benne: “Christianity’s articulated account of
reality,” or what has often been called the Christian worldview, “provides the umbrella of
meaning under which all facts of life and learning are gathered and interpreted.”
10
A
distinctive Christian ethos, for Benne, is likewise crucial. Such an ethos would include
shared mores as well as opportunities for Christian practice and worship. Whether
through the distinctive role of chapel or through lifestyle regulations, Christian colleges
and universities must have and foster a pervasively Christian culture. Finally, Christian
colleges must have administrators, staff, faculty, and students sympathetic with the
college’s mission. Faculty hiring in particular is crucial to Benne:
If the Christian account is to be publicly relevant to the central task of the
school—its education—then the right kind of faculty is indispensable. Faculty
members will not only have to be adept at teaching, scholarship, and service, but
also at a fourth category: institutional fit.
11
Thus, the integration of faith and learning is not merely an intellectual exercise, but a
pervasive philosophy throughout the church-related college. From personnel decisions to
campus worship, to other opportunities for theological reflection and practice, the
advancement of a Christian worldview becomes coterminous with the university itself.
Aid to Church-Related Higher Education
A parallel development within church-related higher education has been the
growing dependence of institutions of higher education upon public funding. The second
10
Benne, Quality With Soul, 6.
11
Ibid., 191.
Convention