Stop picking on Christian universities

While there does exist the potential for abuses of academic freedom at CMU and other similar institutions, the threat is not unique to religious universities.

According to a report released in October that investigated Trinity Western University, a Christian school in Langley, B.C., the CAUT argued that "academic freedom is violated at universities in Canada that seek to ensure an ideologically or religiously homogeneous academic staff."

The report then concluded that Trinity, evidently by its very existence, was in violation of academic freedom. Other religious schools, including CMU, are on the list for similar reports.

The most contentious issue is the fact that faculty at religious institutions are required to sign, or otherwise accept, a statement of faith that affirms they believe the Bible to be true, and they believe Jesus Christ to be our true lord and saviour.

Certainly, any educational institution that only hired people affirming conservative, or socialist political doctrines would never be tolerated. Faith and politics are not interchangeable, though, and groupings of people of faith are distinct. They also provide certain benefits, permitting Christians to develop their commitment to God alongside their academics.

So long as personal questions of faith are dealt with alongside, and not as a substitute for, academic inquiry, then there should be no reason to believe Christian universities are incapable of pursuing truth, free and unfettered.

Working exclusively alongside other Christians does not preclude scholarly investigation. If a professor doesn't want to accept a statement of faith, there is nothing forcing him/her to work at a religious school.

Another point of contention is that, in addition to the requirement that faculty accept a statement of faith, Christian universities promote, almost exclusively, Christian scholarship. Christian scholarship is not the same as practicing one's faith, and exists to one degree or another in all universities. It is accepted as a recognized branch of scholarship.

We might argue that all research traditions should be embraced. But teaching the Bible from a Christian perspective, so long as it is done in a rigorous and responsible way, is compatible with the idea of a university. Few dispute this.

The question is, then, not whether a university only hires Christians, or whether faculty are all from the same academic tradition, but what happens once they are hired, whether the statement of faith interferes with teaching and research? Do such schools subject professors to public floggings if, through scientific inquiry, they, like Galileo, come to conclusions that deviate from church teachings?

There is no evidence that would suggest this is the case. Even CAUT admits it is not responding to any specific violation of academic freedom. Further, both Trinity and Canadian Mennonite University are recognized by a different organization, the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC).

The AUCC, a de facto accreditation body, approves members after a lengthy study, spanning years, that aims to determine if a university's teaching and research meet the accepted norms and standards of what we would normally believe to be a "university."

Even though there is apparently no immediate, on-the-ground violation of academic freedom at religious institutions, the threat might still exist.

In its mission statement, Canadian Mennonite University states that: "Through teaching, research and service, CMU inspires and equips women and men for lives of service, leadership and reconciliation in church and society." If we assume, for the moment, that universities follow their mission statements to the letter, then, yes, academic freedom cannot coincide with Christian institutions, so long as religion comes first.

Then again, if we look at mission statements at mainstream universities, we might also be led to believe the development and transfer of knowledge is secondary, or, at least heavily qualified, by other concerns.

The University of Manitoba's stated mission is to "contribute to the cultural, social and economic well-being of the people of Manitoba." Obviously a good deal of teaching and research at the U of M has no relation whatsoever to ensuring "economic well-being."

Nearly all universities bolt tertiary functions to the rigorous development of knowledge. To single out Christian schools is just annoying, if not offensive.

Carson Jerema has an MA in politics and is a past editor of The Manitoban.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 16, 2010 A14