# The Dying of the Light



## Scott (Aug 23, 2006)

I am reading through The Dying of the Light: The Disengagement of Colleges and Universities from Their Christian Churches . It is an eye-opening case studies of the process of how 17 Christian universities and colleges became secular.

Instead of me summarzing what I found, I thought I would excerpt from this review, which is a good summary:



> Many readers will begin this book expecting a story something like this: Founders set up Christian institutions, where there was a vital link between faith and intellectual investigation. Colleges and denominations worked closely together to their mutual benefit. Over time the colleges accepted the secular academy's definition of excellence, and abandoned their Christian roots. The churches were left like a deserted spouse.
> 
> Burtchaell argues that the stories are all much more complex than this, and that elements of that view are simply wrong. Many of the initial links between church and college were for convenience only Â­ the church was necessary for existence, providing both revenue and students. Education was not Christian in most cases, but classical, patterned after Greek ideals of learning and virtue. There was little or no academic study of the Christian faith, \"no respectable Bible study.\" Religion on campus was at times vital and active in personal lives, but there was little or no link between personal religion and academic course work. Often, religion was seen as important on these campuses primarily because of its impact on behavior, not because it presented unique and valued insights into the intellectual activities.
> 
> ...


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Aug 23, 2006)

That's very interesting. I'd like to check out that book. I'd also like to read more on the secularization process at Harvard, Yale, and a few other schools of interest.

I note that the reviewer graduated from Davidson which one of the colleges is covered in the book. My father is a graduate of Davidson and a former professor there, and my mother has lived in Davidson for almost 30 years. I used to attend the Davidson College Presbyterian Church. Knowing what it is like today, it came as a surprise when I learned that Davidson's first President was the father-in-law of Stonewall Jackson, and that Robert Dabney lectured there near the end of his life. Davidson College has a remarkable history.

_The Dying of the Light_ was published in 1998 but there have been developments in the area of religious affiliation at Davidson since then: John Belk (a well-known name in North Carolina) resigned from the Davidson College Board of Trustees last year when the college approved a provision allowing 20% of the board to be non-Christian, as well as other changes to the mission of the college. This is the kind of warped perspective on religion found at Davidson today.

A little bit of trivia: Back in the late 1980's I worked for a summer at the Davidon College Library. My supervisor was Mary Beaty, the definitive historian of Davidson College, and assistant director of the Library. She later translated a book called _Calvin's Ecclesiastical Advice_, which was published for the first time in English in 1991.

[Edited on 8-23-2006 by VirginiaHuguenot]


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## New wine skin (Aug 23, 2006)

very informative post, Thanks


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## Scott (Aug 23, 2006)

Andrew: You always have interesting info!


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