Comments on: Briefly Noted: James Pierson on the State of American Higher Education

By: Bruce Ashford

Bruce Ashford — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:57:04 +0000

Dean, great point. Revisionist history is a prime example of what we’re talking about.

By: Dean

Dean — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:28:55 +0000

Several years ago I was having lunch with a gentleman from our church who is the chairman of the Math Department at a large university. I asked him a question that popped into my head, “If Jesus were to show up today at your university, what department would He judge first?” Without hesitation he responded, “The History Department – they teach history as if the most important person who ever walked the earth never even existed.” You could apply some form of that answer to most every department in the average university. “Chronological snobbery” combined with a lost compass has made for quite the mess.

By: Bruce Ashford

Bruce Ashford — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:21:40 +0000

Nathan, yep. One of the many reasons to build a firm liberal arts curriculum (w a study of the Western Mind) is to understand our own context. And as ministers of the Word, we will always be preaching/teaching the Word in the midst of particular context. And our present American context is rooted in our Western heritage.

By: Nathan Moore

Nathan Moore — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:18:22 +0000

It seems to me that much of Great Recession of American Higher Education is in the liberal arts fields. Disciplines that require licensure seem to have higher standards in academic preparation. Isn’t this because there is tangible accountability for educators? This is yet another reminder that we are a people in need of accountability and incentives. This deterioration is alarming considering the many benefits of a liberal arts education for the development of the western mind. This must also be a of concern for the church as we are “People of the book” and find ourselves tasked with mastering a book full of words, grammer, ideas, and logic.

I too lack a constructive proposal other than a vague desire to see the church taking a more central role in education.