Times Online （http://www.timesonline.co.uk）
Christian group calls for a Christian university in Britain, 3 October 2008
by Ruth Gledhill, Religion Correspondent
An American-style Christian university where students study the Bible alongside mainstream arts and humanities subjects should be set up in Britain, according to an academic paper published by a leading Christian think-tank.
The UK has higher education institutions with religious foundations, such as many Oxbridge colleges. And some religious colleges have courses that are acredited by secular universities. But there is no university in Britain that is run on dogmatically Christian lines.
In a paper for the Jubilee Centre, Nigel Paterson, an English lecturer at Winchester university, admits there can be problems with Christian univerisities. Any such scheme, even if privately funded, would be hotly opposed by the nation's atheists such as Oxford don Professor Richard Dawkins.
But Dr Paterson argues that Christian universities have their place in higher education and that a country with a well-established Christian community would be "enriched" by the presence of at least two or three Christian universities, where students would use the Bible as a work of reference in all courses.
Dr Paterson, who trained as a scientist at Cambridge university and now leads an independent evangelical church in Winchester, writes: "There is ample reason for continued use of the Bible within academia. It is a book that has deeply enriched Western imagination and thought. Many European towns and cities would be robbed of some of their finest buildings if those inspired by the Bible were removed, and that is just an outward picture of this book’s great impact on Western culture."
He argues that theology was once "the queen of the sciences" in a university.
He says: "In a Christian university, it can be both accorded its important place among academic subjects and engaged in ways that serve the church and the world. Beyond those studying theology, there can be a widely-shared acceptance in a Christian university that there is a religious dimension to life which merits respect and academic scrutiny."
Problems with setting up a specifically Christian university could be to ghettoise students and leave them ill-prepared for secular life and to divert Christian funding from other important causes. There could also be difficulties in finding enough Christian academic staff to teach its courses and the university could be divisive. "The concept of a Christian university can seem an oxymoron to some," he writes, "even though the first universities were Christian in their origins."
•HAVE YOUR SAY
No ... just no!
Adam, London, UK
The whole problem with religion in the first place is that it actively discourages critical thinking, which is ultimately based in doubt. Instead of saying, "this is so," a critical thinker asks "how can I determine whether this is so?" The Bible would be off limits to such criticism.
Chris, Wayne, USA
Such an university is not for the children, it is for the parents. They are afraid. Afraid that when their children grow up amidst people that do not share their particular beliefs, they all are doomed.
Gerrit Bijl, Zuidhorn, The netherlands
Why not a fundamentalist strictly NON religious University? Some people in the UK believe in a Supreme Being which is about Faith, but the vast majority do not support or approve the doctrines of organised religions, which are about politics. The Non Religious have equal rights under the law.
Keith, Rayleigh, England
"to describe it as science is laughable and downright dishonest."
Science means knowledge and systematised study in the search for truth and could apply to any subject.
It's meaning has become limited to naturalistic subjects in the minds of those less well educated.
martin, Skye,
The phenomenon of Christianity can be studied perfectly well in existing university departments of history, psychology, sociology, anthropology etc. The prospect of whole universities full of self-selected fantasists completely isolated from reality and genuine educational standards, is terrifying.
John Tate, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
"Theology was once the queen of sciences". Good grief, to describe it as a real academic subject is dubious, to describe it as science is laughable and downright dishonest.
Andrew, Cardiff, UK
Where is the sense in extending the reach of discrimination by introducing faith to higher education? Theology is a subject already on offer to those who wish to study it. That itself is enough. Universities are diverse, colourful institutions that should remain out of reach of religious groups.
Louise, Manchester, England
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