Three Hours of Doctrine
by
Dallas M. Roark
(This article appeared in theNovember 6, 1963
issue of the Baptist Standard)
In a very short time the
Baptists of Texas are going to vote on Recommendation 23, a study
of the educational institutions that Texas Baptists support. One of the
more controversial proposals is No. 24 which relates to the requirement
of nine hours in the area of religion. This wilI augment the number of
required hours by three and include a course in doctrine. There is
considerable difference of opinion on this requirement.
Having come from the
"outside" I can view Southern Baptist life and work a little
differently from many on the "inside." There are several reasons
why Texas Baptists need to support the requirement of nine
hours in religion.
First, young people need
instruction in Christian doctrine. Some have denounced the
requirement in terms of indoctrination. Indoctrination has been
equated with brainwashing. We must redeem the term, indoctrinate. It
simply means to instruct in doctrine, beliefs, or principles.
Those who reject this definitive work of Baptist colleges conclude, in
the last analysis, that one can think intelligently in the realm
of religion without instruction. Indoctrination is not a bigoted point
of view. The concept requires that a student be presented with a body
of content and information whereby he can judge one viewpoint against
another. Where indoctrination is rejected it is tantamount to
saying that Baptist students have no need of knowing what Baptists have
historically believed, and it is of little consequerice what a man
believes anyway. A Baptist father has the right to expect that a
Baptist college will give his children a study of the Christian
faith in depth and perspective.
Second, the three-hour
requirement points in the direction of the distinctive contribution of
our church-related schools. Someone has characterized American
education as imitative. There are very few schools that stand out
in originality. Baptist schools face the always present
temptation to go secular. In this case religion is tolerated as a
part of the curriculum because it looks good in terms of public
relations, but little that is distinctive is accomplished. A Bap!ist
college cannot afford to downplay the liberal arts. On the other hand,
the Baptist college is not a Bible school. The Baptist college must
emphasize the liberal arts with a distinctive role in the area of
religion. This is the intent of Recommendation 23.
The rationale for the
existence of a distinctively Christian college lies in the area of
religion. Wheaton College, Abilene Christian College, and Loyola
University are three colleges of inherently different
theological persuasions; but each is aware of its distinctive
contribution in the area of religion and requires not just nine hours
but 15 or more in religion. It is not suggested that we imitate for
imitation's sake but simply recognize what can be our distinctive
contribution t6 the liberal arts curriculum.
Third, in discussing the
requirement of three additional hours in doctrine, we must not overlook
the reciprocal relationship of the college to the denomination.
The Baptist General Convention of Texas provides over three
million dollars annually in the Cooperative Program for the
Baptist colleges and universities of Texas. This does not
include the additional support coming airectly from the churches and
interested Baptists around our state. There are few denominations that
support their colleges as well as Southern Baptists do. Of course, the
constituency has not always done the best job; but neither have
the colleges done their best toward the denomination.
Are we justified in spending three
million dollars a year of Cooperative Program money just to
duplicate what our state universities are doing? I will grant that
Christian faculties play a great role in the Christian college, but
Christian doctrine is not caught as it is sometimes alleged.
It is taught.
In light of the support
received, is it asking too much that the institutions offer nine
hours of required religion out of an approximate number of 124 hours
for a B.A. degree? The request for three hours is sometimes described
in terms of necessitating an additional year to obtain the
traditionally four-year BA. degree. This is sheer propaganda. An
additional three hours will not upset the core curriculum
requirements. If such be the case, the core curriculum needs to be
reexamined.
Fourth, there is no
substitute for an intellectual, academic pursuit of Christian truth. In
response to a previous request that the colleges offer 12 hours of
religion, a substitute proposal was agreed upon for the time
whereby the colleges inaugurated a Christian Maturity Council. On
the whole the councils did a good job, but they cannot substitute for a
classroom approach to the subject of doctrine. Only a core curriculum
requirement reaching all the students in an atmosphere of required
content, tests, and meeting of facts will really do the job desired.
We must face up to the
crucial nature of our denominational life. The Sunday School, as good
as it can be, is not achieving a depth of maturity that
our present world calls forth. The Training Union, with all its
possibilities, does not command the support of but a small
percentage of our people. Its total impact in preparing for
service and maturity is limited.Unless we reassess the role of the
college to provide trained leadership and a trained Christian laity, we
will continue to lose the cream of our leadership crop to other
denominations. We must stand for something positive. Our colleges seem
to be the best medium left whereby we can achieve such purposes. Texas
Baptists need to support the requirement of a required course in
doctrine.