Christian College President Quits After Attempted Layoff of Pro-Evolution Professor
(UPDATED) Biology faculty member says theology, less so evolution, played role in job elimination.
Update (May 14): Evolution was not the only issue that led to the attempted firing of Northwest Nazarene University (NNU) theology professor Tom Oord, says a biology professor at the Idaho Christian school.
Jennifer Chase said that no NNU administrators have criticized the biology or chemistry department regarding its perspectives on evolution.
“I think that it is too easy to find the simple (evolution) story that fits with others who have faced censure,” Chase wrote in an email to CT. “Even in those situations, I think there is a more important and subtle story: the expansion of orthodoxy far beyond creeds or even the official statements of denominations to be ‘everything that I believe is the exact right set of requirements for the title Christian.’”
A disagreement over doctrine was at the heart of Oord’s dismissal, said Chase. That included his views on open theology.
“Dr. Oord’s use of process theology, views on creatio ex nihilo, non-coercive love vs. holy love—a big deal in the Church of the Nazarene—seem to be the worst offenses,” she wrote.
These details are not addressed in the Church of the Nazarene’s Articles of Faith. That led Chase to argue that they should not have affected Oord’s employment.
“When brought out into the light of broader Christian traditions and views, they seem like minutia,” wrote Chase.
It is unclear whether Oord’s position on evolution as a theology professor played a role in his clashes with the school’s outgoing president. Oord was unavailable for comment.
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The embattled president of a Christian college in Idaho has resigned following a campus crisis caused …
Angola Crackdown on Apocalyptic Christians Turns Deadly
Government closes churches, while politicians dispute whether 13 or hundreds of former Adventist’s followers were killed.
Weeks after a military raid on a Christian camp left more than a dozen people dead, Angola has banned nine churches for failing to operate within the law.
Following the April 16 attack on the Light of the World community, led by former Seventh-day Adventist Jose Kalupeteka, Angola’s president criticized the apocalyptic group for causing social unrest by scaring citizens into believing the world would end in 2015.
The Angolan military raided the camp after nine police officers were killed by Light of the World members during an attempted arrest of Kalupeteka.
The government and opposition party have offered conflicting reports on the total casualties, which range from 13 to hundreds. (Journalists have been denied access to the scene.) Light of the World members shouted “our weapon is the Bible” and “Jesus is our protector” during the siege, according to one account.
Voice of America’s Portugese site has chronicled the saga of the 52-year-old Kalupeteka, who was kicked out of the Adventists in 2001 and started Light of the World in 2007. Kalupeteka confirmed his imprisonment earlier this week, after confusion about his whereabouts delayed the government’s legal proceedings against him. Some have argued the incident should be taken to the International Criminal Court or the United Nations.
Six months before the raid, the government threatened Kalupeteka’s group to follow the law and respect social order, or face charges. Angolan church leaders also expressed criticism.
While the southern African nation’s constitution officially protects freedom of religion, its policies often present a challenge to religious minorities, the US State Department noted last year. To legally …
Angola Crackdown on Apocalyptic Christians Turns Deadly
Government closes churches, while politicians dispute whether 13 or hundreds of former Adventist’s followers were killed.
Weeks after a military raid on a Christian camp left more than a dozen people dead, Angola has banned nine churches for failing to operate within the law.
Following the April 16 attack on the Light of the World community, led by former Seventh-day Adventist Jose Kalupeteka, Angola’s president criticized the apocalyptic group for causing social unrest by scaring citizens into believing the world would end in 2015.
The Angolan military raided the camp after nine police officers were killed by Light of the World members during an attempted arrest of Kalupeteka.
The government and opposition party have offered conflicting reports on the total casualties, which range from 13 to hundreds. (Journalists have been denied access to the scene.) Light of the World members shouted “our weapon is the Bible” and “Jesus is our protector” during the siege, according to one account.
Voice of America’s Portugese site has chronicled the saga of the 52-year-old Kalupeteka, who was kicked out of the Adventists in 2001 and started Light of the World in 2007. Kalupeteka confirmed his imprisonment earlier this week, after confusion about his whereabouts delayed the government’s legal proceedings against him. Some have argued the incident should be taken to the International Criminal Court or the United Nations.
Six months before the raid, the government threatened Kalupeteka’s group to follow the law and respect social order, or face charges. Angolan church leaders also expressed criticism.
While the southern African nation’s constitution officially protects freedom of religion, its policies often present a challenge to religious minorities, the US State Department noted last year. To legally …
The Attempt to Sell Hispanic Evangelicals on Israel
At NHCLC convention, Jeb Bush gets more applause on Zionism than immigration or Spanish.
When Jeb Bush spoke at a gathering of Hispanic evangelical leaders in late April, the largest cheers didn’t come when he greeted the crowd in Spanish. Nor …
The Attempt to Sell Hispanic Evangelicals on Israel
At NHCLC convention, Jeb Bush gets more applause on Zionism than immigration or Spanish.
When Jeb Bush spoke at a gathering of Hispanic evangelical leaders in late April, the largest cheers didn’t come when he greeted the crowd in Spanish. Nor …
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