Three Hours of Doctrine
by
Dallas M. Roark
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 reason.s 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 indoctr.ination. 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 neea 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.
(This article appeared in theNovember 6, 1963 issue of the Baptist Standard)