This article was downloaded by: [The University of Manchester Library]On: 11 October 2014, At: 01:51Publisher: RoutledgeInforma Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House,37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK

Religious Education: The official journal of theReligious Education AssociationPublication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information:http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/urea20

A SURVEY OF THE SITUATION IN NEW ENGLAND, NEWYORK AND OHIOFrank Knight Sanders Ph.D., LL.D. aa Director of the Board of Missionary Preparation , New York CityPublished online: 11 Sep 2007.

To cite this article: Frank Knight Sanders Ph.D., LL.D. (1915) A SURVEY OF THE SITUATION IN NEW ENGLAND, NEWYORK AND OHIO, Religious Education: The official journal of the Religious Education Association, 10:4, 315-323, DOI:10.1080/0034408150100401

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0034408150100401

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE

Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) containedin the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make norepresentations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of theContent. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, andare not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon andshould be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable forany losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoeveror howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use ofthe Content.

This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematicreproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in anyform to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions

THE STANDARDIZATION OF BIBLICAL INSTRUC-TION IN COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

At the various sessions, last March, at Buffalo, of the Depart-ment of Universities and Colleges, so many of the questions of verygreat importance to those who are interested in the adequate de-velopment of true Biblical instruction in the institutions of highereducation in North America were so finely treated that it hasseemed worth while to gather the papers together, that they mayreceive the careful consideration which they richly merit.

The opening paper will indicate the tremendous need which stillexists for the recognition of the rightful place of the Bible as aneducational asset. The other papers deal with various phases ofthe standardization and development of a strong department, co-ordinate in aims, methods, standards and evaluation with the otherrecognized departments of a cultural institution. These papersdeserve the close attention, not alone of deans and others who willconsider them technically, but also of all who are eager to discovera program of Biblical instruction which may be conscientiouslyurged upon the educational leaders of North America. F. K. S.

TEACHING THE BIBLE IN COLLEGESA SURVEY OF THE SITUATION IN NEW ENGLAND,

NEW YORK AND OHIO

FRANK KNIGHT SANDERS, P H . D . , LL.D.

Director of the Board of Missionary Preparation, New York City

It was the original purpose of a duly appointed committee ofthe Department of Universities and Colleges to present the con-clusions of a nation-wide survey. This proving, for various reasons,unfeasible, I have undertaken a careful survey of a restricted area.The five New England states, New York and Ohio have beenselected, because it seems fair to assume that the conditions pre-vailing in this older portion of the country in point of educationalhistory are representative of the best conditions in North America.I am less certain that this assumption is correct than when I plannedthe survey, but submit the results as I have found them. The mainobjective of the inquiry has been the general attitude toward theuse of the Bible as an educational asset in the institutions of higher

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

The

Uni

vers

ity o

f M

anch

este

r L

ibra

ry]

at 0

1:51

11

Oct

ober

201

4

316 RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

learning, but it has seemed worth while to take into account ninetypes of educational institutions: theological seminaries, state uni-versities, endowed universities, colleges of arts and science, privatesecondary schools, public secondary schools (casually), trainingschools and schools of the Bible (which do a distinctively recog-nized work), normal colleges, normal schools.

These nine sorts of schools are considered solely from the stand-point of their apparent recognition of the Bible as an educationalfactor. Colleges of agriculture, technology, medicine, law, andschools for the professional training of women and other non-religious professional schools are not included.

No survey can be exact without personal contact with each in-stitution. I have taken every available means to verify the follow-ing statements, but will welcome corrections or modifications.

BIBLE CONDITIONS IN MAINE

In the state of Maine there is one theological seminary: Bangor.It offers good opportunities for the study of the English Bibleunder competent instructors, whose main interests, however, areapparently linguistic and theological. The State University atOrono offers no Biblical instruction. Nor do the state normalschools make any provision for the use of the Bible as an asset ineducation, although the act establishing them specifies that theyshall "teach the fundamental truths of Christianity."

There are three colleges of liberal arts: Bates, Bowdoin andColby. Bowdoin uses a small portion of the time of a competentinstructor to offer three hours for one semester in Biblical History.Bates uses the whole time of a professor of Biblical Literature tooffer courses which begin with the literary study of the Bible, in-clude Oriental History and the History and Philosophy of Religionand allot three hours a week during junior year to Old and NewTestament Literature. Colby, despite its religious foundation,makes no provision for Bible study on a par with other educationalsubjects.

There are ten private secondary schools which ought to makecareful and worthy provision for organized Bible study. Of these,apparently, only two, Oak Grove Seminary and Maine Central Insti-tute, deal with the matter in a dignified way. They require fromall students one hour per week of graded Bible study. Even theirstandard seems low educationally.

It is clear that Maine is lamentably lacking in any well-balancedattempt to solve the problem of making the English Bible a cultural

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

The

Uni

vers

ity o

f M

anch

este

r L

ibra

ry]

at 0

1:51

11

Oct

ober

201

4

TEACHING THE BIBLE IN COLLEGES 317

asset. Bowdoin merely suggests a department, while Colby withColby Academy, each founded for the very purpose of promotingChristian education, ignores the matter as completely as do theseven other academies.

CONDITIONS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

New Hampshire has no theological school and only one collegeof liberal arts. The State College is one of agriculture and the me-chanic arts. Dartmouth College has a well-organized department ofBiblical Literature with a professor giving his whole time to itsdevelopment.

Of the eight private secondary schools, five: Phillips Exeter, St.Paul's, St. Mary's, Colby, and Kimball-Union make regular pro-vision for a simple type of Bible study, taught by special instructors.The courses are not, apparently, well standardized or clearly dif-ferentiated from similar work in the Sunday school or in the Chris-tian Associations, but they show a vast improvement over earlierconditions. Tilton, Robinson, and Sanborn Seminaries, as well asthe two state normal schools, seem to ignore the subject.

New Hampshire sets a higher standard than Maine, but invitesimprovement.

CONDITIONS IN VERMONT

Vermont has no school of theology. At the State University aone-hour course on the literary interpretation of the Bible is offeredunder a competent, non-professional instructor. Of the two col-leges, Middlebury and Norwich, the latter seems to be a school oftechnology. Middlebury, an avowedly Christian college, makes noregular provision for Biblical instruction, but, curiously enough,does offer such instruction during the summer session. The normalschools, like those previously mentioned, ignore Biblical study, butthe five private academies, Vermont, St. Johnsbury, Troy Confer-ence, Burrand-Burton and Montpelier require a definite course ofBible study, graded and taught by good instructors. As a state,however, Vermont does not rank high in respect to the recognitionof the Bible as an educational asset.

CONDITIONS IN MASSACHUSETTS

In Massachusetts are seven schools of theology: Andover, Bos-ton University, Crane, The Episcopal Theological School, the Har-vard Divinity School, Newton Theological Institution and the NewChurch School. Of these the Episcopal School at Cambridge re-quires some English Bible study and provides amply for it, while

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

The

Uni

vers

ity o

f M

anch

este

r L

ibra

ry]

at 0

1:51

11

Oct

ober

201

4

318 RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

the others offer opportunities which vary considerably, Crane andNew Church least of all.

Of the three universities, Boston University and Harvard Uni-versity provide good courses, but not, apparently, real departments,while Clark University ignores the Bible educationally.

Thirteen colleges of liberal arts (not counting the MassachusettsAgricultural or Simmons, which are reckoned as distinctively pro-fessional institutions) maintain, on the whole, fairly good stand-ards. The colleges for men almost balance. Amherst, the Inter-national Young Men's Christian Association College, and the Ameri-can International College have regularly organized departments,while Clark College, Tufts, and strange to say, Williams, the cradleof missionary zeal in the past and with long-time traditions of re-ligious earnestness, ignore the Bible as a source of culture. Of thesix colleges for women, the only one which fails to provide gener-ously and wisely for Biblical work is Jackson College for Women,affiliated with Tufts.

Of the twenty-five strong private secondary schools in Massa-chusetts, for either sex or for both sexes, only one, Worcester Aca-demy, is without some provision for Bible study. I am informedthat provision has been made for a Biblical department at Worcesterthis coming fall. The work done in these secondary schools needssome standardization, but is sincere and worth while, as far as itgoes.

One training school, the Gordon Institute, affiliated with theNewton Theological Institution, offers, apparently, excellent oppor-tunities for Biblical study under standard conditions. The ninenormal schools of Massachusetts maintain steadfastly the traditionof inattention to the value of Biblical knowledge to the professionalteacher.

In the old Bay State conditions are relatively good. The Bibleis quite generally reckoned and used as a cultural means. This factmakes the exceptions more strongly marked. When Amherst, Har-vard and Yale, no less than Brown and Dartmouth, maintain strongBiblical courses or departments, surely Clark and Williams areplaced on the defensive for their neglect.

CONDITIONS IN RHODE ISLAND

Rhode Island has Brown University, which has maintained foryears a well-equipped, strongly developed department of BiblicalLiterature. Pembroke College for Women, affiliated with Brown,is likewise enabled to stress the cultural values of the Bible. Of the

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

The

Uni

vers

ity o

f M

anch

este

r L

ibra

ry]

at 0

1:51

11

Oct

ober

201

4

TEACHING THE BIBLE IN COLLEGES 319

two strong secondary schools, East Greenwich Academy offers Bib-lical work under a competent instructor; while the Moses BrownSchool, so far as.I have been able to ascertain, is satisfied with thevoluntary activity of its students in the devotional study of theScriptures. This judgment may be a mistaken one, since the schoolsestablished by the Friends are usually noteworthy for honoring theBible.

CONDITIONS IN CONNECTICUT

In Connecticut are three schools of theology: the Yale Schoolof Religion, Berkeley Divinity School and the Hartford SeminaryFoundation, each recognizing and meeting the demand for themastery of the English Bible. The Hartford Seminary Foun-dation includes a missionary training school of the first rank, theKennedy School of Missions.

The one real university, Yale, makes ample provision througha finely equipped and well-organized department for Biblical instruc-tion and research, strengthened by correlated departments. Thetwo colleges, Wesleyan University and Trinity College, offercourses under competent auspices. Neither seems to set apart aprofessor for the purpose, as it should.

There are twelve first-rate secondary schools, each dealing seri-ously with Bible study except the Connecticut Literary Institute,founded by Baptists at Suffield for the express purpose of insuringto youth a distinctively religious education. The four normalschools and the agricultural school are true to Biblical form in theirrespective classes.

NEW ENGLAND AS A WHOLE

There are eleven theological schools, each of them recognizingin some measure the necessity of providing for the mastery of theEnglish Bible by theological students. Only a few of these have anactual department of the English Bible. Four out of the six uni-versities and fifteen out of the twenty colleges of liberal arts recog-nize generously the cultural value of the Bible, while forty-seven outof the sixty-one important private secondary schools provide gradedcourses and trained instructors. The seventeen or more normalschools and the dozen or so professional schools ignore the Bible asany basis of valuable instruction.

CONDITIONS IN NEW YORK STATE

There are six theological seminaries, each one making, directlyor indirectly, generous provision for English Bible study.

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

The

Uni

vers

ity o

f M

anch

este

r L

ibra

ry]

at 0

1:51

11

Oct

ober

201

4

320 RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Of the four universities only one, Syracuse, has established a realdepartment of Biblical study. Columbia, Cornell, and New YorkUniversities provide a little instruction from their own faculties, butnot in any adequate fashion. Columbia recognizes the instructiongiven at Union Theological Seminary, but this provision touches theundergraduate life of Columbia but slightly, if at all. Of the fifteencolleges of liberal arts only four, Colgate University, the Universityof Rochester, Vassar College and Wells College, dignify the workof Biblical instruction. The other four colleges for women, Bar-nard, Elmira, Keuka and William Smith are far behind most insti-tutions of their class in this respect. Barnard College has announcedthe establishment of a Biblical department next fall. The other col-leges, including Adelphi, Hobart, Packer, St. Lawrence, Union, St.Stephen's and, curiously enough, Hamilton, with its wealth of puri-tan traditions, virtually ignore the cultural values of the Bible.

Teachers College of Columbia University is exceptional amonginstitutions for the training of teachers, in that it recognizes the im-portance of Biblical training to members of the teaching professionand provides for it through reciprocal relations with Union Theo-logical Seminary. The other seven normal institutions of the stateignore the Bible. There are nine first-rate private secondary schools,each without exception requiring Biblical work and making fair pro-vision for it. There are six missionary or Bible training schoolswhich make due provision for the mastery of the Bible. New YorkState as a whole invites encouragement.

CONDITIONS IN OHIO

In Ohio there are six theological schools, only one of them,Oberlin, contributing directly to the solution of the problems of En-glish Bible instruction. The other five are wedded to the old-fashioned theological curriculum and modify it but slightly.

The two state universities support departments of Biblical Liter-ature. So do the three private universities, Cincinnati, Pittsburghand Western Reserve, the first two very meagerly but really.

There are twenty-seven colleges in Ohio, each recognizing thecultural value of good work done upon the Bible. Possibly oneshould except Lebanon University, Capital University at Columbus(which offers plenty of Biblical instruction but chiefly of the cate-chetical variety, favored by strict Lutherans), or Marietta College,which belittles its time-honored traditions by providing only thatFreshmen shall study the Life of Christ for six weeks, under a non-faculty instructor, at the beginning of the college year. Two train-D

ownl

oade

d by

[T

he U

nive

rsity

of

Man

ches

ter

Lib

rary

] at

01:

51 1

1 O

ctob

er 2

014

TEACHING THE BIBLE IN COLLEGES 321

ing schools at Cincinnati and at Wooster are each well equippedBiblically.

At Lakewood, a suburb of Cleveland, an interesting experimentis being tried out this very year, which promises to throw much lightupon the vexed question of the recognition of the Bible in publichigh schools. Under the joint auspices of the public school author-ities and of the ministers of the vicinage, an apparently successfulattempt is being made to provide a credit course in Old TestamentHistory and Literature in the Lakewood high school. The re-quisite conditions of a suitable course of study, a trained teacher andstandard methods, are satisfied, and general approval seems assured.Perhaps this experiment will demonstrate the entire feasibility, thegreat value and the absolute absence of factional religious suggestionin good courses for secondary schools on the history and literatureof the Bible. .

Ohio has many normal schools, but I have been unable to deter-mine whether they find a way of recognizing Biblical instruction.It has a few private secondary schools of high rank. Concerningthem I have no accurate information.

A GENERAL SUMMARY

Within these seven states are twenty-three theological institu-tions, of which all but five recognize the importance of giving virile,historical instruction in the English Bible. The excepted institutionsare either ultra-conservative or the very opposite. The former donot ignore the Bible but fear to trust it; the latter do not value itsmastery. Of the five universities (including Cornell) which arewholly or partially state universities, three find no difficulty in recog-nizing the English Bible as a real factor in education. There aretwelve universities unsupported by public taxation. About half ofthem give full recognition to the Bible as a cultural asset. Sixtycolleges of liberal arts are reported, of which more than forty givea reasonable place in their regular schedules to the English Bible.The only discouraging fact is that such colleges as Bowdoin, Middle-bury, Colby, Clark, Williams and Hamilton should be countedamong the twenty whose responsible officers have not seen fit tomake available to their students adequate opportunities for the his-torical study of the Bible. Of the seventy secondary schools of firstrank, fifty-six give ample recognition to the Bible.

In the institutions thus reviewed are to be found a considerablebody of specialists in Biblical instruction. Out of over one hundredand sixty registered instructors in the English Bible, not a few are

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

The

Uni

vers

ity o

f M

anch

este

r L

ibra

ry]

at 0

1:51

11

Oct

ober

201

4

322 RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

real leaders, responsible for the gradual but significant growth ofthe years since 1887, when Professor Harper gave the first greatimpulse toward historical Bible study in this country. The Biblicalteachers of the whole country have become quite an army, five hun-dred and fifty strong, at the last count. There should be about onethousand more.

T H E SIGNIFICANCE OF THESE DATA

1. While this report of current conditions shows that the recog-nition of the Bible in English is firmly established in a majority ofour representative institutions, there is still ahead of us a genuinework of pioneering. Its justification in university and college alikerequires no argument; its thorough establishment in an importantgroup of colleges is desirable.

2. With few exceptions the aggressive and important secondaryschools recognize the value of Biblical instruction. Their actualprograms seem in need of standardization. There is little or no cor-relation apparent between the work they attempt and that whichbelongs to college years.

3. The normal schools are practically unreached. They are ob-sessed by the idea that the Bible is necessarily a sectarian and divisivebook. Hence they cut out all opportunities for their students to gainthat general acquaintance with the history and literature of the Biblewhich would enable them to understand its broadly helpful use incharacter formation and the acquisition of ideals. Their problem isa part of the larger problem of the use of the Bible in tax-supportedschools, yet unsolved in our country.

4. More important just now than the work of pioneering is anincrease in the number of competent teachers, trained for Biblicalteaching, who know how to make it a real educational asset. It isvery evident to any impartial observer that even yet in many partsof North America the standards of competency in Biblical teachingare far too low.

5. Quite as important as the development of an adequate numberof well-trained, enthusiastic teachers of the Bible is a departmental-izing of their task, which will set each teacher apart for this specificwork. The valuable Biblical instructor must have the Bible as hisdominant interest. Its successful teaching is an arduous and far-ranging task. The greatest handicap of the Biblical teacher's pro-fessional work today is that so many of them are expected to doother tasks as well.

6. The fourth great need revealed by such a survey is the stan-

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

The

Uni

vers

ity o

f M

anch

este

r L

ibra

ry]

at 0

1:51

11

Oct

ober

201

4

TEACHING THE BIBLE IN COLLEGES 323

dardization of the work to be done in each type of institution. Thereis a certain general task in Bible study which belongs properly tothe secondary school, another which fits the normal school, quiteanother challenging the undergraduate college world, and anotherstill which meets the needs of graduate and professional students.These tasks are measurably different from those which face theleaders of voluntary Christian activity in all these types of institu-tions. They may require some adjusting or modification in case oftax-supported institutions.

The achievement of these results rests ultimately with such anorganization as the Religious Education Association, which bringstogether those who are actually grappling with these problems in apractical way. Looking back to our beginnings, only a little morethan twenty-five years ago, we may be justified in great hopefulness.

A SURVEY OF COLLEGES OF IOWA

W. IRVING KELSEY, B.D.

Professor, Penn College, Oskaloosa, Iowa

This survey includes the twenty accredited independent collegesin the state, the State University and the State College at Ames.The State Teachers College is omitted because it offers nothing inReligious Education.* Only curriculum work is tabulated. Theterm Religious Education is used in a broad way. The material isdivided under the following sub-heads: Biblical History and Liter-ature; Religious Education proper, including History, Principlesand Methods; Religion, including History, Psychology, and Philoso-phy of Religion; Doctrine; Church History and Missions; NewTestament Greek and Hebrew; and related subjects.

Only seven institutions offer anything in Religious Educationproper. Coe offers two hours; Central three; Highland Park oneand two-fifths in the summer quarter; the State University two;Cornell two; Grinnell, beginning with the present year, ten; andDrake twenty-three.

The semester hours offered in Biblical History and Literatureare as follows: Coe 26; Central 22; Penn 27; Parsons 6; Drake 64;Luther none, but it should be noted that it has a strong course inits academy; Dubuque 12; St. Ambrose 12; Highland Park SJ^ ;Lenox 4; Iowa Wesleyan 4; State University 6; State College at

•The faculty has voted to introduce a course this fall.

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

The

Uni

vers

ity o

f M

anch

este

r L

ibra

ry]

at 0

1:51

11

Oct

ober

201

4