Christian Charity and Criticism of Christian Schools

LBU is vastly better than Andersonville. No comparison. Back to my cave.

 

The 2005-2006 LBU catalog may be viewed online at www.lbu.edu/download/lbucatalog2005.pdf.

 

Martin info

Because of Tony's comments re Walter Martin, I decided to do gather additional info. I came across this.

I see he had some connection to Melodyland. I don't think the School of Theology exists anymore.

 

Looks like the Martin work continues.

 

Re: Martin info

Melodyland was a theater for shows located across the street from Disneyland in Anaheim. I lived about ten miles from there and my friend attended Martin's Sunday School classes at Melodyland. I do not recall if Melodyland was run by Martin's Christian Research Institute, but there was a very close affiliation and Martin was a huge presence there. Apparently Martin was a "professor" at Melodyland until he co-founded the Simon Greenleaf Law School. Both are now defunct (hotels and restaurants have replaced Melodyland).

Martin used to love to introduce himself as a "Full Professor of Comparative Religion", even though his previous teaching experience was as an adjunct faculty at a few unaccredited schools. By forming his own schools, he was able to bypass the ranks of instructor/lecturer, assistant professor and associate professor and go straight to "full"--pretty nifty for someone who produced no scholarly or peer-reviewed research.

The website that you found is a good synopsis of Volume 3 of the "They Lie in Wait to Deceive" by Brown (the one that deals with Martin). Volumes 1 (Dee Jay Nelson) deals firsthand with diploma mills a and completely fake credentials, while 3 deals with Martin's "indiscretions".

Tony

 

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agreed! No argument from me with that. The grad LBU programs have much more substance than do the Andersonville ones.

Further, if Andersonville claims ACI as its accreditation, and Bethany of Dothan says it is recognized because it is listed in Walston's Guide, and LBU says the reason it is not RA is because it is a religious institution (p.14 LBU '04 Catalogue), I suppose that LBUs affirmation makes more sense than the other two- but not much more.

 

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Re: Re: Martin info

That should read "Melodyland was a theater for shows until it was bought out by the group that started the theology school." In addition to their classes, they used to hold revival-like meetings with Christian rock bands on a regular basis.

 

Hi Jimmy and Tony: Thanks for the reasoned discussion of the pros and cons of Walter Martin. I appreciate it and have learned from it (I could too!). Janko

 

Yes, Martin's family had a major falling out with the Christian Research Institute (founded by Martin) when Hank Hanegraff took over the CRI and martin's Bible Answer Man program. This is their effort to keep his work alive and his books selling.

Tony

 

How Wide the Divide, by Craig Blomberg and Stephen Robinson (the only Latter-day Saint that I know of who has chaired a department of religion at a non-LDS university) is published by InterVarsity Press. The book is designed to begin a dialogue between Evangelicals and LDS that has been sorely lacking. The topics covered are 1) Scripture, 2) God & Deification, 3) Christ & the Trinity and 4) Salvation. Both scholars do a credible job, although both acknowledge that they do not speak officially for their respective faiths.

I found it to be a worthwhile read.

Tony

 

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Thanks Russell for giving that link. It is a nice catalogue ;I find it useful to flesh out my statistics.

Using the data for the faculty there we find a total of 40 docs with 11 of these accredited . While I am left brained, not right, I think that means that 27% of the LBU faculty who have docs actually have accredited docs.

{ie, without factoring in the several administers who also teach , possibly the majority of grad Biblical courses well as supervise programs ,which would likely bring the % to BELOW 20%, and without determining just how much each member of the adjunct faculty actually teaches instead of just being on the roster }

So if my math is right :

in '01 of the LBU faculty with docs 22% had accredited docs.
in '04 =25%
in ' 05 =27%

{a growth of slightly more than 1% per year}


At that rate of growth I anticipate that in merely another FIFTY-SEVENTY more years LBU may have a faculty which does not teach grad studies that are implied to be the equivalent of accredited studies, with profs who have unaccredited docs.

You see, I see a dilemma in the LBU catalogue implying that the LBU PhD in Bible (I include that as the catalogue makes NO disclaimer or exception ) is in "academic standards" the equivalent of accredited and is "first class" when LESS than 1/4 , I suppose, of those faculty teaching grad Bible/Theology have accredited docs.

The reader can take his/her choice: judge me as hyperventilated or judge LBU as hyperbolic or do, most likely the truth, both.

Does this mean:

LBU has no good qualities? No!
LBU is insincere? No!
LBU should offer no grad degrees? No!
LBU is not suitable for some? No!

 

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Considering that in 2004 alone...................

1) LBU relocated from a facility it had leased for 30 years to a newly purchased facility.

2) LBU dropped all connection with ACCTS, assuming the position that no accreditation is better than association with a non-recognized agency.

3) LBTS implemented a new ThM degree, requiring the MDiv and familiarity with the original languages for admission.

4) Had an accredited faculty growth rate of 1%.

............rather than taking another FIFTY-SEVENTY years, perhaps LBU can pull it off in................say................FORTY FIVE.

 

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1) good job
2) no claim of accreditation is required if it is claimed that its programs equal accredited ones.
3) good job
4) may be.

LBU, IMO, may offer substantive undergrad Bible and grad ministerial studies. My issue presently with the PhD in Bible. If LBU can see the need for changes in other ways as facilities and act on that need , possibly it will eventually see also the need for a qualified faculty if it intends to offer grad degrees in Bible/Theology and will vigorously act upon that need.

Nothing that I say should be taken to suggest that I think I am in general more spiritual or Christian or holy than LBU workers and supporters. I know I am not. I only address academic issues.

 

Intervarity published a book that a LDS co-authored? And you thought we evangelicals were narrow

 

Facilitating excellence in a given degree program should be the goal of any institution serious about offering substantive academics, LBU included. I fully concur with the above concerns.

 

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I'm glad you agree. I hope everyone does. I'm signing off for 2-3 days. Feet and fingers , from diabestes, will not stop burning. just got a call that the VA drug rehab is kicking my son out. sigh. trials worketh patience?

 

Sorry to hear of your concerns. Will keep all in prayer. Blessings to you and your family.