Guest Post: Crisis at Calvin

Some of you may have read about the controversy at Calvin College surrounding a memo from the Board of Trustees prohibiting the advocacy of homosexual behavior by Calvin faculty. The issue if complicated because it tests the limits of academic freedom in a place like Calvin with ties to a confessional denomination.

I asked Eric Washington, Assistant Professor of History at Calvin, to give his take on the controversy. I think you’ll see in Eric’s response the difficulty many feel in maintaining biblical fidelity in crucial matters the this and defending academic freedom at the same time.

The second to last paragraph is where Eric gets to the crux of the matter.

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There is an old proverb that states, “Silence is golden.” There is another that combats this one that states, “Sometimes silence is deadly.” As many people who may read Kevin’s blog and are familiar with the ins and outs in Reformed circles know that there has been an on-going crisis at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Calvin is one of the Christian Reformed Church’s colleges, and it is an excellent college with a host of stellar professors. The Christian Reformed Church has stood for the gospel of Jesus Christ and the Reformed tradition throughout its history, and Calvin has produced a stream of professionals and ministers who live out the gospel in the marketplace of ideas. As a junior faculty member, I am humbled to part of this enduring tradition of excellence.

In the past few months, Calvin College has made the headlines in the secular media and Christian media regarding a controversy regarding homosexuality, confessional status, and academic freedom. My purpose is to present in brief my position on this controversy without offering blow-by-blow details of the entire episode. To offer the needed context, I must state succinctly that the whole matter began with a response from the College’s Board of Trustees to a play written by one of the college’s professor that, according to the Board, “advocated” homosexuality. The response came in the form of a memo that asserted that no college faculty or student should publicly “advocate” homosexuality. Also the memo clearly articulated that homosexuality is a violation of the Seventh commandment as expressed in the Heidelberg Catechism Q/A’s 108-109.

This memo raised a tumult among many faculty members. One issue raised by faculty is that the Board of Trustees over-stepped its power by handing down such a measure. Many faculty members believed this to circumvent academic freedom, which is a hallmark on any liberal arts campus.  Many faculty members also responded to the issue regarding homosexuality’s confession status. Some argued that there is no confessional article, or statement that clearly labels homosexuality as a sin despite a statement by Synod in 1973 calling the actual practice of homosexual activity “incompatible with obedience to the will of God as revealed in Scripture.” Even this position taken by Synod in 1973 and re-affirmed by subsequent synods had no confessional bearing according to some faculty members.

With all of this said how is one who loves Christ, his Church, and his Word to think and act? Since the college is a confessional college and holds to the Three Forms of Unity confessed by all churches that emerged from the Reformed Church in the Netherlands, the confessions point us back to the Word of God. The Belgic Confession has an unequivocal position on biblical authority (see Article 5). According to Article 5, the Holy Scriptures “regulated” and “establish” “our faith.” What we are to preach regarding the salvation of sinners is found only in the Word of God, and how we are to live out the gospel is found only in the Word of God.

Applying this principle to homosexuality, the Scriptures plainly teach that homosexuality and the activities associated with it are sinful (see Leviticus 18:22, Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11). The Corinthians passage is interest as Paul teaches that homosexuals along with drunkards, thieves, and adulterers among others cannot inherit the Kingdom of God; therefore, homosexuality is a damnable sin. Paul goes further in this passage to teach that Christians were these types of people before they repented and trusted in Christ. The homosexual through the powerful application of the blood of Christ is now a new person indwelt by the Holy Spirit. From other passages of Scripture we know that Christians have remaining sin (see Romans 7). Could homosexual tendencies be a “remaining sin” that still needs to be fought against? Sure. Is the Church to remain aloof? No. Drawing from Holy Scripture dealing with homosexuals and homosexuality is a gospel issue. Because of this the acceptance or prohibition of homosexuality possesses confessional status for Reformed churches. The Church must preach openly based on the authority of the Word of God that homosexuality is a sin against God and like other sins merits God’s justice, but Christ died on the cross for the sin of his people including homosexuality. Imagine that. Christ who knew no sin became sin for us including homosexuality. That is preaching the amazing grace of Christ.

I do believe that the Seventh commandment teaches against homosexuality as I believe it teaches against all forms of sexual sin including pornography (a so-called secret sin that involves only an individual supposedly). The Confession of Faith in Article 7 teaches that what the Scriptures teach is “perfect and complete in all respects.” That includes its strong prohibition of homosexuality. Does this mean that I support the memo from the Board of Trustees? I do believe that the memo though expressing a biblical and confessional truth went outside of the policy of the college regarding academic freedom. I believe in the liberty of conscience and that each professing Christian has the capability of opening the Scriptures him/herself and interpreting them for him/herself accountable to God. If another faculty member comes to a different conclusion from me on this issue, then it is incumbent for us to search the Scriptures and understand our confessional standards in their context. There may be a need to re-define academic freedom related to a Reformed and Confessional liberal arts college as Calvin is.

There are people working toward a resolution, and we can pray that a biblical resolution is found. We at Calvin College need to commit this to serious prayer and humble contemplation of the Word of God and our great confessions. Let us pray for those particularly charged with working through the issues, especially that God would be glorified and the gospel rightly articulated and applied.

Eric Washington