I became interested in getting the truth out when I posted a few comments to this article. You might want to read that article and the following comments to get an idea about where I am coming from.
So much for introductions. I figure no one reads the comments to that article any more so I decided to post my next response to this blog instead since this blog is widely read.
In a comment to that article, someone claiming to be Dean Sherry from our University accused me of being a man and of being ironic.
This is not the first time someone has assumed I was a man, but the accusation of irony from my dean hurts. In the past, when I have been accused of irony the explanation my accusers have given has made me feel, vaguely, that I was being made a fool of. I’m sure that is not my dean’s intention.
Since I have been pressed on this point of trying to be ironic, I feel that I should stand up and speak for the truth on three points.
First, as to my inclination to use the sanctified language of my community: I refer you to the Volume XXXIV, Number 3 (Spring 2005) issue of “Christian Scholar’s Review” in which Chris Barrigar writes a brilliant article entitled, “‘Thick’ Christian Discourse in the Academy: A Case Study with Jürgen Habermas”. (I am fortunate that my college provides me, and all faculty here, with a free subscription delivered to our P.O. boxes.) In this article, Dr. Barrigar writes,
…thick Christian discourse provides significant scholarly pay-off, and thus Christian scholars should develop greater confidence in their use of such language within both academic and public realms.
and
…the use of Christian thick discourse enables a range of insights that are of value not just for Christians…
http://www.csreview.org/
I don’t believe this is a satire journal nor that this article was meant ironically.
Second, as to my statement about the faculty’s response to the dogmatism research: only the dean can make a statement about what most faculty believe on this subject since most faculty have private conversations with him in which they disclose their secret thoughts on the subject in complete confidence. All I can speak to is what was said in the public fora on the topic.
The dogmatism research was presented before a small group in September, 2005. I’m told that the discussion of the preservation of “good dogmatism” began there. In February 2006, the discussion moved online where all faculty could be a part.
I only remember one public response to the psychologist’s research in this public electronic forum. It was from the most esteemed theologian at the college and I detected no irony in it. It was from this theologian’s email that I got my definitions of “convictions”, “good dogmatism”, and “relativism” as well as the recommendation that we, if not dismiss entirely the empirical evidence indicating that a semester abroad negatively affects dogmatism, that we should at least “be careful about” it. The theologian even admitted that the research eliminated the possibility that any other variables could have been affecting the results (and a look at the numbers really did confirm this). Thus this theologian’s response was a perfect application of good dogmatism from which we should all learn a lesson.
I think I know this theologian well enough to say that he was not being ironic. If he was, I hope he will disillusion me. If he does publicly admit that he was being ironic, I will shut my mouth with the sad realization that our University is on the slippery slope to becoming another Harvard.
Finally, as to the accusation that I am trying to stir up a bull: my esteemed colleagues involved in this discussion are the very last bulls up which I intend to stir.
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