Intellectual Engagement
Dartmouth Receives the Only Green Light of All the Ivies
Intellectual Freedom Under Attack at American Educational Institutions
by erin conner, writer and communications associate
On September 16th, 2024, Dartmouth College aligned its written policies of free speech with First Amendment principles. Consequently, Dartmouth officially reclaimed the overall “green light” speech code rating from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE).
According to a recent article published by FIRE, Dartmouth is the only green light school in the Ivy League, one of four in New Hampshire, and one of 68 nationwide. FIRE awards green light ratings to institutions with no written policies that seriously imperil student free speech rights.
“Say something controversial at most elite colleges and you’re liable to get shouted down, canceled, reported, and disciplined,” said FIRE Director of Policy Reform Laura Beltz. “But Dartmouth has shown it aims to foster a better environment for free speech through adopting these policies and encouraging dialogue across difference.”
According to FIRE, "Dartmouth first earned a green light rating in 2005, but in 2013, the school set up a 'bias incident reporting' protocol that FIRE deemed threatened student speech. Under this protocol, students could be reported by their peers — and investigated and disciplined by administrators — for offenses as minor as 'joke telling' and 'stereotyping.' At the time, FIRE told Dartmouth that the protocol was inconsistent with the school’s stated commitment to free expression, but administrators chose to keep it in place. As a result, in 2015, FIRE was forced to downgrade the school to a “yellow light” rating." 
photo credit: FIRE.org
Dartmouth President Sian Beilock took office in 2023. “As a community committed to learning and growth, Dartmouth thrives on the exchange of diverse viewpoints,” said President Beilock. “It is through the respectful sharing of different perspectives that we challenge our ideas, broaden our understanding, and advance our academic mission. Engaging with voices that differ from our own is not just important—it is essential to creating the kind of dynamic, inclusive environment where true learning takes place.”
FIRE maintains that, under President Beilock, "Dartmouth fixed two flawed policies governing harassment and revised the bias reporting protocol that cost the school its green light nearly a decade ago. These changes still maintain compliance with all applicable legal standards. Bias incidents can still be reported under the new protocol, and students may receive support and community resources. However, the new policy clarifies that speech that is protected under free speech principles will not be subject to investigation or punishment. Actions in violation of Dartmouth’s Nondiscrimination and Anti- Harassment Policy will continue to be investigated under that policy. Beyond revising Dartmouth’s policies, Beilock is passionate about cultivating a culture of free speech, expression, and dissent. As she said in her inaugural address, 'I want our campus to be a place where every member of our community not only feels comfortable expressing unpopular views, but in questioning others who hold views they disagree with.'"
The article continued to note that, "In January 2024, Dartmouth launched Dartmouth Dialogues, an initiative which offers programming dedicated to facilitating conversations that bridge political and personal divides. A cornerstone of Dartmouth Dialogues is the Dialogue Project, which trains students, faculty, and staff to cultivate the respectful and open exchange of ideas.And just last week, Dartmouth announced the expansion of the Open Expression Facilitators program. Open Expression Facilitators are trained faculty and staff who serve as neutral observers at controversial campus events and ensure that deplatforming and disruption do not occur. Until now, Open Expression Facilitators focused on undergraduate events, but now their mission extends to the entire campus community."
The Organization of American Historians defines academic freedom as “the principle of freedom of expression for scholars engaged in discipline-related teaching, learning, research, publication and service.” Academic freedom is a foundational necessity for colleges, faculty members, and students across our country as universities must not be confined to a one-size-fits-all cult of conformity.
For over two decades, Christian Union has defended academic freedom and intellectual discovery at some of our nation's most secular and influential schools, and would love your help to continue this work for the benefit of students and the good of our nation.
Read FIRE's full article here.
Join the movement to make Christ known at Dartmouth and beyond.
Two Reasons Our Faith Must Be Bold
Speaking and Living Boldly for the Lord in a Pluralistic Society
by erin conner, writer and communications associate
The Book of Acts shows a people living boldly.
In regard to the church in the Book of Acts, Author Jonathan Parnell in his article, "Why Boldness Matters Now" writes, "The bewildering reality at work in Peter’s and John’s testimony in Acts 4 is what they say about Jesus. These two fishermen had become messengers of God’s salvation, heralds for a new age in human history. They were now spokesmen of the risen and reigning Lord over all. So yes, they spoke with passion. But the point Luke drives home is not their style, but their substance. Not their homiletics, but their hermeneutics. It was all centered on Christ — how he is the One to whom the whole Old Testament points, how his work has changed the world forever. The heart of Peter’s and John’s boldness was how they spoke clearly about the identity and significance of Jesus. The picture Luke gives us of the early Christian mission is that the church was not without words when it came to the question of their King."
Parnell further notes that perhaps when we look at the church in the Book of Acts, "it sounds like the bar is set too high for us. Maybe this sounds like some kind of unrealistic expectation about lay-level theological education. Maybe. But my unshakable impression from reading our brother Luke is that he envisions the people of Jesus as a people who know Jesus. That the people of Jesus can see him in their Book. That the people of Jesus know what to say if someone were to ask, “About whom, I ask you, is the prophet talking about in the 53rd chapter of Isaiah?” (Acts 8:34–35). Luke has written a theological narrative for the church to drink up, and when we do, he’s convinced me that it means we imbibe this kind of boldness for our day — that we know whom we have believed amid a culture of confusion."
It seems abundantly clear from Scripture that the natural by-product of encountering and knowing Christ is to testify about Him wherever we go.
Parnell continues, "This vision of Christian boldness — of speaking clearly about the identity and significance of Jesus — is increasingly relevant in the day in which we live. This is worth highlighting, and there are two reasons why. First, the pluralism around us means inevitable indoctrination. Second, the more we’re marginalized, the greater the risk is that what’s important will muffle what’s the most important. A pluralistic world is like a raging river of clashing currents. The currents are the vast array of competing metanarratives, which as Richard Bauckham explains, is “an attempt to grasp the meaning and destiny of human history as a whole by telling a single story about it” (Bible and Mission, 4). The point is that, in our world, everybody’s got a story. Everybody lives by some story that tries to make sense of it all, whether cultural, religious, or ideological."
Furthermore, Parnell writes, "There are several rushing currents in this river of our world, and they’re always leading somewhere. Toss in this river the glut of communication channels around us, and it means that we can’t really do anything without stepping through those tumultuous waters. And if our steps are not intentional — if we don’t know where we want to go — we’ll just drift along with the strongest pull. The idea of not being pulled somewhere is impossible. “One’s life is moving in one direction or another, taking one kind of shape or another,” writes Kevin Vanhoozer in The Drama of Doctrine.
So, as Parnell rightly contends, "It is essential that we get clear on who Jesus is and what his work means for the world, as the Bible shows us. Bauckham points out that only the Bible 'tells a story that in some sense encompasses all other human stories [and] draws them into the meaning that God’s story with the world gives them' (5). The truth of Jesus in God’s story must be our navigating force. If it’s not, we’ll simply be tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every other current’s pull. Vanhoozer says, 'To the extent that we are always following some direction or other, our very lives are indoctrinated. The only question is whether the doctrine that informs one’s life is governed by the Christian gospel or by some other story, some other script' (Drama, 105). We’re either bold about Jesus, or we’re adrift with no anchor."
Bold about Jesus or adrift with no anchor. This is not an example of bifurcation. This is truth in a culture of deception that dilutes the power of the gospel and the clarity of God's Word.
Parnell concludes, "There is nothing more counter-cultural than telling the world that the crucified Messiah is raised and reigning, and that therefore now 'God commands all people everywhere to repent'" (Acts 17:30).
Bold faith has been one of Christian Union's core values since its inception in 2002. As a Christian leadership development ministry that seeks to transform culture for God's glory, Christian Union undertands that faith in Jesus Christ is not meant to be hidden, for “no one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light" ( Luke 11:33).
May we speak and go boldly to prepare the way for God, making a straight path for Him to enter into the hearts and lives of those we have been entrusted to love and lead.
Read Parnell's full article, "Why Boldness Matters Now."
Learn more about how Christian Union is developing bold Christian leaders with spiritual depth at strategic places for cultural engagement to change the world.
Three Lessons on the Soul
How Does Jesus Teach Us to Compute?
by Erin conner, writer & communications associate
In a recent article entitled "To Gain the World and Lose Your Soul," published by Desiring God, writer Greg Morse powerfully illustrates the problem of ignoring the soul as a result of the distractions and deceptions of our modern world.
Morse writes, "One great feature of modernity, from Satan’s standpoint, is the sheer rejection of the soul. We live in a world stupefied by the material. Ask ten people on the street about their souls — if they don’t wonder aloud, 'What does this babbler wish to say?' (Acts 17:18), they will tell you that if they do have a soul, they have not thought much about it. Even ancient pagan philosophers wrote dense treatises on the soul, but the mass of men today live as though they are soulless. And yet these same people investigate the silliest things under the sun. If anything is worth thought, is it not your soul? 'Claiming to be wise, they became fools'” (Romans 1:22).
Shepherds for Sale: The Bennett Broadcast's Recent Book Review
A Closer Look at Episodes 2 and 3 of a Newly Launched Christian Podcast
By Erin conner, writer and communications associate
51 million Americans listen to podcasts at least once a month, making it a powerful platform for Matt Bennett, Founder and President of Christian Union and the Heritage Pastors Association, to use to deliver messages about national revival and reformation.
In two episodes of his newly launched podcast, Bennett explores ideas in Megan Basham's best selling book Shepherds for Sale; a book that investigates how deeply secular billionaires have infiltrated America’s churches. Shepherds for Sale "documents how progressive powerbrokers set out to change the American church… and warns of what happens when the church trusts the world’s wisdom instead of Scripture" (Amazon.com). In review of the book, Os Guinness shares, "Some will quibble over details, but no one should miss the powerful warning in this book. We face a gathering storm, as Winston Churchill warned a century ago, but this time the enemy is inside as well as outside the gates. Every convinced and unashamed Evangelical should read, ponder, and pray over this important book."
Culture and Current Religious Affiliation
Is Culture Reshaping Religious Affiliation and Freedom in America?
by Christian union, first published in 2021; edited and revised 2024
Religious freedom is an expectation and reality in our country, but with a major shift in the cultural understanding of identity, some experts argue that religious freedom may be evaporating before our eyes. In an article from Gospel Coalition Australia entitled "Has Religious Freedom Had Its Day," writer Akos Balogh examines the cultural changes that are quickly reshaping the freedom of the Church in the west.
What was the Azusa Street Revival?
Exploring an Impactful Revival
by Christian union america
The Azusa Street Revival is not commonly considered one of America’s great revivals like the First (1730-1755) and Second (1790-1840) Great Awakenings because it did not affect the nation on a broad scale. However, Azusa Street may have had the largest worldwide impact of any revival that began in the United States.
The catalyst to the Azusa Street Revival was a determined desire to receive “the baptism of the Holy Spirit,” as understood by some. The idea of “the baptism of the Holy Spirit” comes from Acts 1:5 (cf. Luke 3:16) when Jesus told the apostles, “John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” Jesus’ words about being baptized with the Spirit were fulfilled in Acts 2:1-4 when “they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.” There are a variety of interpretations among Christians as to “the baptism of the Holy Spirit.”
When was the Last Nationwide Revival in America?
The Businessmen's Revival of 1857-58
by Christian union america
It was the “Great Century,” according to eminent church historian, Kenneth Scott Latourette, because of the unprecedented global growth of Christianity from 1800-1899. The gospel spread forcefully across the earth, and America was probably the greatest recipient and participant in God’s Kingdom advancement during that time. The “Great Century” began with the new country’s Second Great Awakening that lasted until approximately 1840. In the second half of the 1800s, the US was blessed with another nationwide move of God’s Spirit, the Businessmen's Revival of 1857-58.
Exploring the Spiritual Dimension of Mental Health
Christian Union Nova at Princeton Holds Powerful Leadership Lecture Series
by erin conner, writer and communications associate
To address the mental health crisis on our nation's college campuses, Christian organizations such as Christian Union and the Veritas Forum are using their ministries to create opportunities and discussions, as well as provide forums and workshops, to equip students to explore deeper meaning, freedom, and life through their faith in God.
Recently, Christian Union Nova at Princeton invited Dr. Matthew Suh to speak at a Friday night Leadership Lecture Series on “The Religion of Science, Integration of Faith, and the Art of Healing-a Christian Surgeon’s Journey into Supernatural Faith.” It was a powerful message and testimony, incorporating his career as a surgeon, his faith in Christ, and how the Lord miraculously healed him.
Losing Our Religion
Washington Times Op-Ed on Secularization of Educational Institutions
By Erin conner, writer and communications associate
Sunday, March 17, 2024-- The Washington Times published an opinion article today by Matt Bennett, Founder and President of Christian Union, entitled "America's Founding Universities Lost Their Religion. Are They Worth Saving?"
The article briefly discusses the histories of several educational institutions in America, such as Harvard, Cornell, Columbia, and Stanford. The article also presents a compelling claim that students at these institutions ought to know the fundamental truth upon which their schools were founded: Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and, through Him alone, humanity finds salvation and life.
Christian Leadership in Media
Highlight: CU America Member, Carrie Sheffield
By erin conner, writer and communications associate
Carrie Sheffield, a Harvard alumna and a member of Christian Union America, is releasing a memoir this March entitled Motorhome Prophesies and launching a subsequent book tour across the U.S.
Sheffield, a columnist and broadcaster in Washington, D.C., shares insights with millions of Americans on networks like CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, CBS News, CNBC, BBC, and more. From ABC’s Good Morning America to HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher, PBS, and C-SPAN, she brings a voice of virtue to the American communications and media industry through boundless interviews for articles, appearances on television shows and podcasts, and at forums across the nation. Consequently, many Americans know the professional side of Carrie Sheffield's life.
In her memoir, we learn about a different side of her life. The book's overview states, "Carrie Sheffield grew up the fifth of eight children with a violent, mentally ill, street-musician father who believed he was a modern-day Mormon prophet…She and her seven siblings were often forced to live as vagabonds, remaining on the move across the country. They frequently subsisted in sheds, tents, and, most notably, motorhomes. They often lived a dysfunctional drifter existence, camping out in their motorhome in Walmart parking lots. Carrie attended 17 public schools and homeschool, all while performing classical music on the streets… at times while child custody workers loomed…Carrie struggled with her mental health during college and for most of her adult life."
Please Join Us
Experience the Power of a CU Fire Retreat — without Leaving Your Town!
By Erin Conner, Writer and communications associate
What is the significance of meeting together in a community to seek the Lord? Why are followers of Christ encouraged in the New Testament to "not give up meeting together?" (Hebrews 10: 25).
Throughout the Scriptures, we find patterns of regularly seeking God in community with others. For example, daily morning and evening gatherings when the sun rises and the sun sets are found in Numbers 28:1-8. Weekly meetings are held Sunday (originally Saturday) in Exodus 20:8-11; Leviticus 23:3; Numbers 28:9, 10; Deuteronomy 5:12-15 and in the first century Church, as recorded in Acts. Monthly or "new moon” gatherings are found in Numbers 28:11-15, and annual special gatherings are held several times per year, especially with seven-day gatherings every six months in the spring and the fall, as shown in Leviticus 23:1-44.
Seek the Prince of Peace
Join Our 21-Day Fast
By chuck hetzler, PhD, vice president of biblical theology
Is Israel’s current war a sign of the end times? How should we, as Christians, think about the war? What can and should we do?
Christian Union is calling all American Christians to start the year with a 21-day fast, Tuesday, January 2, through Monday, January 22, 2024, to humble ourselves and seek God in light of the current events in the Middle East.
The upcoming CU National Fast is titled "Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace for All Nations." Christian Union faculty and staff will write devotionals based on Scripture, which will be sent to all signed-up participants by email each day of the fast.
United in Faith, Transformed by the Spirit
CU Fire Retreats Continue to Blaze Across America
By erin conner
“Once again CU Fire Retreats Delivered! Amazing!,” claimed one participant following the past Christian Union America Retreat held on October 13-14. CU Fire Retreats are multi-site, two-day simulcast retreats focusing on spiritual strengthening through prayer, fasting, repentance, and seeking the Lord. CU Fire Retreats are a part of Christian Union America’s efforts to bring sweeping change to our nation for God’s glory through the development and connection of transformative Christian leaders.
Are the Miraculous Gifts for Today?
The Debate of Cessationism v. Continuationism
By erin conner
Are the miraculous gifts for today? Dr. Michael Brown argues a compelling “yes” in his article entitled “The Reformed of the Lord Say No to Cessationism,” published on October 9 in Christianity Today.
“The cessationist debate is back, although in some ways, it’s never left,” Brown writes, in light of the recently scheduled 2024 Cessationist Conference led, in part, by Pastor John MacArthur. This conference is timed to coincide with the release of the Cessationist movie, “bringing an age-old topic back to the forefront of trending conversations, especially among Reformed believers.”
Revival: The Hope for America
Tim Keller's Final Articles
By Chuck Hetzler
Two of Tim Keller’s final written pieces, published just weeks before his passing on May 19, 2023, were on the subject of revival. One such article was directed to the church at The Gospel Coalition (March 17, 2023) and the other offered to all Americans in The Atlantic(February 5, 2023).
On The Road With The Holy Spirit
Christian Union Board Member Explores A Life of Signs and Wonders in New Book
By Anne Kerhoulas
Ken Fish wants believers to know that God is not in theory. So often in the western church, Christians read the stories of the Bible and assume that signs and wonders were events that occurred in biblical times and simply don’t happen today. Fish is here to tell you otherwise in his upcoming book, On the Road with The Holy Spirit: A Modern Day Diary of Signs and Wonders.
Free Speech Tested At Stanford
Judge Heckled and Insulted For Unpopular Views
By Anne Kerhoulas
On March 9, 2023, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Stuart Kyle Duncan was invited to speak at Standford Law School. Duncan, a conservative judge who has opposed the right to same-sex marriage, ruled to restrict abortion, and held other views deemed unacceptable by Stanford students, was the recipient of heckling, threats, and insults during his talk. When Duncan asked for the moderator to intervene, the Stanford administrator took the side of the students, stating that his work had caused many of them harm.
CU Rise Campaign Seeks “To Make Jesus The Most Talked About Name On Campus”
Christian Union Embarks On Second Massive Evangelism Initiative
By Anne Kerhoulas
Last spring, Christian Union launched CU Rise, an evangelism campaign designed to share the gospel with students at ten of the nation’s most influential universities more boldly, strategically, and frequently than ever before. This week, Christian Union is at it again as CU Rise takes form for its second iteration.
Studying The Psalms
A Trio of Christian Union Bible Studies Explore the Psalter
By Anne Kerhoulas
Christian Union seeks a spiritually vibrant nation marked by Christian values permeating every corner of society. This vision is being advanced through the launch of Christian Union Bible Studies that are available to anyone who seeks to know the Lord and His word better.
By Grace, Not Works
Penn Sophomore Became A Christian Through CU Martus
By Anne Kerhoulas
What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. -1 Corinthians 3:5-7
For every Christian, the Lord appoints servants whom he uses to bring about our faith. Whether you grew up in a Christian home or an atheist home, God, in his perfect plan and kindness, placed individuals in your life who would speak the gospel to you, embody the love of Christ, help solidify theology, and love you into the kingdom of God.
For Stanley Liu, who grew up in Los Angeles in a secular household, the Lord appointed the Boy Scouts and a Catholic girlfriend to plant and Christian Union Martus to water.
