Comments on: A Conservative Christian’s Reflections on Life in the Legal Ivory Tower

By: Rob D

Rob D — Sat, 18 Oct 2014 05:50:43 +0000

Maybe it speaks to my old-school Reformed convictions, but I felt no similar burden in law school. I supported my law school’s effort to limit official recognition to organizations that were open to everyone. There were several other non-evangelical conservative Reformed Christians in my law school class. We met regularly for fellowship at a bar, but did not feel that others’ student fees ought to pay for our beer. We gladly would have accepted all comers, but I suspect that most would have been bored by our discussions of the Midwestern Dutch Reformed subculture.

Also, it’s unclear to me why faithful Christian witness must, in your view, necessarily include getting into debates with others about religious topics. Outside of the 1-2 classes devoted to the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause, I didn’t see that my Reformed faith was too relevant to the rest of law school. I found that my undergraduate study of institutional economics proved to be far more germane to law school than anything else.

Of course, it’s your prerogative to conduct yourself as you pleased during your professional studies. Even so, please don’t suggest that all Christians are duty-bound to do the same thing. After all, some of us conservative Christians come from traditions that forbid non-ordained laypersons from engaging in evangelism. If someone asks me about Christianity, I’ll generally just paraphrase the answer to Q1 of the Heidelberg. But I don’t believe that I have authority to say much more.

By: Rev. Mark Forrester

Rev. Mark Forrester — Fri, 17 Oct 2014 19:57:29 +0000

Well-written and, I feel, submitted with good intentions. Still, this piece lingers with nuances that overstate a climate of hostility and disrespect toward religious organizations that have remained in noncompliance at Vanderbilt. Tish’s essay in CT announced that groups such as Intervarsity Fellowship had been “kicked off campus.” Above you say that they were “forced to formally leave campus.” As (now) University Chaplain, I cannot recount one group that has been kicked-off campus or forced to leave as a religious organization. Why? Because I respect these groups, their leaders and know that critical, formative work is still being accomplished in the lives of the Vanderbilt students they serve—with my blessing and with Vanderbilt’s willingness to still grant meeting space (at no cost) and access to students. I am not a polemicist for All Comers and have viewed this policy debate from many vantage points, yet at the end of each academic year our non-registered groups continue to thrive. What perplexes me is that nobody wants to get my office’s input on Vanderbilt’s religious climate as critiques are being prepared. We have a dedicated staff of religious professionals who care deeply about religious freedom and the right to express one’s beliefs, however unpopular. As we continue to work behind the scenes as a pastoral, collegial force for encouragement and, I’d suggest, empowerment, readers of this and Tish’s work will never know the back story.

Respectfully,
Rev. Mark Forrester
University Chaplain and Director of Religious Life at Vanderbilt

By: Joshua Smith

Joshua Smith — Fri, 17 Oct 2014 18:43:37 +0000

“The Dean of Vanderbilt Law School always went above and beyond to be welcoming and accommodating to the Christian Legal Society while still being within the letter of Vanderbilt’s absurd policies.”

This reminded me first of the central conflict in a recent film entitled Belle, in which Britain’s chief justice must tow the a similarly untenable line. It’s a nuanced and beautiful movie, somewhat like a secular Amazing Grace.

Then I remembered Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure.

And then I thanked God that he called you to this vocation and spared me.

Blessings on your work, friend.