Biola University Accused of Drift Towards Woke Policies
Biola University in Los Angeles has long been regarded as one of the nation’s most biblically sound evangelical colleges. Recently, however, several Chrisitan podcasters have warned about what they call compromises on issues such as sexuality, gender identity and race-based politics, “The Daily Wire” reports.
Alisa Childers, the daughter of the late Christian music pioneer Chuck Girard,
“cannot recommend it as a safe place [for parents] to send [their] kids.” She cited that the school’s handbook, which has been updated in response to the controversy, promised to work with trans-identifying students to “arrive at decisions around facilities use,” seemingly permitting opposite-sex access.
Childers also voiced concern about The Dwelling, an administration-sanctioned LGBTQ support group that allows “affirming” views denying the sinfulness of gay and transgender behaviors and identities. Finally, she pointed to the school’s decision to host Rich Villodas, a pastor who accused Charlie Kirk in the wake of his death of “using words that have caused great harm to black and brown people, to Muslims and to LGBTQ people” — to speak on “spiritual formation and the church.”
Fellow podcaster Krista Bontrager, a three-time Biola graduate, has additional concerns, including the implementation of diversity, equity and inclusion departments, and lectures teaching critical race theory and black liberation theology, widely considered heretical for holding that the purpose of the gospel is to free believers from social, political and economic oppression in this life.
Biola has largely brushed off the concerns. Four of the school’s best-known conservative professors, including authors Sean McDowell and Thaddeus Williams, recorded a podcast gently mocking the notion that the school had “gone woke.”
“At Biola, you have to be a Christian to work there,” theology professor Erik Thoennes said. His department colleague, Fred Sanders, implied that those raising concerns are trafficking in gossip, saying, “The internet has made possible a whole lot of low information opinion-having.” Yet, in an hourlong discussion, none of the four men offered any rebuttal to the specific reports and records that Childers and Bontrager highlighted.
Last month, the college announced a $40 million gift, it’s largest ever, from ilicon Valley executive passionate about technology and education. According to Business Wire, “the gift will go toward facility investment, endowed professorships, student scholarships and equipment needed to accelerate student learning.”
–Alan Goforth
