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Academics |
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Faculty Conversations on Teaching and LearningThe Conversation
Begins
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1.
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From Provost Wood to TKC
Faculty Members |
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Professor Bleattler sent me
the e-mail below, including
the e-mail he received from
a TKC student who may have
conscientious objections to
reading Candide.
We obviously cannot succeed
at our mission without
reading books by
non-Christian authors and
paying serious attention to
anti-Christian views. It
disturbs me that we find
ourselves with students so
intellectually callow as to
blanch at reading the
Aeneid or Voltaire.
We can, as Professor
Bleattler does, deal with
such students one by one as
they make their objections.
But I am curious as to how
widespread this phenomenon
is at King’s. Have you
encountered it? Do you think
we need to address this in a
more systematic way? |
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2.
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History Professor Harry
Bleattler to Provost Wood |
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I received the following
email from *********
regarding one of the
readings for Western
Civilization. I bring this
to your attention because
this is not the first time
this concern has been raised
by a student. Last semester
I had a student ask me the
value of reading pagan
literature, i.e, The
Aenied. I don't have any
problems explaining the
importance of these texts to
students but if this is
happening with other faculty
members than perhaps this
should be a wider discussion
for the whole collegium.
As for *******, I intend to
meet and talk to him about
this issue early this week.
I wanted to make you aware
of the situation. |
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3. |
From Student ********** to
Professor Bleattler
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I have noticed that, for
Western Civilization II,
students are to read
Candide by Voltaire.
Admittedly, I think personal
moral objections to my
reading it will arise as I
read, and I may therefore be
inclined to put it down. I
struggle with how to mesh
reading morally
objectionable literature and
Bible verses that talk about
keeping a pure mind, such as
Philippians 4:8. For by
reading, willingly,
unnecessary immoral content,
am I not necessarily putting
thoughts into my mind that
are not "true, [...] noble,
[...] right, [...] pure," (NIV,
Philippians 4:8) etc.? I am
honestly unsure of what to
do in such a situation. The
general opinion among
professors seems to be that
such literature has
intellectual value, which it
may, but how does the
Christian read on in it and
"get past" such verses as
those noted above? |
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