Featured Liberty U.'s Direction?

Donald Trump to kick off 2016 Convocation slate Jan. 18

...and his favorite book is the bible.

Rob

 

Many alumni are beginning to get anxious. The school is changing, not for the better at this point.

 

Spent one year with Liberty Online working for my Biblical and Theological Studies, but decided with current events and my families season of life it was not time for full ministry study. However, my wife is on her second year for their Certified Medical Assistant program and they have been great.

Her first few classes were biblical study classes that are required for all students. She learned some things, but she already has a two year degree in biblical studies through another college. She didn't transfer her credits in.

Nonetheless, the program has been challenging and rewarding. Although most instructors have been great, she had two that shouldn't be teach . . .ever! They refused to work with her when she got into an automotive accident last year that resulted in a brain injury and memory loss / seizures. We actually had to take to a higher level and eventually medically dropped her classes.

As for the commercials. They are 'alright' at best; every Christian college I've visited puts way more focus on the founder than Christ. Not sure why. Either way, Liberty want's and will take anyone, which is a great way to spread the gospel.

 

Just as a note, Liberty has been granted R3 research status. This is a helpful position for LU as it begins a process of becoming more research focused and, as a result, strengthening the university.

http://www.liberty.edu/online/liberty-news/?mid=182756

I'd still like to see individual schools pursue proper accreditations (such as ATS for the divinity school.) But this is a good move for them.

 

They are going to have to beef up their library holdings if they want to be any kind of credible research institution in the field of theology and biblical studies.

 

And the faculty simply needs to be better. The library holdings, from what I'm told, are growing and being upgraded but its a long process.

One faculty member said that a couple of years ago the faucet of funding for books was wide open but now its slowed significantly. At this point, for theological studies particularly, they need to have some sizable private libraries of pastors and scholars be donated to the school. Other disciplines need the same thing.

The goal, seems to be, to get to R2 within a decade which would be a major move forward. The library has the resource capacity to handle this, they just need to be filling the shelves (even of the robotic filing system) with out of print and hard to get (high priced) research materials. Then they need to have some kind of visiting scholar program to get folks there to work in specialized collections.

We'll see...

 

I think their faculty in the school of divinity is always going to be lackluster so long as they have their tight doctrinal stance that they do. Even though they are local for me, I would be unable to pursue a PhD there b/c of my stances on things that they clearly delineate in their doctrinal statement (i.e. protology, soteriology, & eschatology). When you box yourself in to a tight confessional, you limit your field greatly.

 

Not that I like their "theology and apologetics" PhD program or degree completion plan, but their questionnaire requires the applicant to be in "substantial agreement" w/ their doctrinal statement (http://www.liberty.edu/online/media/9932/PhD Questionnaire.pdf).

My protology is different as noted.
My soteriology does not include Jesus paying for the sins of all
My eschatology is not pre-trib premillism as the statement clearly affirms

So it is not so open for the likes of me. I suspect that their faculty is similarly vetted, perhaps even more carefully.

 

Yeah, I was surprised at the number of Cals and Pentecostals that popped up in my theology class, when topics like soteriology and spiritual gifts were being discussed.

Of course, I have no idea about what doctrinal statements they may require from their teachers that they don't require from their students.

 

I'm pretty sure that undergrad and graduate does not have to susbscribe so strictly to the school's doctrinal statement. I saw now requirement for MDiv students having to be in "substantial agreement" or anything like that. So it may be a PhD thing.

 

I couldn't find a hard copy of the grad school questionnaire, last year it was accessed online.

 

From what I've seen the school is loosening things doctrinally for faculty, though not as much for the Divinity School. It almost seems that one needs to be more committed to the principles of the GOP platform than a particular theological position outside that school...just saying.

That said, for students the school has been overwhelmingly open to differing viewpoints. I know of some PhD candidates in Theology and Apologetics that have differed massively from the stated doctrinal position. They've been able to gain candidacy so long as they disclose their disagreements. However, the limited position of (classic) Dispensational, Pre-tribulation and Pre-millennial young earth creationist litmus tests for faculty has had a very negative effect on their hiring.