Balancing Religious Identity and Academic Reputation at a Christian University

Abstract

In recent years the secularization of religious universities has become a popular topic of research and scholarship. One facet of secularizing processes is the effect of the pursuit of national reputations by these institutions on their religious identity. A neglected aspect of this research is faculty perception. This study examines the issue as viewed by 18 senior faculty at a Christian university. Data analysis demonstrates that faculty perceptions fall into three distinct categories. The first group saw no inherent conflict between religious identity and academic reputation. The second group acknowledged a potential conflict, but was optimistic the university was remaining vigilant. The third group perceived a conflict between the two, expressing the belief that the threat to the university's religious identity was quite real and secularization was already taking place. Implications exist for all types of religious colleges and universities.