My Journey toward Renouncing America’s
Largest Christian College
In this deeply personal blog post, our research director Darren Slade recounts the journey of discernment that led to his parting ways with the religious and political ideology represented at Liberty University, the institution from which he received his PhD. in Theology.
In a nutshell, this post is simply my explicit and public disavowal of the prejudicial ideology and ugly rhetoric that comes out of Liberty University, particularly from the Jerry Falwell dynasty that still controls it, and to explain that not every professor or student at Liberty agrees with the beliefs or practices of LU’s more outspoken leaders. Why do I feel the need to make such an explicit and public disavowal of my alma mater?
It’s not because I am disgruntled, opportunistic, or backslidden. On the contrary, like anything else, my experience with Liberty University (spanning almost 9 years) was a mixture of wonderful growth through great joy and turbulent hardship. I made some amazing friends and (probably) some enemies, too. Most importantly, I learned a lot about myself and the Christian tribe I once ascribed to. I eventually learned what I always knew: I am a man of strong conviction and have a passion for truth and justice. As such, I learned that I needed to separate myself from the political ideology and prejudicial theology behind Liberty University. Thus, this disavowal comes from a genuine disappointment in having chosen to attend Liberty in the first place, as well as a grave concern for what the university has come to symbolize today—religiously, academically, and politically.
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