A MISSING NOTE:
                        PLACING BIBLICAL FAITH AT THE CENTER
                                          
                                + LEON W. GILLASPIE +
                                   Vice President
                             Southeastern Bible College
            

                 I write from a Bible college educator's perspective in 

            response to Edward Kuhlman's article, "No Room in the INS:  

            General Education and Educologists," Faculty Dialogue 17 

            (Spring 1992): 157-67.  

                 In many of the current discussions as to Christian 

            higher education, I find a note missing.  Kuhlman's article 

            is an example.  He states that the "endless attempts at 

            integrating 'faith and learning' have placed the liberal 

            arts at the center of their General Education curriculum."  

            ( I conceive of "liberal arts" as being basically "general 

            education.")

                 I contend that to "integrate" faith and learning we 

            must put biblical truth (a thorough knowledge and 

            understanding of biblical truth) at the center.  At the 

            least, we cannot "integrate" unless both "faith" and 

            "learning" are on somewhat of an equal plane.  Why put the 

            liberal arts at the "center" and leave "faith" outside or on 

            the periphery?

                 Again, Kuhlman wrote:  "If anything, the legitimacy of 

            biblical study apart from the secular scholarly context has 

            become questionable."  True, but also, the legitimacy of 

            secular study apart from the biblical scholarly context is 

            suspect.  (Note:  I submit that biblical study is also  


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            "scholarly.")

                 The genius of today's Bible college education is that, 

            while not providing a "major" in any particular "general 

            education" field, it does introduce these fields in some 

            breadth (as any college "major" program similarly 

            "introduces" the other fields).  Then, instead of merely 

            another "general education" major, the Bible college offers 

            the Bible/theology major as the foundation from which to 

            "integrate."  Consequently, with both "general education" 

            and sufficient biblical study, there is adequate "learning" 

            to afford full integration of the several disciplines.

                 We must have both "faith" and "learning" in a balanced 

            curriculum if we are to integrate them.  From a Christian 

            perspective, if both cannot be at the "center," then 

            biblical truth must be there.

            





























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