News About Valparaiso University - The Canary in the Coalmine

 

"It looks like we are going to need a bigger mask!"

"The president of Valpo announced today that the theology major and minor will be discontinued. If you read his announcement closely, you will see that what will replace that major and minor will be something dealing with "religion," but it is unclear to the theology and philosophy faculty how this new, reimagined program will look or how it will be taught, given the serious faculty reduction in the theo/phil dept. The only remaining philosophy faculty member was informed this morning that his position will be terminated at the end of the next academic year. With my departure, the dept. has just three remaining tenured faculty members whose graduate degrees are in Christian theology.

Unclear to me is how theology will continue to be a required component in the gen. ed. curriculum, given the very small size of the dept. Perhaps the administration intends to hire cheap labor to teach those required courses? (I think we had as many part-time and adjunct faculty teaching theo courses this past year as we had full-time tenured theo faculty.)

Among the other programs that will be discontinued are the bachelor of music (all concentrations), the German major, philosophy major and minor, and the theology and ministry major. Christ College lost its secondary humanities major. It now looks like the admin. plans to shutter the Brauer Art Museum for good, perhaps selling off the art collection to raise money for dorm renovations (?). It is very difficult for me to fathom the end of theology and German at Valpo, two historically stellar depts--both tied to German Reformation history and American church history--but that's the current situation.

I heard this morning that enrollments are significantly down." Matt Becker

***

"This turn at Valpo is truly disturbing, and matches ironically with the impending demise of Concordia Ann Arbor.  The Concordia Matters Official Page at Facebook keeps documenting the incredibly awkward and mission-absent methodologies being pushed on Ann Arbor. 

One thing that might have been a great next step would/could have been a decided effort by Valpo to reach out to these many stranded students and families with Valpo's quality Lutheran/Christian theology programs including music, German, philosophy and the like.  Which no longer exist. 

Both places have that downside feel of a fire sale.  Everything must go.  It's just going to take awhile.  We're running out of legacy institutions. 

And if you take the blinders off, that includes the local congregation as well.  I still like the advice given by Paul Hinlicky - work as hard as you can on the local Gospel mission.  It will be tougher than ever, but it will remain the beating heart of the Church.  Even when steeples and classrooms are closing."

Dave Benke It's OK To Pray

***

"Valpo is in the news this morning for breaking ground on the new Rafi Interfaith Center. President Padilla joined our U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan (D) and the guy paying for it for the front page first shovel photo. The donor's daughter, a VU grad, led a Muslim prayer to kick off the event. Apparently the donor owns the land and is paying for the building, so Valpo is really just putting their name on it and incorporating into their programming.

Unfortunately, the article seems to be behind a paywall.

https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/education/vu-breaks-ground-on-interfaith-center/article_312fe11a-6192-11ef-bf9b-9f6823dc0c32.html"

Peter Speckhard

***

GJ - The elderly ALPB Ovaltines have posted the reality of Valparaiso University and Ann Arbor. The same is happening at Bethany Lutheran College/Mini-Seminary and Martin Luther College School of Ministry. The ELS and WELS colleges are 29 miles apart, but they have spent about 30 million dollars on their two, gigantic gyms. "Build it and they might come." 

Have a look at ELCA's shrinking seminaries :(

 Link this for the combo.

Three Garfield Elementary School students, from the same class and neighborhood - Moline, Illinois, earned degrees at Yale University.

"The cost of attendance at some colleges is now nearing six figures a year, after factoring in tuition, fees, room and board, books, transportation and other expenses.

Among the schools appearing on The Princeton Review’s “The Best 389 Colleges” list, eight institutions — including New York University, Tufts, Brown, Yale and Washington University in St. Louis — have a sticker price of more than $90,000 for the 2024-25 academic year, according to data provided to CNBC."

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Trinity 13 - "However when the Samaritan comes, he helps, that is, when Christ comes and offers us his mercy, and says: Behold, you are indebted to love God with all your heart, but you have not done it; now believe in me, I will give you my sufferings: this will help me. Here he lifts me on his beast, that is, on himself, and takes me to the inn, that is, into the Christian Church."

 

"Thou shalt love God with all thy heart, so that thy whole body from the crown of the head to the soles of the feet, inwardly and outwardly, goes forth in love, and rejoices in God and honors him."

KJV Luke 10:23-37.
Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity.
The Good Samaritan

OF THE LAW AND THE GOSPEL.

38. I have often told you, dearly beloved, that the entire Scriptures consist of two parts, of the law and the Gospel. It is the law that teaches what we are required to do; the Gospel teaches where we shall receive what the law demands. For it is quite a different thing to know what we should have, and to know where to get it. Just as when I am given into the hands of the physicians, where it is quite a different art to tell what my disease is than to tell what medicine I must take so as to recover. Thus it is likewise here.

The law discovers the disease, the Gospel ministers the medicine. This you clearly see in today’s Gospel. The lawyer comes desiring eternal life, and inquires what he shall do to secure it! The law tells him, and says: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, with all thy strength and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself.”

39. He who reads this only superficially as this lawyer here does, will not understand it. One must enter into it and portray and even behold himself in it. For if I try to love God with all my heart, I will soon see how far I fail. So, with all the soul, that is, with the inner soul which I feel in the flesh, that I love and experience love in all my senses; for to love with the soul in the Scriptures means the love that a gallant youth feels towards his beloved. Again, with all thy strength, that is, with all thy members. Again, with all thy mind, that is, all thy senses, thoughts and delusions must be directed toward God. For if I am to love God with all my heart, soul, strength and mind, then my eyes dare not give one scornful glance, my tongue speak an angry word, my feet, hands, ears must all be one, and give forth no angry sign. That is to say: Thou shalt love God with all thy heart, so that thy whole body from the crown of the head to the soles of the feet, inwardly and outwardly, goes forth in love, and rejoices in God and honors him.

40. Now find me a man who is chaste or otherwise pious with a burning passion and love; there is none such on the earth. We find ourselves much more inclined to anger, hatred, envy, worldly pleasures, than to tender heartedness and other virtues. And when I find in my inclination such a spark, it is all false, the law is not satisfied. But I find not only a spark in me, but a whole bakeoven full of the fire of evil inclinations, for there is no love in the heart, nor in any member of the body. Therefore I here see in the law as in a mirror, that everything I have is condemned and cursed; for not one jot of the law shall pass away but all must be fulfilled, as Christ says, Matthew 5:18: “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass away from the law, till all things be accomplished.”

41. Now you do not find in yourself, that you do with all your soul and with all your heart, with joy and pleasure, what the law requires of you; therefore you are condemned and the child of satan; then know by this how to govern yourself in the future. Behold, you must first come to the knowledge to confess that you are the devil’s own property. But if you would know no more than how you are to treat him to be freed from him, you would have to perish. To this end the law serveth, that we may learn that we are condemned, for this evil lust is found in us all, and yet we should not have a spark of it in us.

42. Our sophists failed to see this, and have taught, if a man does the best he can, God then gives him grace. They are blind guides, and themselves confess that man has little desire for the good; yet still, if he go and do it, even though disorderly, unwillingly, indolently, he is nevertheless in favor with God. Christ here teaches the contrary that we should go forth with a passion and love and do the law with a joyful and happy mind. Now, whom would you rather believe, Christ or the sophists? I leave this to you. From such false knowledge the cloisters later arose, into which men entered and contended that if a man were only in a cloister, and it matters not how unwillingly he was there, then he would be saved. So they taught. But now Christ’s will is that man should do good works willingly and joyfully.

Hence, if they are done with a troubled conscience and a heavy heart, it is sin. Therefore cease from all works that you do not perform with pleasure and love.

43. They therefore should have said: Man, do you see, you poor condemned creature, you should have delight in God’s law, and you have no pleasure in it; hence show some delight and love, or you are God’s enemy and the devil’s friend. Thus the people would have bravely forsaken their own presumption and come to a knowledge of themselves and would have said: O God, now I am condemned. Yes, this is right. Here every one might soon know and conclude, that we all belong to satan, as long as we find within us displeasure in the law of God. Therefore, boldly cast away all works from you, then you will find delight in and love for God’s law in your heart. I experience indeed that God’s law is holy, right and good, but it is my death. And if it could be, I would prefer that it did not exist. And thus all people are disposed in their hearts, as St. Paul very beautifully writes in the seventh chapter of Romans.

44. Had we now remained in this condemnation, we would have had to perish forever. Therefore another part is added, the Gospel, which speaks of consolation and teaches salvation, and whence we are to obtain it, so that the law may be satisfied. Now when I see by the law that I am condemned, lying even among murderers, half dead, the devil has stolen my soul and taken it captive in Adam and Eve, with all faith and righteousness, and has left nothing except my bodily life which will soon be extinguished; now here come the Levite and the priest, who render human satisfaction and teach this and that; but it does no good, they pass by.

45. However when the Samaritan comes, he helps, that is, when Christ comes and offers us his mercy, and says: Behold, you are indebted to love God with all your heart, but you have not done it; now believe in me, I will give you my sufferings: this will help me. Here he lifts me on his beast, that is, on himself, and takes me to the inn, that is, into the Christian Church.

After this he comes and pours into me his grace, which is the oil, so that I feel I am lying on his shoulders, this gives me a very joyful conscience; moreover he pours into me wine, which is to devour and drown the old Adam. But even then I am not perfectly well. Health has indeed been poured into me and there is a turn for the better, but nevertheless I am not perfectly restored to health. Meantime Christ serves and purifies me by the grace he pours into me, so that day by day I become purer, chaster, milder, gentler and more believing until I die, when I shall be entirely perfect.

46. Thus when we now come before God the Father and are asked: whether we have also believed and loved God, and have wholly fulfilled the law; then the Samaritan will step forth, Christ the Lord, who carries us lying on his beast, and say; Alas, Father! although they have not wholly fulfilled thy law, yet I have done so, let this be to their benefit because they believe in me. Thus all saints must do, however holy and pious they may be, they must lay on Christ’s shoulders. If even the most holy people, as priests and Levites, could not satisfy the law, how shall we undertake to do so with our reigned works, bald pates and caps? O our wretched and corrupt nature! Let this be sufficient for the present, and let us call on God for grace.