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It varies widely from one college to the next, and perhaps also with the general social climate. I attended a Christian liberal arts college in the early 80s.
by analog31 4y ago
It varies widely from one college to the next, and perhaps also with the general social climate.
I attended a Christian liberal arts college in the early 80s. I didn't belong to the same sect as the college, and wasn't particularly religious. The college had strong science programs, which is why I was there.
It was kind of an interesting time, with "fundamentalism" coming into broader public visibility, the Moral Majority, and so forth. This seemed to matter more to the students than to the college. I remember listening to late night debates in the dorm about whether the college's sect was "fundamentalist," and what they should be teaching about evolution, rock music, and so forth.
Naturally there was a religion department, and the college also contained the seminary for the sect's ministers. Officially, I had to take two religion courses, one of which was pretty much an outline of the sect's doctrines (which I've forgotten), but it was a required course, so it had to be easy enough for everybody to pass. And my Econ 101 professor taught about "Christian economics," which turned out to be Reaganomics, including the Laffer Curve.
Almost all of the region's small colleges were sectarian in some form or fashion, but varied widely in terms of how visibly religious they were. My experience was decades ago, and the alumni magazine that I get from the college suggests that they haven't changed much with the times. I'm not sure I'd choose a religious college today, or recommend one to my kids.