Dr Paul Allen

Harvard University was founded as Harvard College in 1636. Its stated purpose was: “To train a literate clergy.” Among its mottos were, “Veritas Christo et Ecclesiae” (truth for Christ and Church) and “In Christam Gloriam” (to the glory of Christ). John Harvard donated his library to kick start the theological college. Now, Harvard has hired an atheist as its chief chaplain. And no, this is not a poor joke. As reported by the New York Post, “This spiritual leader doesn’t need a higher power. “Harvard University’s organization of chaplains is getting a new president to coordinate the campus’ Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist and assorted other religious communities. Only the new president, 44-year-old Greg Epstein, does not identify with any of those traditional religions himself. “He is an atheist.” But how can an atheist be a university chaplain? Epstein explained to the New York Times, “There is a rising group of people who no longer identify with any religious tradition but still e...

English: Fogg Museum of Art, Harvard University. Photo by C. Szabla. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Universities sprang up in Medieval Christendom. Nothing like them had been seen in history, for not only did they concentrate teachers, they embraced the idea of set coursework whose requirements must be fulfilled before a specific degree was awarded. Students were periodically tested before being certified in their chosen subjects. Universities were modeled on guilds which trained and rated apprentices and journeymen and gathered members for mutual protection. The Christian ideal often tends to clump people together for mutual support in a body. Puritans, many of them university educated in England , brought the idea of a university to New England . "After God had carried us safe to New England, and wee had builded our houses, provided necessaries for our livelihood, rear'd convenient places for Gods worship and setled the Civill Government: One of the next things we longed f...

Image via Wikipedia How did America's great Christian colleges come to abandon their faith and become the secular institutions they are today? When Harvard College was founded by the Puritans in 1636, they knew well what they wanted from their school. "Let every Student be plainly instructed, and earnestly pressed to consider well, the maine end of his life and studies is, to know God and Jesus Christ which is eternal life, John 17:3, and therefore to lay Christ in the bottome, as the only foundation of all found knowledge and Learning..." The great school was intended to produce a godly clergy. In less than a hundred years, that high ideal faltered. Liberals won control of the school.  On this day, January 24, 1722,  they appointed Edward Wigglesworth to fill the newly created Thomas Hollis chair at Harvard College. This made Mr. Wigglesworth the first divinity professor commissioned in the American colonies, but what should have been cause for rejoicing was actually...

It may come as surprise that when Yale University was founded on this day, October 16, 1701, it was by Congregationalist ministers Image via Wikipedia  unhappy with the growing liberalism at Harvard. It wasn't called Yale then, of course, but rather the Collegiate School . The ministers donated forty books and declared their objective, that "Youth may be instructed in the Arts and Sciences who through the blessing of God may be fitted for Publick employment both in Church and Civil State." The huge campus of today, with over one hundred buildings was not conceived. In fact, the first classes were held in the residence of Rev. Abraham Pierson , its first rector. Not until 1745 was the school moved to New Haven and renamed Yale. The name change was in honor of Elihu Yale, a successful merchant who made a donation of goods valued at $2,800. This was equivalent to the annual income of about fourteen medical doctors. The purpose of the renamed school was "To plant ...