The following quote is from the Vanderbilt University website:
The fellowship in question has a stipend of $17,500 per year for a period of up to six years for the completion of the Ph.D. program in theology. While the propositional truth claim states that this program is open to anyone and everyone from any religious tradition or faith or even no faith tradition at all, it implies that the program is open to atheists as well. The program, however, reverses or contradicts itself in the paragraph below the heading. The assertion is made that "the most important thing is not assent to some particular body of doctrine . . ." That assertion would rule out anyone who actually believes what their own faith tradition teaches! In other words, one can come "from" such a faith tradition but to actually assent to what one's own faith believes and teaches would exclude one from receiving a fellowship in this religious studies program. In essence what we have here is institutionalized relativism, irrationalism, and even atheism. How this school of theology claims to be open to all while excluding the vast majority of students who assent to the propositional truth claims of their own faith tradition is a mystery since such an assertion violates the law of contradiction. It logically follows that a Presbyterian who assents to the Westminster Standards consistently cannot receive a fellowship at Vanderbilt University. It would apply equally to the Muslim or the Roman Catholic who assented to their own doctrinal propositions.
One is left wondering how the university claims to offer fellowships to all while not offering the fellowship equally to all? Is this not a logical contradiction? I guess logic is not a high point of Vanderbilt University.
Vanderbilt University :: The Program in Theology and Practice
Is this fellowship open to people of all faith traditions – or no particular tradition at all?
Yes. The fellowship is open to all. Over the life of the program we hope to work with fellows formed in and between a rich variety of communities. The most important thing is not assent to some particular body of doctrine, but the ability to reflect critically and theologically on religious practices, and the ability and desire to teach such reflection to people preparing for ministry.
The fellowship in question has a stipend of $17,500 per year for a period of up to six years for the completion of the Ph.D. program in theology. While the propositional truth claim states that this program is open to anyone and everyone from any religious tradition or faith or even no faith tradition at all, it implies that the program is open to atheists as well. The program, however, reverses or contradicts itself in the paragraph below the heading. The assertion is made that "the most important thing is not assent to some particular body of doctrine . . ." That assertion would rule out anyone who actually believes what their own faith tradition teaches! In other words, one can come "from" such a faith tradition but to actually assent to what one's own faith believes and teaches would exclude one from receiving a fellowship in this religious studies program. In essence what we have here is institutionalized relativism, irrationalism, and even atheism. How this school of theology claims to be open to all while excluding the vast majority of students who assent to the propositional truth claims of their own faith tradition is a mystery since such an assertion violates the law of contradiction. It logically follows that a Presbyterian who assents to the Westminster Standards consistently cannot receive a fellowship at Vanderbilt University. It would apply equally to the Muslim or the Roman Catholic who assented to their own doctrinal propositions.
One is left wondering how the university claims to offer fellowships to all while not offering the fellowship equally to all? Is this not a logical contradiction? I guess logic is not a high point of Vanderbilt University.
Vanderbilt University :: The Program in Theology and Practice
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