Still the Old Boys Club: Race, Gender, Churches of Christ, and the Academy
June 18, 2010 5 Comments
I am a life-long member of the churches of Christ and a current doctoral student in religion (Christian social ethics) hoping for a future as a professor and scholar. A couple of weekends ago I attended the Christian Scholars’ Conference at Lipscomb University in Nashville, TN. I think highly of the conference and think it is a jewel in the world of CofC higher education. The annual conference is, generally, focused on different issues regarding the intersection of faith and culture. This year focused on faith and the arts, next year focuses on religion and science, and two years ago (the last CSC I attended) the focus was on faith and politics. The conference draws scholars, ministers, students and laypersons from around the country. Often CofC sponsored events are rather exclusive, meaning only people affiliated with the CofC attend, but this conference is different. Every year there are plenary speakers from outside the tradition, but the event still has a profoundly CofC ethos. It is, in my opinion, a shining example of one way people can be ecumenical, show hospitality to “outsiders,” have a true willingness to learn from others and still be true to one’s own tradition and identity. I was happy to attend and plan to attend many more in the future.
However, it is also a reminder of much of what is wrong within the CofC world – especially its circles of higher education. Due to professional responsibilities I was only able to attend the last day of the conference. During that one morning/afternoon I was involved in two events. The first was a breakfast for CofC graduate students in theological/religious studies. The second was a panel presentation. As I looked around the room of future CofC theology, Bible, and ministry professors during the breafast I couldn’t help but notice that I was the only person who was not, um, white. And I’m only halfway there! (Perhaps there was another barely noticeable multi-racial person in the room, but I couldn’t tell.) Also, among the 30 or so attendees there was only, if I remember correctly, four women. The room was as white and male as any room in contemporary America can be. Clearly, something (some-bodies) was missing. (As an important sidenote, I attended the conference free of charge because of an initiative the CSC has of providing $500 for ethnic minorities/graduate students attending the conference to encouarage diversity and future scholars.)
In my second event, the panel discussion, there was only one person who was not white (not including myself) in the entire room. He was of Asian descent. Oh, and there were exactly zero women present in the room. Zero. So, let’s count the number of black persons present at events I attended: 0. Number of Hispanic persons: 0. Number of Asian persons: 1 1/2. Number of women: 4. The CofC still has a problem with the “old boys club” if you ask me.
Now, these, obviously, aren’t the only experiences people had. So, what experiences did others have? Well, I heard one story of a luncheon held in an esteemed scholar’s honor in which a joke was made about the lack of women present, though there was at least one present, with some inappropriate reference to strippers. I’ve also read about an incident where an offensive joke about multi-racial marriages was made (as the product of, and current partner in, one, I wish I was there to show some, ahem, “righteous indignation”). Finally, in the panel session I attended one of the presenters referred to a group of people, literally, as “A-rabs.” So, while displays of overt racism were far from the CSC, ingrained bigotry and prejudice were more than present. In many ways, the CofC is decades behind the rest of the nation as far as the presence, and influence, of minority scholars of theology/religion is concerned.
I’ve been affiliated with two Methodist seminaries in my life. At both places concerns about racial/gender justice and inclusivity were the norm. They are consciously addressing the legacy of racism and patriarchy in American Christianity. Unfortunately, the CofC lags far behind. Take a look at the theology/Bible/ministry faculty at OCU, Harding, Harding University Graduate School of Religion, Lipscomb University, ACU, and Pepperdine University. Notice any racial and/or gender patterns there? (Special shout-out to Pepperdine and ACU for actually having TWO ethnic minorities on their faculty and to Pepperdine for having the FIRST woman Bible prof ever at a CofC school.)
In multiple ways the world of CofC theological studies is very much still an old boys club. Justice has yet to reach our version of the ivory tower. I have hope that the future will be different, but if the breakfast I attended at the CSC is any indication that hope is very dim. And if the attitudes represented in off-hand comments are any indication, many of those currently holding academic positions are blind to, or don’t care about, the problem.
It makes me sad, and angry, that this is the case in the ecclesial fellowship I am a part of. This experience is a stark reminder of how much work I have to do, and far we have to go, in the CofC. As a Christian I understand it to be my duty to seek justice in any context I find myself in. As one who has chosen to place myself in the context of higher education, one form of that pursuit is to work to open the doors of our institutions of higher education, specifically those doors in theological/biblical/ministerial studies, to those who have not been able to teach and lead the future generations of CofC’ers for far too long – women and ethnic minorities.
Will you join me in that pursuit?
Amen sir!
Lots of thoughts to share, some to save for in person.
Positives: I’m happy to know that the CSC offers those scholarships. Also, I spoke with the woman at issue in the “strippers” joke, and fortunately, she told the story spontaneously and with laughter, saying that she was the one who made the joke at everyone’s expense (being the only woman in the room) — not a good reflection of the gender ratio, but healthy that it wasn’t some random man cracking at her inappropriately. Finally, last year’s plenary speakers were CSC making conscious movement in this area: one white man, one black man, and two (white) women — one a Presbyterian Pulitzer Prize winner, one an Episcopalian priest. I would call that growth.
As for the negative, with questions…
Given that churches of Christ is a southern, conservative, predominantly white tradition, to what extent can we have hope for “growth” in this area except as conferences like CSC recruit from other traditions? That, of course, is not a negative thing, but it points to the internal and somewhat irremediable problem within the tradition as such. This, to me, points to the greatest and most difficult question posed by your reflections.
Regarding women, the problem is both more and less complex. On the one hand, more than half of the tradition is female — so there is no demographic lack to account for. On the other hand, the tradition could almost be said to be grounded in a way of life and reading the Bible that presumes the exclusion of women from leadership and authority positions. Which begs the question: Can churches of Christ, and their related academic institutions, remain what they are — i.e., retain what marks them as a distinctive ecclesial tradition — and change in their understanding and practice of gender roles? My hope, with you, is that there can be an affirmative answer to that question; my cynical side wonders.
Moreover, given the non-hierarchical and congregational structure of the thousands of congregations around the nation, what could a solution even look like within the institutions (struggling financially, by the way) whose ranks are filled by the very congregations who openly lag behind in gender equality? Will congregations stop sending their children to “liberal” CoC schools? Will some close shop? Will others lose their CoC affiliation? Is there a workable solution that holds all these concerns together?
I also wonder, on the part of ethnic minorities, who “out there” is or ought to be interested in being on the forefront of these gatherings and changes. If one is African American but not a part of the CoC, and there is an all-white, mostly male gathering of conservative academics…what motivation or reasoning exists to participate? Why go at all?
I’ll stop there. I should add how impressed I have been with the CSC these last two years, and how on the front lines I think it is for CoC scholarship and theological thinking and practice — which only reveals how far we have to go in the coming days. Thanks for these thoughts Jimmy.
(P.S. I might nitpick, as you could guess, with your phrase “decades behind the rest of the nation.” It’s not clear to me that we can speak of “the nation” as such, certainly not as having arrived at any clear or agreed-upon perspective or practice on ethnic and gender pluralism. And even to the extent that we can, it is enormously problematic — much of anti-racist/sexist “national” policy must be enforced by coercive law! That is certainly a step in the right direction over the past six decades (and beyond), but to compare churches with “the nation” doesn’t seem like the right move. To be sure, there are particular communities that have healthy and thriving pluralistic groups and persons, and these stand in judgment on the church’s inequity and unjust life. Even still I always want to compare the church with what it ought to be (and has been given to be by the Spirit) in Christ as a sign of the kingdom. Perhaps that is the theologian in me being idealistic, but I hope it is instead the clear-eyed disciple recognizing that the most important judgment on our unfaithfulness is God’s reign, not the relative successes of various cultures. Of course, an inordinately small point of clarification, but an important one nonetheless! Thanks again for the fantastic post — it’s good to have you back blogging sir!)
Thanks for the thoughts Brad,
One point of clarification: by “rest of the nation” I was vaguely referring to other institutions of Christian higher education (like the Methodist seminaries I talk about next). Also, I recognize that many other conservative, evangelical institutions are in a similar situation as CofC schools. My language there definitely wasn’t the clearest. But I would expect YOU to take issue with that language!
Your question about demographics is a good one. I’m not exactly sure what the ethnic demographics of the CofC are, but there is a rather significant African American population. I’m pretty sure the Hispanic and Asian populations are smaller than the national average. And I’m pretty sure women make up significantly more than half (perhaps 60% or more) of the CofC population – just like they do in every other denomination.
I agree a significant cultural and historical shift would have to occur to make this happen. However, I do think it’s possible to do so and remain recognizably CofC. In many ways, I think that it would be more faithful to some of its “creeds” if it were to do so, and if it is not possible to make such changes and keep its unique identity then I say death with an identity that is dependent on such non-Christian traits masquerading as such!
Finally, I want to reemphasize and reiterate your appreciation for the CSC. I hope my favorable views towards the conference are clear.
How could I resist taking issue with it?
I would love to see numbers on ethnic demographics for CoC congregations in the U.S. I know that there are predominantly black churches within the CoC, but my impression has always been that in the scope of the whole tradition, that they are a relatively small percentage numerically.
And as for this: “and if it is not possible to make such changes and keep its unique identity then I say death with an identity that is dependent on such non-Christian traits masquerading as such!”
I can only say amen.
If you didn’t meet Robert Foster at the CSC, let me know and I could put you guys in touch. One of the (many) things he’s been working on is racial reconciliation in the c’sofC.
It seems to me the real problem is that there is a white CofC and a black CofC, and the demonstrable lack of diversity at the conference (even with the initiative being taken with regard to minorities and women) is probably due to the fact that the ecclesial separation of these two CofC traditions spills over into the academy. Historically of course that has been explicit (Southwest Christian College in Terrell, TX for example, which was founded as a black college for the students refused admission to ACC). So it seems to me that both of you are right–there is a simultaneous presence and absence of black CofCers, because we simultaneously ignore and enforce the separation of our churches. I don’t know of any way to get over this other than make conferences like the CSC as welcoming as possible while admitting the realities here. And if some are blind to the reality, then it’s our job to grab a megaphone and shout a bit (“hello! why is everyone in this room white and male? oh, you just made a joke about mixed marriage. now I get it.”)
Hey, thanks for making your way over. No, I haven’t met Robert Foster. I’d definitely like to make a connection though. Thanks!