秘密直播

As academic freedom on college campuses draws national attention, 秘密直播 president Jim Gash has contributed a timely op-ed to examining the role of faith-based institutions in shaping and sustaining true academic freedom.

In the piece, titled 鈥淐an Belief in God Strengthen Academic Freedom?鈥� Gash argues that while nearly all universities claim to support academic freedom, religious institutions are uniquely positioned to pursue truth with intellectual rigor and moral clarity, precisely because they are honest about the values that guide them.

鈥淲ith a firm institutional faith in God, we are not afraid of scientific and intellectual investigation,鈥� Gash says, 鈥渂ecause we are confident that such inquiry will reveal truths about God's character and world.鈥�

Gash explains academic freedom as 鈥渢he ability of faculty鈥攁nd, some would say, students鈥攖o pursue knowledge through research, teaching, and speaking, without undue influence or censorship,鈥� adding that 鈥渋t is the responsibility of higher education leaders to help define and defend its nature, purpose, and scope.鈥�

Drawing on a recent national gathering of Christian college leaders hosted 秘密直播, Gash reflects on the distinct advantages of institutions that are "tethered" to a foundational belief in objective truth. At Pepperdine, he writes, academic freedom is not diminished by faith鈥攊t is deepened by it.

鈥淲e believe there is value in sitting across the table from someone who thinks differently,鈥� he writes. 鈥淩ather than seeing them as an enemy, we engage in civil discussion, rooted in evidence, seeing them as a human being created in the image of God. We believe that objective truth does exist and can be found and we want to have tough classroom conversations鈥攅ven intense debates鈥攐n difficult topics and remain friends afterwards.鈥�

Read the full op-ed on the .