Quo Vadis, Lutheran Higher Education?

A critical question resulting from Dr. Gregory Schulz’s recent book, Anatomy of an Implosion.

reviewed by Jonathan Rupprecht

jhr12447@aol.com

This is a critical book for our times; it serves as a major wake-up call, raising fundamental and critical issues which cry out for serious attention and action by all who care about Lutheran higher education.

In 1977 Kurt Marquart penned his now-famous work, Anatomy of an Explosion. There he summarized the poisonous influence of the historical-critical method of Bible interpretation that plagued the LCMS — initially at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis but spreading synod-wide from there — from the 1950’s well into the 1970’s. This culminated in the infamous walkout from Concordia Seminary a little over 50 years ago, which then led to what came to be known as Seminex and its subsequent slide into the ELCA.

IMPLOSION

Dr. Schulz repeatedly references Marquart’s seminal work, and he even utilizes his title with one change; Schulz’s book is entitled Anatomy of an Implosion. He explains this terminology thus: “It will help to think of my university as a military submarine. A submarine operates under potentially fatal water pressure, while a religious university operates under substantial worldly pressure. The inner hull of a submarine must withstand its water pressure or it will implode. Similarly, a religious university must withstand worldly pressure or it will implode.” (p. 13)

We don’t hear that much today about pressure from the historical-critical method still being a major issue in conservative Lutheran circles. But to seemingly win that battle by no means indicates that the war is over. Scripture is replete with warnings about false doctrine; warnings that are always an active alarm covering a lot of ground, and today they certainly apply to the “woke” approach to life and learning, which has made mammoth inroads into our culture.

WOKE MARXISM

Dr. Schulz served as a professor of philosophy at Concordia University Wisconsin (CUW; in Mequon, just north of Milwaukee) for around 10 years, during which time he noticed an alarming growth of “mission drift” (Christian Preus calls it “mission shift” [p. 226] ) at CUW as its administration increasingly embraced what Schulz calls “Woke Marxism”.

Some may question that term, but Schulz repeatedly demonstrates its toxicity to confessional Lutheran education, to Holy Scripture, to the Gospel, to our Christian faith itself. Yet in a sense, ”Woke Marxism” is simply a new term for the age-old desire to figure out life without God, without Scripture, without Jesus and the Gospel. Anything but God’s truth is listened to and blindly (and often forcibly) adopted, so often with predictably disastrous results. Since the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, its absence and rejection is a recipe for ruin: spiritually and socially, and certainly educationally.

Schulz repeatedly and very appropriately cites Colossians 2:8 as a directly applicable warning against this pagan, anti-Christian ideology: “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.”

In CUW’s case it seems that there is a serious failure to apply those very important words to their situation. It’s another sad example of letting the tail wag the dog: incautiously mixing secular approaches to learning and life into the essentially sacred, Scriptural approach to Christian education and Christian life itself. Yes, we can profitably adapt superficial aspects of our times and circumstances, but these two basic approaches are ultimately opposites; they cannot and dare not existentially comingle.

A NEW PRESIDENT

The final straw that triggered Schulz’s book was the wording of the announced search for a new CUW president in 2022. It stipulated that this president should “exhibit a demonstrated belief in and commitment to equity and inclusion and promote racialized diversity in all its myriad forms”. (p. 1) While a superficial observer might say that those words don’t necessarily sound objectionable on the surface, in today’s socio-political context they carry a loud and urgent caution for confessional Lutherans.

There had also been a recent removal from CUW’s presidential candidate list of all eleven LCMS pastors who had previously been included. While Schulz himself had been on that list, this book is far from mere resentment or revenge; he deals with the larger picture. It is clearly a major alarm bell for any and all confessional Lutherans connected with CUW to start with, but in the wider sense it also sounds a serious alarm for all who care about the character and quality of Lutheran higher education in general. This book brings us to the point where we need to seriously stop and fundamentally, honestly ask, “Quo Vadis, Lutheran Higher Education?” Where are you going?

The chasm this Woke Marxism was creating between CUW administrators (along with some sympathetic faculty members) and confessional Lutherans at CUW, such as Greg Schulz, was exemplified in his rude, abrupt and illegal dismissal. He had written an expose of this Woke Marxism at CUW which was initially published in the February 14, 2022 edition of Christian News. But then it also hit the secular press; it was a major news item in nearby Milwaukee, with also a fair amount of nationwide publicity.

After hearing about this expose, the interim CUW president, William Cario, summoned Schulz to an immediate meeting, which Schulz was unable to attend due to existing commitments. When he then did not appear — though he had requested to meet the following day instead — Cario dismissed him on the spot from the CUW faculty and locked him out of campus effective immediately. This was a gross violation of both CUW and LCMS procedures and bylaws, not to mention basic Christian decency.

Things got so bad that LCMS President Matt Harrison soon made a personal visit with a team of ten to CUW for a few days (pages 176-179). They met with interim president Cario, board members, faculty and others; a total of some 80 individuals, and Harrison ended up calling them to repentance. Schulz states various times that there has been none; and Harrison is cited as saying some “hard things” in his report to these administration personnel, and finally saying, “I fear that you will continue to reject my advice.” (p. 178) Not a pretty picture!

A Lutheran Christian university’s pressure that threatens implosion is cultural, educational, and institutional. The concerns emphasized in this book reveal a university — and a Lutheran higher educational system — with a seriously weakening inner hull. And it is important to read this book to realize how pervasive this has become, and then to “take arms against a sea of troubles and by opposing, end them!”, to cite Shakespeare, and thus to “fight the good fight of the faith”, to cite Scripture.

ACCREDITATION

The pressures are both external and internal. A major example is the accreditation process. Without accreditation, students would not qualify for government financial aid (Pell Grants, etc.). The small number of students who could afford the full cost of education at a sizeable university like CUW would not be nearly enough to keep it afloat financially.

Schulz writes, “The pressure to Go Woke or Go Broke is immense socially and financially. There is a predictable consequence for a religious university’s dependence on government funding — from a federal administration that is maniacally imposing Woke Marxism on every institution in our constitutional republic.” (p. 78)

While the concept itself of accreditation is not the problem, Schulz cites a comment on its current reality by Dr. Christian Preus of Luther Classical College: “The Higher Learning Commission, which accredits all the Lutheran Colleges in the Midwest, . . . states that HLC will ensure that concepts of equity, access and inclusion are demonstrated in its mission and other foundational statements. . . . The expectation is for more women in authority . . . and more public acceptance or toleration of LGBTQ or BLM-type groups.” (pp. 15&16) He writes later, “Our (LCC) accreditation will have to be friendly to Bible-believing Christians” (p. 231), though he names no such agency.

Thus the entire nearly-dominant secular acronym realm of DEI, BLM, CRT et al is a foundational factor in becoming accredited. Schulz demonstrates repeatedly how CUW has been caving indirectly and now even directly — internal, institutional pressures — to these non-Christian forces. Yes, as Christians we can reflect some of the Scriptural values that can be superficially adapted from those approaches, but the force behind the accreditation process seems to insist on endorsing and implementing the secular, non-Christian and often non-sensical extremes involved with these acronymic atrocities.

Schulz explains the reality behind DEI: “Diversity means carving up our common humanity into manufactured, socially-constructed categories of skin color and sexual proclivities. Equity means certain groups are more equal than others. Inclusion is legitimizing the exclusion of Christ and His words from education and media.” (p. 76)

CUW has been widely regarded as one of LCMS’ more confessional Concordias. Left-over historical-critical theology, and now the Woke mindset, has virtually crippled other schools in its system, and of course other once-Lutheran colleges (LINO’s: Lutheran in name only) exist seemingly beyond hope of reverting to orthodox Lutheranism.

AUTHORITY REJECTED

Schulz repeatedly emphasizes a critical feature of Woke Marxism: it directly opposes and blatantly rejects any statements of authority. “Woke Marxism is a secular religion that is utterly and maniacally opposed to authority (especially to the divine authority of Jesus) and has no room for authoritative texts.” (p. 24) Administrative officials at CUW cannot be unaware of this widely known fact, a mindset which makes faithful Lutheran Christian education impossible if it is accommodated. Yet Schulz repeatedly speaks of their “studied ignorance” of it! Thus for one example, the works of a Marxist atheist, Ibram X. Kendi, “have been taught and promoted by the Black Student Union at CUW, and this has not been rejected or condemned.” (p. 25)

While Schulz repeatedly speaks thankfully and commendably of faculty members who remain faithful to Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions, he also laments that other faculty members seem supportive of the woke mentality.

ACADEMIC FREEDOM

Schulz champions academic freedom at some length (pp. 93-100, 241ff). This could sound puzzling, since this is sometimes thought of as being free to teach “whatever”. And here, where Schulz is championing the need to teach and apply God’s Word in its truth and purity, championing also academic freedom could seem like a contradiction. I asked Dr. Schulz about this, and he replied with a succinct clarification: academic freedom “is not a license to say whatever a professor wants to say; rather, it is a protection for professors, who are responsible to publish, teach, and confess the truth; it is protection against the arbitrary power of administrators . . . to fire professors with whom they disagree or dislike.” Thus it is not at all difficult to understand why he champions academic freedom!

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

So then, what’s the larger point of all this? Very significantly and critically, it forces the theme question here: “Quo Vadis, Lutheran Higher Education?” It is inescapably obvious that things can’t continue in the direction in which CUW seemingly persists in taking, a path that so many others in Lutheran higher education have already fatally followed. Schulz sadly insists that the new CUW president has done nothing to reverse this trend.

Which leads to the question: will remaining confessional Lutheran colleges be able to resist it themselves? And the many Lutheran high schools in our land are also by no means exempt from the critical lessons here. Are all these people paying serious attention to this serious matter? Maintaining the status quo is more comfortable than being on active alert, but surely the latter is called for here.

Accreditation seems to be a major factor. How are these confessionally Lutheran schools handling the reported demands of contemporary accreditation? Is there a way to be accredited without the confessionally impermissible compromises apparently required by the prevailing accreditation process? Are there other accrediting agencies to work with? Is there a way to exist and function without accreditation if necessary?

Also, can faculty members who receive considerable professional input from sources well outside of confessional Lutheranism remain steadfast in spite of this input and its powerful pressure? Will administrators be actively, faithfully and prayerfully on guard against these dangers and pressures? Then ultimately, if drastic moves and sacrifices become clearly essential in order to preserve confessional, orthodox Lutheranism in our schools, will those in charge of such decisions be ready to take those major steps?

CHOICES, CHANGES

It’s no secret that doctrinal compromises, drifts and shifts in the Christian church have long had a major origin in academia. What will it take to stop, even reverse, that endemic trend? A helpful initial step can be to recognize that even exhibiting, adopting the style and the language, the terminology of these woke forces can be a dangerous move in the wrong direction, and can sound like an endorsement — or submission!

One of Schulz’s 21 (!) appendices — which document his writing in his own words and those of other authorities — is written by Dr. Christian Preus of Luther Classical College (LCC ) in Casper, Wyoming (its planned opening is in the fall of 2025). Preus lists seven criteria for keeping a Lutheran college truly Lutheran. 1) A Lutheran college is for Lutheran students only. Non-Lutheran students soon become numerous and turn into a negative influence instead of being converted; the “missional” hopes for them too seldom reach their goals. 2) A confessional Lutheran college has only confessional Lutheran professors. 3) A Lutheran college has Lutheran goals. Equipping for secular life will thus be solidly accomplished by equipping and shaping students’ Christian characters; more detailed equipping can be obtained elsewhere, even on the job. 4) A Lutheran college does not receive government funding — thus eliminating the compromises of mainstream accreditation. 5) A Lutheran college has to be affordable. 6) A Lutheran college needs to remain small. 7) A Lutheran college can never be impressed by the academic elite.

You can read on pages 230-233 the details behind these possibly startling criteria under which LCC plans to operate. While it is specifically poised in that exact direction, Preus notes that it is not set up as a traditional college, but is certainly set up to keep a Lutheran college truly Lutheran.

The LCMS’ Concordia University System would need a complete turnaround to achieve that institutional character. But on pages 135-137 Schulz lays out a 5-step proposal for CUW to reverse the damage done thus far, which specifically includes a disentanglement from government funding and from the HLC accreditation agency described earlier. Under the current circumstances these changes regrettably seem all too unlikely to take place.

Particular directives are not specified for just how existing confessional Lutheran higher education institutions can apply the urgent warnings here in Greg Schulz’s book. But it certainly seems essential for such colleges — and high schools; all truly Lutheran educators — to take a careful read of his book and prayerfully, seriously confront — ASAP — the current and dangerous threats detailed here. It is so easy, and so often fatal, to ignore looming dangers like this. Their schools’ confessional survival itself would seem to demand this earnest attention.

“Anatomy of an Implosion” is available from Christian News at ChristianNewsMo.com