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Wheaton College clash over Russell Vought escalates, exposing evangelical fault lines
(RNS) — Despite Wheaton College’s attempts to quiet a backlash from alumni over its pro forma congratulatory message recognizing alumnus and newly confirmed White House official Russell Vought, the actions of the “deliberately non-partisan” evangelical Christian school have only brought more controversy.
On Feb. 10, an open letter signed by hundreds of alumni appeared, calling Vought’s positions “antithetical to Christian charity.” The signers, including alumni who are on the faculty at New York University and Baylor University, agreed to “publicly distance” themselves from Vought’s work and “reaffirm our commitment to the Gospel’s radical call to justice, mercy, and humility.”
On Monday (Feb. 17), a second alumni letter appeared, accusing the college of stifling conservative viewpoints, capitulating to “the spirit of our age” and upholding a “DEI regime.” It concludes with a list of demands, including that the college audit “every single faculty and staff member’s commitment to the Statement of Faith and Community Covenant.”
While the clash of alumni can’t be tidily summarized as a division between progressives and conservatives — plenty of conservative Christians oppose recent actions by the Trump administration----the dueling Wheaton letters mirror a larger clash between the Christian values invoked by President Donald Trump’s Cabinet members and those of religious groups at odds with the administration’s humanitarian aid freeze, halting of the U.S. refugee program and decision to permit law enforcement officials to raid houses of worship in search of migrants.
Wheaton College happens to be in the Chicago suburb of Wheaton, Illinois and has a major influence over many Evangelical Christians in the United States. One of Wheaton's students was Billy Graham, a major evangelical pastor who influenced many US presidents over the years including Richard Nixon.
My cousin from Texas and my daughter-in-law in Colorado and other friends and relatives have been hugely influenced by the teachers and preachers at Wheaton College.
Wheaton College · 501 College Ave, Wheaton, IL 60187, United States
★★★★☆ · Private university
www.google.com
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