I am a graduate of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. I also worked in the library there and my first child was born about six miles from campus. Some of my deepest and abiding friendships were also birthed there. In our four years there, Kadie and I built a foundation for our marriage that has weathered the stresses and challenges of the subsequent eleven years.
So it is with a heavy heart that I read Wade Burleson’s blog last week detailing the refusal of the
I would add that Southwestern hasn’t been too kind to Old Testament profs in recent years. In addition to Dr. Klouda, Dr. Scott Langston was another casualty. He wasn't fired, but left voluntarily because of the direction that SWBTS was headed.
Just this last year Dr. Timothy Pierce suddenly disappeared from faculty status under unknown circumstances. I met Dr. Pierce at a conference a few years ago and thought that he was a good man, one who we as Southern Baptists would be proud to have represent us. I note on his faculty web site that he has three kids.
Three thoughts:
1) I was discussing this situation with a friend and commented that it would never be the doctrinal stance of the SBC seminaries that would prevent me from working at any of them, it would be the capricious polity of the organization. Without a willingness to follow stated policy, I would have no desire to work there. In fact, I am less convinced that SWBTS has violated federal labor law, as Wade Burleson thinks, but I do believe that SWBTS will have significant issues with their two accrediting agencies, the Association of Theological Schools and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools if they did not follow stated policy. These agencies don’t particularly care what your policies are, but they do want you to follow them. If SWBTS refused tenure to Klouda because she is a woman and their written policy doesn't SPECIFY that being a woman is a non-tenureable "offense," then they could be in trouble with their accrediting agencies.
2) Like Dr. Klouda, I too have recently been denied tenure that I felt was unjustified. But unlike her, I was not unjustly denied tenure by an institution that claimed to be Christian.
3) These events remind me of the providence of God. I actually interviewed on two different occasions for two Old Testament positions at Southwestern in the 1990’s. I was deeply disappointed that I did not get the Old Testament job either time I applied.
4) (Added on 1/22) I am operating under the assumption that Wade Burleson's information is correct. I have seen no evidence to contradict my assumption.
But now I am thankful again for unanswered prayers. Keep Dr. Klouda and her family in yours.
2 comments:
Taran,
SWBTS seems to be moving in a direction with which I am uncomfortable. Dr. Patterson's view on women teaching appears to be both well documented and supported by the trustees. That's unfortunate.
To be accurate, the Trustees didn't refuse to grant her tenure; according to Wade, she was told the president would not support her and she left SWBTS before the Trustees could deny her tenure. For that reason, I doubt the seminary will be in trouble with any accrediting agency... no paper trail, no problem. Someone would have to come up with more substantial documentation than "she was called to attend a meeting... where she was informed..."
So, if all of this is true (and I have no trouble believing it is), then SWBTS will likely get away with it. And that's sad.
Bowden,
Thank you for your correction. I made the changes above. My oversight was the result of a “momentary lax of the parameters" for this blog.
The most substantial concern I have is the inconsistency of the Trustees who voted her onto the faculty just a few years ago, prior to Dr. Patterson’s
arrival. If the minds of the Trustees can be so easily reversed, then this
fact underscores to me fact that whether or not a woman should be teaching Hebrew is a third tier discussion (if that!).
Depending upon the desires of the ATS (who might be more interested than SACS), the agency could request a review of the tenure practices and could compare Dr.
Klouda’s qualifications to others who have recently obtained tenure. Whether they want to investigate is another matter. My only point is that there need not necessarily be a smoking gun memo if the circumstantial evidence is strong
enough.
Having said that, I too think that the SWBTS administration will not face any pressure from outside the convention.
Any pressure will have to come from the inside.
Bobby -- Amen and Amen!!
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