Comments

Interesting comments, Mr. Galli. I've always enjoyed your comments and this is no exception. I would like to hear your opinion on why this assumption is true, or if indeed it is. I think I concur with your findings, and it's always been a bit surprising to me.

Since becoming a high school history teacher I have found that constantly learning new information about the world and about history has caused me to moderate my formerly strong conservative views. I still consider myself a moderate to conservative, but I have rejected political ideology because I no longer believe it allows for the pragmatism and open-minded objectivity that intellectual honesty requires. I don't believe liberal or conservative views hold the ultimate answers for mankind, and neither view is right all the time. But arch-conservatives tend to translate any open-mindedness towards liberal views as "liberal."

This is an important and fascinating issue. Mark, I think you are right about Christian college trends. The issues are COMPLEX, so this is not the full picture, but the matter of developmental stages plays in significantly.

In terms of just the well-known theory of Fowler on spiritual development, paralleled fairly closely by others, the further one goes in development, the more "liberal" one becomes. This includes an increasing universalizing of perspective, for one thing. Being raised conservative, around 40 I was in a liberal seminary, and did there find that most of the liberals were indeed open, respectful, tolerant, though not reticent to assert their viewpoints. It went against the stereotypes I'd taken on re. "liberalism."

For a variety of reasons, centered on empirical data, I myself gradually became quite liberal, and I think I'm at least as compassionate and moral as I was while "conservative," and definitely can make sense of more of reality, including spiritual reality, than I could within a conservative/"biblical" worldview.

I graduated from a Christian university in 2005. Though the institution as a whole was/is fairly conservative, I had several professors who were quite liberal. Political liberalism varied from department to department, but I was always surprised--and encouraged--to discover political diversity amongst the faculty. The atmosphere was one I was always grateful for, especially since I had fantastic professors on either side of the divide. My only complaint would have been that frequently the fire of politics overshadowed the university's mission of unity and peace, and I would have been more encouraged to see professors discuss politics with each other in a manner that was respectful and academically stimulating. Nonetheless, I felt adequately exposed to various political agendas... which is more than I can say for my graduate school, which (though a Jesuit institution, and conservative in general) only buttressed the liberal stereotype.

I can tell you one reason why academics are on average more liberal: Because they will not hire or promote people who are not liberal.

The second reason academics are more liberal is that they spend so much time in a consensually formed "virtual reality" with their colleagues that they don't get a sufficient dose of the real world.

The third reason academics are more liberal is that they believe themselves to be smarter and more enlightened than the general public, and therefore that it is a good thing for people like them to tell other people how to live. That is the essence of liberalism, an elitism of the self-anointed (as Thomas Sowell points out in his book on the subject).

I work in academia, and I can tell you that as a lucrative profession, academia isn't it. It takes some sort of idealism to be an instructor/adjunct professor/nontenured professor at a state funded university, instead of going into the private sector. Especially with the student loan load people are carrying these days. (I don't have a teaching position.)

All those conservative think tanks modeled upon the Heritage

Foundation and the Hoover Institute that have sprung up since the Reagan era may have siphoned off conservative oriented academics from going into universities, with promises of higher pay, more influence and access to government movers and shakers, and more congenially minded colleagues...and talk about elites in Ivory Towers telling other people how to live...They're accountable to nobody except their wealthy donors.

Of course, there are liberal and moderate think tanks as well, such as the Brookings Institute, which partially undercuts my argument.

Sowell, who is at the undoubtedly conservative Hoover Institute (which is associated with "liberal" Stanford U, by the way), is one to point fingers. His liberal conspiracy theory is just sour grapes.

Sowell IS an Ivory Tower elite who is telling people what to do...thats what academics do, conservative, moderate, liberal or pays no attention at all to politics. Who else has the time, education and means to study a subject in depth, expand and refine the database and tell you their conclusions on what you can do with it?

Not me, I'm too busy living my life, doing what I do best, which is making a living helping those dreadful Ivory Tower elites do what they do best, be an Ivory Tower elite who tells me how to live my life. It's called synergy, I guess.. And...those dreadful liberal Ivory Tower elites told me how to live my live by not dying from a genetic timebomb that would have killed me ten years ago, had they not existed.

I heard this back in my Wheaton days (late 70/s/early 80s). 80 % of the students came in as Republicans, and each year that decreased by 10 % (Sophomores at 70 % Republican, Juniors at 60 %, Seniors at 50 %). but then it would rise back up each year out of Wheaton as students had to get a job and live in the "real" world. FWIW :)

The question should be: "Why are highly intelligent professors liberal?" -Wendell Franklin Wentz

One thought to consider with Christian higher education: As a college professor, I have noted that some evangelical students have "felt" their way through education. When needing to supply an inellectual answer to a question, some answer with a conservative cultural or religious default that they have received, but have not assimilated with intellectual rigour. Christian college professors usually have a more nuanced and/or sometimes divergent answer. These interchanges may lead to misunderstandings and disagreements or to intellectual growth and new understandings by the student. Or a student may not really care and want to continue to "feel." That is altogether another challenge.

One key definition of maturity is one who can see all sides of an issue and not be "Reactive" to others who hold divergent views of important issues. The next part says, "And is fully committed to one's own views." So, maturity is being able to hold firm views while being at peace with those who differ.

People on the wings are reactive and anxious with differing opinions. Look at Tony Campolo a liberal who is very defensive with those who differ. Or Gary Bauer and Dr. Dobson who are right wing and defensive of even moderates.

The key issue is a peaceful presence with differences. Muslim radicals are extremely reactive and anxious. But many Muslims are true believers and peaceful. I hold very conservative views but am not particularly up tight with those who differ, most of the time.

Some Left wing Liberal Professors end up that way, because they are totally unemployable in the real world [where real conservative types exist]. That is why they are so dangerous on many fronts - mainly because many of them are totally envious of their station in life. Not to be trusted.

Could it just be that when you get smarter, you get more liberal, because conservatism fails to match up to the realities of any world beyond small-town America? Maybe.

You've forgotten the most obvious answer. To teach the the collegiate level you have to have a doctorate degree or at the very least a masters degree and the more educated someone becomes the more liberal they become - they do go hand and hand together. If you don't believe me look at the data for percentage of inviduals with a college degree by state - what a surprise of the top 10 most educated states 9 of them are "blue" states. Now look at the bottom 15 least educated states - oh wow 14 out of those 15 are "red" states. A coincidence? I think not. As individuals become more educated they have a tendency to be more accepting of others view points and cultures and thus become more liberal.

It is NOT a surprise that folks like Rush Limbaugh and Karl Rove do not have college educations.

I'm a new subscriber. You may have discussed this earlier.
There are many views as to the definition of a conservative and liberal. What is your defination?

Following the "world's agenda" is a danger for all of us - including Christian Higher Ed. I thought this excerpt of news from Calvin College evidences that:

http://www.calvin.edu/news/releases/2007-08/unborn-week.htm

From February 25 through 29 Calvin College will host Unborn Week, five days of events celebrating the sanctity of human life. Unborn Week is sponsored by the Calvin College Republicans (CCR)

“The issue of life has been put on the back burner at Calvin,” said Jared Rispens, a CCR chair and coordinator of the event. “We talk so much about global warming and Focus the Nation, and that’s important. But there’s a fundamental issue we forget about: the slaughter of human life—millions each year.”

“We believe the majority of Calvin students really do believe in Pro-life,” said Erik De Vries, secretary of the same organization, “but there’s a general level of apathy. We really believe there’s a great need to talk about these issues, get some dialogue going and share the facts.”

Thank you, Senate Watcher and Raymond Swenson, for each providing a caricature of a non-thinking, close-minded conservative. You're giving credence to John Stuart Mill's idea that "while it cannot be said that conservatives tend to be stupid, stupid people do tend to be conservative."

Why must I have a "label"? Is there no other person like me? I happen to believe there are many of us. We enjoy studying about many things; our minds are not empty nor devoid of thinking, of understanding, of believing. We can make decisions after we read a book or an article or hear a message. I am not a scholar, but does that really matter so much? I am probably in the majority of steadfast Christians who believe in the authority of the Scriptures. In some instances, I might feel somewhat liberal, or moderate while being mostly conservative. I get tired of others trying to "hole up" my beliefs in some "pigeon hole" of their brand of orthodoxy.

I don't like being "rejected" (or have my academic grade reduced)because I don't agree with a teacher or anyone else who tries to enforce his or her personal beliefs on me. I have sat under godly men and liberal professors and managed to learn something from each one.

The writers here are probably much more itelligent than I, so my comments may be of little concequence. At 60, I am rooted in a very Pentacostal Fundamentalist background. I am baffled by "liberal and conservative" labels today as they have changed, like a 90 degree turn. Conservative seems to be defined by White Evangelicals, will Liberal is that which is in disagreement.

Homosexuality and Abortion are only 2 issues, but seem to be the only focus. Besides being a conservative politial appointment, I am a foster parent. My wife and I take "teenage boys" that no one will touch. If you are against abortion, is there any responsibility to provide some kind of chance for the children that are saved. Or, are they predestine to be "lazy welfare recipiants that become criminals that should be locked up at $40K per year, so I can pay higher taxes and complain about government waste?"

There was a question in the first chapter of a book I carried around with me in school that I still wonder about. What is the answer to the question, "Who am I, my brother's keeper?"

Thank you, Wes. Being somewhat handicapped, in a not serious, but fatiguing way, I've pondered what your Brother's Keeper question can be for me, and I've never arrived at a satisfactory answer.

I do applaud your being a foster parent, and all the very best to you, your wife and your foster teens. I'm actually a bit envious that you are doing what you're doing. I don't think I could.