Reform: Davidson College and the Presbyterian Church

Davidsonian April 28, 2021

Davidson College and the Presbyterian Church The Church & The College p. 2-3

Bylaws Activism Chronology p. 4-5

Faith & Spiritual Diversity p. 6-7

Perspectives on Heritage p. 8

2 Editorial note

T

Acknowledgments

he Davidson College Statement of Purpose starts by asserting that the College “is an institution of higher learning established in 1837 by Presbyterians of North Carolina.

Since its founding, the ties that bind the college to its Presbyterian heritage, including the historic understanding of Christian faith called The Reformed Tradition, have remained close and strong. The college is committed to continuing this vital relationship.”

Though it no longer manifests in the form of mandatory chapel and Bible classes, Davidson’s affiliation with the Presbyterian Church (USA) is at the core of our institution and continues to shape it at all levels, from policy to student life.

Aware of the ever-shifting significance and visibility of this affiliation, our aim for this issue is to trace the Davidson-Presbytarian Church relationship and the ways in which students, faculty members, and alumni engage with it.

In what ways does Davidson’s tie to PC(USA) translate in daily campus life and individual student experiences, if at all?

What historical connotations does it carry? Chloe Appleby ‘22 considers such questions from various lenses, including insights from religious life faculty, staff, and student leaders.

At the beginning of this semester, a change in the Trustee bylaws pushed Davidson’s affiliation with PC(USA) to the forefront of campus discourse; the Board of Trustees voted to reduce the number of seats reserved for Presbyterians and remove the requirement that the College President be Presbyterian. Andrea Liu ‘23 gives a chronology of the student-led activism behind the change, from 2005 to the revision this

year.

For some, the reexamination of exclusionary bylaws invited a wider interrogation of Davidson’s Presbyterian roots. In “Heritage is Not the Answer,” Ross Hickman ‘22 problematizes the College’s attachment to Christian heritage and calls for more pluralistic and representative alternatives. On the other hand, College Chaplain Rob Spach ‘84 makes a case for church-relatedness as a necessary grounding ethos to uphold values of diversity and inclusion. Previously featured online, we chose to republish both perspectives in print to hold space for their juxtaposing interpretations of the value of religious affiliation.

PC(USA) affiliation and religiously-informed bylaws represent just one facet of campus religious life. Davidson houses 17 religious organizations that correspond to distinct faith traditions. Anika Banerjee ‘24 spoke with members of eight of these groups about their typical events and observances, and in some cases, what it means to operate as a non-Christian religious group on a Christian-affiliated campus.

We recognize that for many, religion is a deeply personal subject, and that the question of Davidson’s relationship with Presbyterianism invokes a variety of responses based on individual identity. Our hope is to highlight with integrity both the merits and detriments of church-relatedness, acknowledging that the same entity that might enhance our institution in some senses has, in others, also contributed to harm.

- Hope Anderson ‘22 and Nada Shoreibah ‘23, Editors-in-Chief

Virginia Adams ‘23 Hope Anderson ‘22 Sam Anderson ‘24 Chloe Appleby ‘22 Laura Auberry ‘21 Anika Banerjee ‘24 Cassandra Blau ‘23 Sharon Byrd Joe DeMartin ‘21 Taylor Drake ‘21 Aspen Dyer ‘23 Richard Farrell ‘22 Hannah Foltz ‘13 Ben Haden ‘22 Rayed Hamid ‘24 Hana Kamran ‘23 Dahlia Krutkovich ‘21 Andrea Liu ‘23 Josh Lodish ‘22 Julia Mahoney ‘23 Ellie McIntyre JD Merrill ‘13 Dr. Doug Ottati Erin Papakostas ‘23 Nada Shoreibah ‘23 Sebastian Sola-Sole ‘21 Rob Spach ‘84 Katie Stewart ‘23 Jonathan Swann ‘19 Jack Swinson ‘21

Cover art by Sebastian Sola-Sole ‘21

Making Sense of the Shadow Davidson’s Affiliation with the Chuch: Revisting the Past, Writing the Future

by Chloe Appleby ‘22 | (she/her)

T

he blue steeple of Davidson College Presbyterian Church (DCPC) stands tall, its small cross seemingly visible across the entire campus. The red brick building with stone pillars sits nestled right between the cozy and clean-cut Chambers lawn and the bustling Main Street. As the sun sets behind it in the evening, the church casts a shadow over the campus. For many, this shadow envelopes and protects our college at its core. For others, it symbolizes a painful past that contributes to a discomforting present.

Thoughtful conversation about the college’s affiliation with the Reformed Tradition and the Presbyterian Church (USA) has circulated around campus this year through the wake of the school’s bylaw changes and the anticipation of a forthcoming report from the trustee-appointed Working Group on the Reformed Tradition, expected by late spring 2021. The charge of this Working Group is to “report on how a pluralistic institution of higher education embodies and communicates its essential values so that diverse constituencies can always draw strength from its originating tradition,” according to College Chaplain, Reverend Rob Spach ‘84. With these conversations comes a desire to learn about Davidson’s historical connection with the Tradition, clarify its current role on campus, and ponder what its future might be.

Our Affiliation Davidson has a longstanding voluntary relationship with DCPC, the Presbyterian Church (USA) denomination, and the broad Reformed Tradition. Dr. Doug Ottati, Craig Family Distinguished Professor of Reformed Theology and Justice, revealed that the Reformed Tradition developed during the 16th century Protestant Reformation, when John Calvin, who was “trained as a humanistic lawyer and scholar,” reinvented the College of Geneva to embody his concept of the higher education ideal: a liberal arts and sciences education.

Presbyterianism adjusted to the specific cultural context in the United States, which includes a complicated history of the fracture(s) of the Presbyterian Church that originated during the Civil War. Davidson is affiliated with the PC(USA), which tends to lean more liberally than its counterpart, the Presbyterian Church in America, on topics such as theology, questions of political and civil rights, and ordaining women. Still, according to Ottati, DCPC is “pretty much about middle of the road to center left of PC(USA),” given its cultural placement in a Southeastern suburb.

Today, more than 50 colleges throughout the country continue to affiliate with the PC(USA), in a group known as the Association of Presbyterian Colleges and Universities (APCU). Even within the Southeast region, APCU

on are “Most individual values found at Davids not unique to the Reformed Tradition. ition do ad Tr ed rm fo Re e th in le op pe r, ve eo or M lues is not believe that their tradition’s set of va necessarily better than any other set.”

Reverend Rob Spach ‘84

member institutions differ greatly in their commitments to their “Presbyterian-relatedness.” Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, according to current junior Ellie McIntyre, is not “in your face” about its Presbyterian roots. She shares that the college requires its students to take courses about the Bible from an “academic perspective” as opposed to an evangelical one, and that they also currently have a Jewish president. Meanwhile, Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Alabama has much more structured policies that embrace Presbyterianism: students must take four Religious Education courses prior to graduation, leadership and staff must be members of the clergy, and Thursdays are reserved for religious-themed guest speakers.

The overlap of liberal arts education and the Reformed Tradition was evident early on in the Tradition’s beginnings. According to Rev. Spach, the Tradition operated, and continues to operate, under a “constellation of values” that include a broad education in liberal arts, development of humane instincts and the whole person, an emphasis on relationships between students and their professors and other mentors, an “openness to and a respect for one another’s religious traditions and views,” and a reliance on reforming to “positively engage current realities.”

Rev. Spach comments that “most individual values found at Davidson are not unique to the Reformed Tradition. Moreover, people in the Reformed Tradition do not believe that their tradition’s set of values is necessarily better than any other set.” His claim, rather, is that “Davidson’s ethos and common life has been shaped by a particular constellation of values that arise distinctively from the Reformed Tradition. Among the values in that constellation is a fundamental belief in the importance of honoring and respecting the dignity and worth of every person — a value that can be shared by people of many worldviews, but which for the Reformed Tradition is undergirded by the belief that every person is created in the image of God, which many people may not believe to be the case.”

Reflections Josh Lodish ‘22, who serves as the co-President of the Jewish Student Union on campus, raises an important interrogation of the college: “It’s important for the Davidson administration to recognize that there’s nothing wrong about the Reformed Tradition, but there’s also nothing inherently better […] These values are good, and maybe even great, and they can be present in numerous traditions

alongside the Reformed Tradition.”

Hana Kamran ‘23, Vice President of the Muslim Student Association and a member of the Campus and Religious Life Committee, adds, “I think that students of my faith tradition [...] don’t necessarily feel a direct impact of the Presbyterian tradition on our everyday lives or recognize the connection to the tradition, as most aspects of the tradition that we recognize at Davidson are universal, beyond Presbyterianism alone.”

Lodish comments that he does not recognize the Reformed Tradition impacting his everyday life in “profound ways” on either end of the spectrum. Though not a direct result of its Presbyterian affiliation, Lodish observes that Davidson can become an extension of a majority “American Christian lifestyle” that asks members of underrepresented religious groups to make what he calls an internal “calculus” during their religious traditions; on occasion, they must decide if they should observe those traditions or stay on track academically and socially with Christians in the Davidson community.

Davidson’s connection to the Church, according to Jonathan Swann ‘19, is “a very loose one.” He learned during Davidson’s Religious Studies Symposium that the Tradition operates on the “obligation to a larger society, emphasis on civic virtue over private advancement, respect for each other, and love for God and thy neighbor.”

Swann does not have a specific religious preference, and mentions that, even with a more agnostic identity, the Reformed Tradition “really didn’t manifest itself too much day-to-day”; however, in reflection, he credits the Tradition in helping him develop his “personal and social identities.”

While Swann and others do not feel the direct impacts of the Tradition on their everyday life, Jack Swinson ‘21, a member of the leadership team for Weekly College Worship at Davidson, notes a deeply personal affect: “In my daily routine, I would say the Reformed Tradition manifests itself most through Weekly College Worship.

We meet once a week, and I would like to think that the community’s emphasis on acceptance, forgiveness, and love inform how I interact with others and myself. Also, I think that the Reformed Tradition’s emphasis on inclusivity has had a really big impact on me as well [...] This Presbyterian emphasis on social activism had a huge impact on my worldview, career, and faith.”

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There is no debate that the Ch

urch’s history is

steeped in racial bias and preju

dice, marked by

the exclusion of gender and sexu

and tied to the exploitation of

enslaved people.

life of the College.”

Even as recently as 1984, when Rev. Spach was a senior at Davidson, there were only four religious groups on campus. All of these were Christian-oriented, and many of the professors in the Religious Studies department were also ordained Presbyterian ministers. Now, there are 17 religious groups on campus, each founded by students who practiced those religions themselves. The Chaplain’s Office has encouraged these groups to flourish by creating more inclusive spaces on campus for these students, including ablution facilities for Muslim students and spaces located around campus for meditation, prayer, and worship including those in the Oasis and the Spencer-Weinstein Center.

al minorities,

Native and

dorsement and quiet acceptance.”

In many branches of Christianity, these harmful practices of the past have extended into the present and have created distrust of the modern church and those who affiliate with it.

This is not to undermine the intentional and hard work done by a wide range of Christians who have for decades actively addressed the harmful past and have worked tirelessly to instill practices that are more equitable in the present. In fact, PC(USA) prides itself on progress toward becoming an affirming and inclusive space for all people.

At DCPC, there are many examples of this work playing out: in the 1960’s, the pastor of the church was a courageous advocate for civil rights, the church was once fully staffed by female pastors, people of all gender and sexual Addressing the Past & Making Sense of the Future Although tangible changes have been made, it is vital to identities can be married and ordained in the church, and address the elephant in the room: the Church’s oppressive congregation members march in the Gay Pride Parade in past that can yield an exclusive present for marginalized uptown Charlotte annually.

However, wounds from the past, even when addressed groups and underrepresented religions. Though PC(USA) and actively interrogated by the present, are still very real as it operates today did not exist until 1983, the denomifor some folks. nation is inherently tied to the traditions which came beRev. Spach encourages that the Christian community fore it, and can thus never fully be absolved of the past baggage it carries. There is no debate that the Church’s “needs to apologize, in honest real ways, and acknowlhistory is steeped in racial bias and prejudice, marked by edge that we and our forebears were wrong [...] To me, the exclusion of gender and sexual minorities, and tied to it’s appropriate to ask genuinely with a humble heart for forgiveness. There’s no obligation on their part to forgive you. But I think if you honestly apologize, and ask for forgiveness, for the wrongs that you, yourself, your church, and your tradition have committed, that opens up new possibilities.”

Past & Present Policies According to Ottati, this harmful past, Currently, some of our concrete polhowever, should not only be accredited to icies include the Philosophical and Rethe Church. He says, “Sometimes at this ligious Perspectives and the Justice, school, we assume that Presbyterianism Equality, and Community graduation is what was affiliated with slavery. Of requirements, the required presence of a course, it was. But so was the liberal arts diverse chaplaincy (including represeneducation. One interesting question is how tation from Buddhist, Catholic, Jewish, liberal arts tradition is going to understand and Presbyterian traditions) and profesitself within that history. And another resor of Reformed Theology on campus, ally interesting question is how Presbyand the guideline that one-quarter of the terianism is going to understand itself in seats on the Board of Trustees must be the south with that history.” He continues, filled by Presbyterian leadership.

“You have to be willing to criticize a past With less than 10% of the current and a present [...] There’s this talk about student body being made up of Presbythe gift of a deeply flawed past. It’s a gift terians, there exists a real concern about if it’s sufficiently flawed to be recognized, the representation on the Board. Kamran so that you can begin to try and distinmentions that prior to the changes in our guish yourself from it. And here, we ought bylaws, “There seemed to be a disconto probably try and own the real sorts of nect regarding how to be affiliated and opportunities, and possibilities that accrue properly maintain an affiliation with the to a deeply flawed, deeply problematic, Reformed Tradition on Davidson’s camand highly interesting past.” pus without excluding students […] The As a student body, we can look forward celebration of faith and presence of a to the release of the Report on Reformed church on Davidson’s campus are beauTradition this spring. Dr. Ottati, who tiful aspects of the campus, but it was serves on the current Working Group, disheartening to hear that many students believes that we are going to see explicit who dedicate their heart and soul to imexplanation about our affiliation with the proving and contributing to Davidson’s Tradition and what exactly that means for campus are unable to do so on the Board students. He adds that we will probably of Trustees later on.” see “reflections about how Reformed TraMost of the policies informed by the dition can be embodied on the campus in Reformed Tradition are less visible to a way that is supportive of the liberal arts the student eye and have in some ways project as it’s taking place at Davidson tobecome the ethos of Davidson. From our day.”

Honor Code to an emphasis on the athAs we consider these changes, Lodish letics and arts departments as vocation calls upon our identity as an academic (or in other words, a calling to draw on institution to address how we might prione’s gifts), to the college’s Center for oritize inclusivity. He says, “We are an Diversity and Inclusion, the Reformed Davidson College Presebtyrian Church (DCPC). Photo by Sydney Schertz ‘24 educational institution, which I think is Tradition informs a largely positive porsomething that we can use as a tool to tion of the Davidson experience. the exploitation of Native and enslaved people.

In Davidson’s past, policies were much more concrete According to Eric Miller, author for Religion & Politics make our school more inclusive. For example, having and prevalent. According to the Report of Reformed Tra- magazine, in his article The American Church’s Complicity more Jewish Studies professors and classes about other dition Working Group from 2017, “For the first 125 years in Racism: A Conversation with Jemar Tisby, “The fraught religions. But also, a lot of issues of marginalization are of Davidson’s existence, Presbyterian worship was woven racial history of the United States has infiltrated and influ- kind of interconnected. It’s just like the Asian American into the fabric of the lives of students, faculty, and admin- enced all of its institutions, including the Christian Church. Initiative. Supporting that, although that’s not even necistrators through required attendance at weekly services. Though certain figures and movements did join the strug- essarily about religious life, would help in making DaThis worship was held in the sanctuary of the Davidson gle against slavery, segregation, and violence at various vidson more inclusive and would improve the quality of College Presbyterian Church, the very name of which indi- times and places, the majority of white American Chris- life here.” cates how deeply the congregants were involved with the tendom fell somewhere on the spectrum between open en-

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Bylaws: By Whom?

For Whom?

History of Student Activism Against Religiously Exclusive Trustee Provision

by Andrea Liu ‘23 | (she/her)

I

n January 2021, a few days into the spring semester, Davidson College announced that the Board of Trustees had approved revisions to the bylaws that govern eligibility for the College’s presidency and Trustee positions.

In a published statement, the College expressed: “The revised bylaws open the office of president to candidates of any faith who will assume responsibility for affirming, upholding and achieving the Statement of Purpose [and] expand the number of seats on the Board of Trustees that do not include a personal religious requirement.”

This decision, though formalized by the Board of Trustees, would not have been possible without student activists, both current students and alumni.

Before amending the bylaws, the Board held an open comment period, during which students, faculty, and staff were able to voice their opinions about the bylaws. In the fall, Dahlia Krutkovich ‘21 and Josh Lodish ‘22 worked together with other students on campus to organize the movement amongst current students by sending emails as well as hosting and speaking on panels.

Krutkovich detailed her motivation for joining the movement: “My self-education with regard to Davidson’s religious history started [when] I was involved in a project [beginning] in my sophomore spring that looked at the history of Jews and Jewishness at Davidson. In the archive project, talking to a lot of our interviewees, and digging into the archives of the College itself, it became clear that our larger story was not just about Jews, but rather about the evolution of the college’s religious history.”

As a student actively involved in Jewish life at Davidson, Krutkovich felt that “the bylaws demonstrated a commitment [to heritage] on the part of Davidson that didn’t necessarily need to be demonstrated [through] the bylaws and this exclusionary [religious requirement] principle.”

Lodish is also involved with Jewish life on campus, having served as the co-President of the Jewish Student Union since his freshman year. Lodish was shocked to discover

ent to “The bylaws demonstrated a commitm dn’t heritage on the part of Davidson that di ugh the ro th ed at str on m de be to ed ne ily ar ss nece

bylaws and this exclusionary religious requirement principle.”

Dahlia Krutkovich ‘21

the religious requirement for the President and Board of the College in the bylaws: “I was just kind of almost appalled.

I thought Davidson was like a welcoming and inclusive place, but they have these rules that prohibit a great deal of people from achieving any semblance of leadership, power, or responsibility on campus. Not just the President, but it’s also the rules requiring [the Board] to be Christian and a certain percentage Presbyterian.”

Upon realizing the inherently discriminatory nature of the religious requirement, Lodish took action where he could.

While on a committee that discussed campus community and religious life, Lodish pushed for a focus on changing the bylaws and spoke with the President of the Board and two other members to discuss the bylaws.

When the Trustees sent out an email to Davidson students in October 2020 inviting members of the community to share their views on the bylaws requiring candidates to have a specific religious identity or affiliation, Krutkovich thought, “We need to get current students involved, because there’s no way they’re going to change the bylaws if cur-

rent students aren’t tapped in.” Lodish and Krutkovich were connected with JD Merrill ‘13, Nick McGuire ‘14, and Hannah Foltz ‘13 through a professor.

Merril became aware of the religious requirement for the President in 2011 when she served as one of the students on the Presidential Search Committee that resulted in the hiring of current President Carol Quillen.

Following President Quillen’s hire in 2011, Merrill recalled, “the Board of Trustees began a review of the bylaws that required religious affiliation, [through] community forums [along with] student, parent, and faculty input.”

During the open comment period, few students voiced their opposition to the bylaw. Merrill continued: “I remember thinking, ‘this is such an archaic and outdated idea, there’s no way that it will be maintained.’ The Trustee review process concluded that ‘sufficient support’ did not exist for changing that requirement.”

Merrill and a couple of his friends, McGuire included, disagreed with the Board’s assessment, having spoken

Spring 2013

April 2013

February 2005

Trustees expand membership to all Christians; two members, including John Belk, resign in protest.

July 2011

President Quillen is hired as the 18th President of Davidson College. The Board of Trustees begins a review of the bylaws that require religious affiliation.

SGA Referend of those who students and are in favor of the bylaws’ re requirements

The trustee review process concludes that ‘sufficient support ’ does not exist for changing religious requirement on the Board of Trustees.

April 2013 JD Merrill ‘13 and Nick McGuire ‘14 found Sufficient Support, whose motto is “Amend the bylaw, affirm our tradition.”

S

5 to many students about it. Along with McGuire, Merrill started a campaign called Sufficient Support in 2013.

Their goal was to demonstrate that community support did in fact exist for changing the bylaw. With a tagline of “Amend the bylaw, affirm our tradition,” Merrill emphasized that he and McGuire believed that “the bylaw stood in contrast to Davidson values of inclusivity. By amending the bylaw, we weren’t changing Davidson: we were affirming who Davidson claims to be, which is an inclusive, welcoming community of people from all backgrounds and religious affiliations.”

From being a student on the Presidential Search Committee, Merrill learned that “so long as the search committee consists of a representative group of Davidson people, the President will always represent Davidson.

We should trust our search committee to select the leader who represents [the school and community’s] values.

And that person may not always be a Presbyterian, but they will always represent the values that our historical association with the Presbyterian Church led us to.”

Sufficient Support led to a petition expressing opposition to the bylaws being signed by 703 members of the Davidson community. Merrill recalled an SGA and faculty referendum where 83% of students and 87% of faculty voting, respectively, were in favor of changing the bylaw.

Merrill and Mcguire also found that in 2011, 89.1% of students did not identify as Presbyterian, which meant that 9 out of 10 students on campus would not be eligible to serve as the president of the college they attended based on their religious beliefs.

However, Sufficient Support’s efforts came after the open comment period that the Trustees held, and no changes were made. The students involved gained perspective and helped Krutkovich and Lodish host an event discussing the history of activism that engaged with religious life at Davidson last fall, questioning exactly what these bylaws do for students. Krutkovich reflected that ”Ultimately, the argument was [that] we can have a robust religious life at Davidson without it articulated this way in the bylaws.” Lodish and Krutkovich updated Sufficient Support’s website and provided students with an email template in which members of the Davidson community could voice their thoughts about the religious requirement for Board members and the President.

Students like Lodish and Krutkovich led activism on campus, while Foltz restarted the conversation about the bylaws last summer on social media before launching an alumni letter-writing campaign.

Krutkovich believed that “it was finally time; there was a lot of institutional support behind changing these bylaws, and people [were] really interested in some sort of institutional change that could tangibly say Davidson had structurally changed.”

Lodish explained his hope that the bylaw amendment “will make it so that the school is just like a little bit more welcoming” to students of all backgrounds, no matter their religion. He emphasized that “there were a lot of people that participated in this. And a lot of people I don’t even know, because this is a movement that [has] had many iterations through-

Student Religious & Worldview Affiliations 2020-2021

Infographic by Hope Anderson ’22. Data courtesy College Chaplain’s Office out history, and so there were a lot of different groups of student activists throughout history, that kind of pushed for this change,” including Sufficient Support.

Foltz stated, “I was proud of the school and its leadership for their openness to debate this time around. The forums and write-in opportunities gave the community time to make and share an informed opinion on the matter. I think that was reflected in the Board’s ultimate decision to change the bylaws.”

In acknowledging this step forward, however, Foltz drew attention to the current requirement that at least 25% of Board members be Presbyterian. She explained that while respecting the decision, she hopes it can be revisited in the future, especially because while being religiously exclusionary, Foltz emphasized that “it is also racially exclusionary. The Presbyterian Church’s demographics are what they are: predominantly white (88%).

Essentially, by holding

January 2021

Fall 2020

dum finds that voted, 83% of 87% of faculty f changing eligious s.

Summer 2020

Hannah Foltz ‘13 restar ts the conversation around religious requirements for the Board on social media before starting an alumni letter-writing campaign.

25% of seats for Presbyterians, we are still holding 25% of seats for a group whose demographics do not represent those of the nation, let alone the globe.”

With that, Foltz still is proud of the Board’s final decision: “I have confidence that in coming years, Davidson will discover ways to maintain Presbyterian values without mandated Board seats.”

Upon hearing the Board’s decision earlier this year, Merrill expressed his pride: “I was really proud of the student leaders who really led the effort this go around.

This affirmation of our tradition is just the latest example of an institution that has a complicated and challenging history, striving to get better and become more inclusive.

And I really think [it’s] honorable that we are committed to becoming better every time we look in the mirror. And this is just the latest example in that story.”

Josh Lodish ‘22 and Dahlia Krutkovich ‘21 work with other students to mobilize action for changing the bylaws, encouraging students to send emails to the Board and hosting and speaking on relevant panels.

October 2020

Trustees send an email to Davidson students inviting feedback on the bylaws requiring candidates to have a specific religious identity or affiliation.

Davidson announces that the Board of Trustees approved revisions to the bylaws: The President is no longer required to be Presbyterian, and the number of Presbyterian exclusive seats is reduced to 25%.

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“F

or me personally, I’m from the Northeast, and coming to Davidson, that was the first time I had met anyone who had never met a Jewish person. I think a lot of Jewish students at Davidson have similar experiences. So there’s obviously a lack of awareness towards what Judaism is, including how it is both an ethnicity and a culture as well as a religion, and I think that lack of awareness sometimes breeds insensitivity. Not in an intentionally harmful way, but sometimes those things come up,” said Josh Lodish ‘22, the Co-President of the Jewish Student Union (JSU).

Despite the fact that Davidson’s religious affiliation lies within Presbyterianism, specifically the Presbyterian Church (USA), the college is home to 17 religious groups. The college also has the Chaplain’s Office, which provides religious groups with spiritual guidance, program planning resources, and pastoral counseling. Ranging from Davidson Dharma, a Buddhist group, to the Canterbury Episcopal Fellowship, these student-led organizations at Davidson provide outlets for many different expressions of religion. However, as a school that has a set religious affiliation that differs from the majority of the student body, the college’s structure and history mean it is inherently set up for Presbyterian worship, though Presbyterians only make up 13.3% of religiously identifying students on campus and 8.9% of the total student body.

Virginia Adams ‘23, the current Vice President of UKirk, one of Davidson’s student-led Presbyterian groups, stated that the one notable difference she sees between the treatment of these groups is that UKirk receives more spatial preferences than the others. “The biggest difference I have noticed is the allocation of space. The Davidson College Presbyterian Church is right on the corner of campus, and they rent/lease their property to the College, so we have our own space in the church where we are allowed to meet.” Adams compared that to how the Episcopal group is given spaces on campus, such as the Union, but that can never fully replace having a place dedicated to their faith on campus.

This is most certainly an experience that is felt by the Davidson Wesley Campus Ministry as well. Laura Auberry ‘21, the student leader of Wesley Campus Ministry, a group for United Methodist Students, found her group having issues with space. Although the Wesley Campus Ministry is not a Presbyterian group, they have felt support from the college through administration such as Dr. Anne Wills, a professor from the religion department; Reverend Rob Spach ‘84, Davidson College Chaplain; and also the entirety of the Chaplain’s Office. Their

by Anika Banerjee ‘24 | (she/her) support unfortunately is countered by their inability to find a space on or near campus that fits their needs.

Auberry said, “We used to serve meals at our meetings in the Oasis in the Chaplain’s Office, but we switched out of meetings in the Oasis because it was not really suited for serving food and our organization grew too large for the space. So we have switched around to various spaces that accommodate a growing organization but would also allow us to serve food.”

She continued by stating how finding spaces on campus would be an easier task if the identity of their religious group matched the religious affiliation of their school.

Other groups, however, have a different perspective on what it is like to be a non-Presbyterian on a Presbyterian-affiliated campus. Lodish spoke of how being isolated from your religion and stepping into a community where you are a part of the minority allows you to embrace it further. He believes that the isolation gives you the opportunity to see why your religion means something to you as opposed to having your family or society influence that part of your life.

Julia Mahoney ‘23, who acts as President within the leadership team of Catholic Campus Ministries, was afraid that upon entering a Presbyterian college, she would have to outsource her faith and find a church off campus to practice. Her preconceived notions were proven wrong when she received support from Catholic Campus ministries and Rev. Spach which allowed for her to continue practicing her faith without having to leave Davidson by giving her the resources she needed.

Similarly, Cassandra Blau ‘23 of Davidson Dharma sees their presence on a Presbyterian campus as an opportunity to bring awareness of Buddhist practices and events to the community.

Rayed Hamid ‘24, President of the Muslim Student Association (MSA), seconds Blau’s opinion. “I think Davidson being a Presbyterian campus has not impacted how we practice our faith much. The members of our group come from various backgrounds and levels of religiosity, so we appreciate any resources we are given to allow our members to explore their faith and learn about Islam,” stated Hamid.

For some of the groups, the college’s faith goes relatively unnoticed. “I don’t think that Davidson‘s affiliation with the Presbyterian Church is very present in active student life on campus. Had I not known of the affiliation prior to attending, I probably wouldn’t have been aware of it,” said Aspen Dyer ‘23 from the Latter-Day Saint Student Group. Dyer continues by detailing how Davidson does not push religion on to their students, and that the only rule they enforce upon the community is the Honor Code; while the Code can be traced back to

their institution is “Davidson’s transparency of what foster a healthy d an pt ce ac to em th s ow all in ed ground environment for religions different

from theirs.”

Ben Haden ‘22

practices within certain churches or other religious bodies, it is more of a universal idea that Davidson wants for their campus.

Additionally, there are some benefits that these groups have found in the college maintaining a Presbyterian affiliation. “I think it’s really crucial that the college has an identity, because through its religious identity, they can respect other religions,” said Ben Haden ‘22, a member of the Canterbury Episcopal Fellowship. “Because the Presbyterian theology is so particular in understanding that they do not know everything about God, or about the world, that mindset allows Davidson to welcome and foster students to grow in their own worldview whether that be religious or personal.”

Regardless of the difficulties some of these groups have had in terms of spatial distribution and general unawareness for their religions, they are all proud to have platforms upon which they can share their faiths with the Davidson community. This includes hosting events and practicing their faiths around campus to bring attention to their messages.

In the years before COVID-19, weekly gatherings took place in almost every religious group on campus. Bringing certain cuisines to campus, having discussion sessions, and participating in philanthropic events are all normal activities for these groups when CDC restrictions are at bay.

According to Auberry, “During a normal year, we [Wesley] meet once a week for some food, check-ins, and a scripture lesson or activity. We also usually have two retreats a year, which usually take place over a weekend. These events are open to everyone.”

They also do several campus outreach events, including serving hot chocolate and cookies in Union, a dog-study break during finals week, and a fruit exam break. These events are done with the motivation to reach out to students on campus so people can become aware of what the Wesley Campus Ministry is. They also do service projects throughout the year, one of which involves volunteering at Davidson Community Garden.

Hamid spoke to how the MSA engages in activities during a normal year. On Fridays, Islam’s holy day, they host a weekly prayer service in the Oasis. They also have bi-weekly meetings for members of their group. In order to keep in line with their faith, the MSA caters halal food from Charlotte and nearby restaurants to help Muslims on campus feel comfortable in practicing their faith.

Eid is an incredibly important holiday within Islam; however, since the date it falls upon is dependent on the lunar calendar, Eid does not always occur during the school year. This year was one of those where Eid did not occur when school was in session, “So instead this year we brought a halal food truck from Charlotte to campus as part of a Ramadan, a holy month in which Muslims fast. We served over 260 meals to Davidson students,” said Hamid.

In a typical year, Davidson Dharma would bring a speaker to campus and hold a meditation retreat at the start of spring break, and hold educational field trips. The Latter-Day Saint Student Group normally gathers twice a year in April and October to listen to a four hour live broadcast from their church.

They accompany this by ordering food and reflecting on the videos afterwards.

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Illustrations by Richard Farrell ‘22

The Canterbury Episcopal Fellowship now gathers in Hobart Park by the labyrinth on Sunday afternoons, and on occasion they will gather for dinners afterward. Prior to COVID, they would meet in the Oasis for the Eucharist and then go to the Sprinkle Room for a dinner provided by St. Albans Episcopal Church.

All of these groups put an immense amount of effort into creating safe and educational places on campus for students to express their faiths or even to just learn about different religions. In terms of the college making steps to advance their religious diversity, Davidson altered their bylaws on January 28th and reduced the required amount of Presbyterian presence

on the Board of Trustees. On top of that, Davidson no longer requires their president to be Presbyterian.

Lodish, who was one of the students involved in the movement to change Davidson’s religious bylaws, stated, “The bylaws, which recently changed, initially said that non-Presbyterians could not serve in a lot of different roles on campus, and non-Christians could not serve in leadership roles around campus, including the Board. So for the Board and the President, people were barred from serving in those positions because of their religious identity, which I saw as religious exclusion.”

Adams emphasizes that no religion is superior to another, and the changes in the bylaws are beneficial as they will allow

for religious diversity to be a pillar of the college. All of these religious groups are happy to see that there are going to be opportunities for people of their religions to impart their perspectives and knowledge onto the Davidson community.

“No one’s particular worldview in terms of religion is going to be universal, but Davidson is making steps towards ensuring that most, if not all, religious perspectives are valued, and this is not the case at all liberal arts colleges. Davidson’s transparency of what their institution is grounded in allows them to accept and foster a healthy environment for religions different from theirs,” said Haden.

Notes From The Archives

The topic of Davidson and the Presbyterian Church lends itself well to archival reasearch. As such, we have complied the following snapshots of the history and impact of the Church on campus.

Founded in 1706, the first Presbyterian denomination in North America has since divided and merged along doctrinal lines.

Today, Presbyterianism in the US is made up of roughly 25 distinct denominations. Davidson was founded in 1837 by members of the Presbyterian Church in the USA, a denomination started in 1789. This denomination ceased to exist in 1861 when it split over the issue of slavery into the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America (UPCUSA; often called the “Northern Church”) and the Presbyterian Church in the United States (PCUS; often called the “Southern Church”). Davidson maintained an affiliation with the PCUS until 1983, when the UPCUSA and PCUS reunited to form the current Presbyterian Church (USA) — generally referred to as PC(USA). Davidson is currently affiliated with PC(USA), the largest of the Presbyterian denominations in the United States.

1859

An 1859 letter from student James L. Greenlee to his father reads, “We have to rise at first ringing of the bell, which is just at day light, the bell rings again just at sun up for us to go up to the Chapel to prayers and all those who are not there before the bell quits ringing macked tardy, then we have to recite for an hour before breakfast, which we get at 8 Oclock having risen at six.”

1870

A breakdown of student religious designations from 1870 faculty meeting minutes.

Image courtesy Davidson College Archives and Special Collections.

Image and transcription courtesy Davidson Archives and Special Collections.

1977

In the spring of 1977, then College President Sam Spencer ‘40 withdrew a faculty position offer to Ronald Linden (Political Science Ph.D., Princeton) after he expressed his intentions to oppose a policy which barred non-Christian faculty from tenure.

Image and research courtesy Taylor Drake ‘21 and Dahlia Krutkovich ‘21, from “History of Jewishness at Davidson.”

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“Heritage” Is Not the Answer Ross Hickman ‘22 they/them

Why does the Board of Trustees continue to reaffirm Davidson College’s Presbyterian ‘heritage’? For whom do we prize the past—given the evidence which spills over from the College Archives, into the writing and activism of students struggling to deal with our school’s long shadows?

Until recent decades, Davidson College has been a thoroughly Christian institution, steeped in the sometimes bitter leaves of the Presbyterian Church’s history. White- and male-supremacist politics were couched in the language of Christian moral destinies, justifying the colonization of Catawba land, the deployment of enslaved people’s labor to build many of the college’s early buildings, and the suppression of gender and sexual minorities. As with other reverberating structures and systems of oppression and exclusion, the influence of Christianity upon Davidson College may, for some privileged members of our community, seem more vestigial than our institutional history reveals.

Yet, the recent revision of Davidson’s bylaws regarding religious requirements for joining the Board of Trustees suggests that our history is, in fact, very much alive. As others have pointed out in The Davidsonian, the overturned bylaws, having required 80 percent of the board to be Christian and at least 25 percent to be Presbyterian, privileged the overwhelmingly white cohort from which to find candidates. None of this is to say that white Christians as a matter of course are less qualified for college leadership. Nor am I arguing

that Christians should lessen their voices, presences, and faiths on campus. People of all faiths or no faith ought to be welcome at Davidson, and their contributions to our culture are meaningful. But problems arise, of course, when one religion hegemonizes the culture of an institution in racialized, gendered, and other ways that take decades of student activism to uncover and overturn.

Why, then, does the Board of Trustees continue to reaffirm Davidson College’s Presbyterian “heritage”? For whom do we prize the past — given the evidence which spills over from the College Archives, into the writing and activism of students struggling to deal with our school’s long shadows? For decades now, scholars, journalists, and activists have implored white Southerners to reconsider their attachments to the word “heritage” when speaking about icons of racist violence like Confederate statues and flags. Criticizing such emotional attachments to mythologized, bygone eras is not anti-historical or illiberal.

In fact, when we demand that history moves beyond “heritage,” we understand the fragmentary, living nature of history itself — and, vitally, the complex ways by which different people (dis)inherit or (dis)own such stories.

Though many students of minoritized religious, gender, sexual, racial, and other identities on this campus feel demonized by the history that the language of heritage directly connotes, recycling the rhetorics of demonization is part and parcel of the heritages of harm that persist on our campus. And I want no part in isolating anyone else within the stories we inherit and reproduce, whether intentionally or unwittingly. I grew up in an environment where Christian religious tradition validated bigotry, excused harm, and invisibilized individual and collective desires for a different

future. Along with many other queer people, I have a deep mistrust of religion for how Christians have historically deployed it, and for my personal political reasons, I am no longer religious. But I also know queer people who cherish their faiths and do not wish to linger in the past, or to call upon their own heritages without due reflection and historicization. I have witnessed the awesome power of critical thinking to change people’s lives, and I believe in many of the basic ethical values which the college’s reading of the Reformed Tradition promotes, though these values are not exclusive to Presbyterian ways of thinking.

What I can’t wrap my mind around is why

traditions, and the college leadership should proceed down a path of disaffiliating from the Presbyterian Church at an institutional level.

Disaffiliation is not about excluding or shaming Presbyterians or any other Christian; it is about disestablishing the Christian religion from the operation of an institution that has a population of students, faculty, and staff who do not adhere to the specific traditions the college still crystallizes in 25 percent of the board — an overrepresentation of the roughly 9 percent of students who identify as Presbyterian.

Disaffiliation does not mean leaving the college’s Presbyterian roots behind or outside of our memory and campus consciousness. In-

For whom do we prize the past — given the evidence which spills over from the College Archives, into the writing and activism of students struggling to deal with our school’s long shadows? the specific ideological “heritage” of our institution should be so critical for our present and future campus communities, when we have so many faithful and secular heritages upon which to draw. And to be clear, other religions and secular worldviews do not preclude a vision of ethics for our school; to suggest otherwise would be to degrade deliberative, nuanced approaches to justice, as well as to reiterate the Christian supremacy which still dominates our institution and its stated mission. These different religious and secular heritages do not deserve to be subsumed into a larger narrative of Christian or Presbyterian

stead, the college should take steps to distance ourselves from living in the past, rather than remembering it in measured and inclusive ways. An institutional vision of Presbyterianism that many students do not align with and some find antithetical to their values must give way to a more plural, more vibrant, and more reparative approach to past, present, and future iterations of this community.

Ross Hickman (they/them) is a History and Gender & Sexuality Studies major from Winston-Salem, NC, and can be reached at rohickman@davidson.edu.

Another Look at “Heritage” and Church-Relatedness Rev. Rob Spach ‘84 he/him Ross Hickman’s thoughtful article challenged the trustees’ affirmation of Davidson’s Presbyterian affiliation. I agree that “white, male, heterosexual, cisgender supremacies” intertwined with the early college leaders’ Presbyterianism. Southern, white churchmen inexcusably misused Christianity to justify an oppressive, supremacist culture. Similar distortions continue. Growing up, Hickman experienced embodiments of Christianity that supported prejudice and excused oppression. What they went through is wrong, period.

the trustees weren’t glossing over that reality.

In fact, given the connotations of “heritage”, it’s the wrong word to describe what they reaffirmed. Rather than clinging to a religiously hegemonic past, the trustees want to guide the college into the future in ways that both engage the plurality of identities and perspectives on campus today and draw on the best of living, active Presbyterianism. I invite a reassessment of the college’s relationship to the Presbyterian Church USA (the denomination with which Davidson affiliates today) and the Reformed Tradition, a strand of Protestantism of which Presbyterianism is a part.

Presbyterian pastors educated at Davidson fought segregation during the Civil Rights era.

Presbyterians relentlessly advocated for the inclusion of LGBTQ+ people. Today, the PCUSA today sanctions gay marriage and the ordination

The trustees aren’t trying to hold on to a religiously hegemonic past; instead, they are seeking to guide the college into the future in ways that both engage the plurality of identities and perspectives on campus today and draw on the best of living, active Presbyterianism Some people identifying as Christians defend bigotry by claiming their symbols and words represent a prized “heritage.” It’s understandable that minoritized identities are leery of Davidson’s Presbyterian “heritage” if that word refers to a mythologized, bygone era when people experienced exclusion and dehumanization.

Shameful parts of that past cast “long shadows … of harm that persist on our campus” (Hickman’s words).

In reaffirming Davidson’s church affiliation,

of LGBTQ+ clergy. Over the past fifteen years, the denomination elected to its highest office three white women, two Asian-American men, a Black man, a Black woman, an Indigenous woman, a Puerto Rican woman, and a white man. So although the PCUSA is overwhelmingly white, its members magnify “the voices of those long silenced” (as one church document says).

Formed in 1983 by the merger of two prior denominations, the PCUSA is small. There are

more Catholics in the Diocese of Chicago (2.1 million) than members of the PCUSA in the entire U.S. (1.3 million). Its affiliated colleges like Davidson promote things we’re familiar with, including humane values, civic engagement, academic excellence, and respect for each person’s dignity and worth.

While these traits are found at many colleges (secular and religious), others aren’t as common. Presbyterians believe that faith and reason, science and religion, social justice and reverence for the divine can go hand in hand.

They’re convinced that no single group (including Presbyterians, or Christians generally) has a corner on knowing truth about the world, human beings, morality, or God. PCUSA colleges support diverse religious practices, never presuming to tell anyone what their faith or worldview should be.

While some similar specific values exist at other colleges, the constellation of convictions and guiding principles at PCUSA institutions is distinct. These colleges sustain a minority perspective that is marginalized and could disappear from American higher education. Their absence would lessen diversity and plurality in academia, where pressures to conform are strong.

Hickman agrees with many “basic ethical values which the college’s reading of the Reformed Tradition promotes.” Their concern centers on “why the specific ideological ‘heritage’ of our institution should be so critical for our present and future iterations of the campus community, when we have so many faithful and secular heritages upon which to draw.” For them, it’s limiting for a diverse college to be grounded in one tradition.

I agree that a Presbyterian narrative ought not dominate at Davidson; other traditions should join in shaping the college because, as members of the PCUSA agree, Presbyterianism has a limited perspective. I am persuaded, though, that any institution must, over time, ground itself in some particular worldview to endure. What we

cherish about Davidson didn’t emerge from an ahistorical, universally agreed-upon set of ideas about what is good, right, and just. There is no such thing. If we jettison our tradition of origin, some other worldview will fill that role. Like Presbyterianism today, that worldview almost certainly won’t be shared by most of the college community.

It’s therefore worthwhile understanding how Davidson’s grounding tradition engages with diversity and change. Traditions, of course, differ greatly. Some are exclusivist, resist criticism and modification, and claim to have answers to all the big questions. Others promote plurality, engage in self-assessment and amendment, and acknowledge that their understandings of truths are not superior, complete, or absolute.

The Reformed Tradition is in this latter group.

The PCUSA refers to itself as “reformed and always being reformed”; its colleges appreciate constructive changes brought by people with diverse belief systems, life experiences, and frames of reference.

In reaffirming the college’s religious affiliation, the trustees aren’t trying (as Hickman eloquently puts it) to subsume the many traditions at Davidson into a broader Christian narrative. Prompted by Reformed principles and the growing variety of perspectives on campus, their goal is to foster a community where diverse worldviews are each expressed in their distinctiveness and all contribute to a shared ethos. In their view, Davidson’s Presbyterian church-relatedness, though problematic in ways that should be critiqued and changed, promotes a forward-looking educational vision that sustains spaces for disparate views as it upholds humane values, academic excellence, diversity, inclusivity, freedom of conscience, varied spiritual practices, and the dignity and worth of every person.

Reverend Rob Spach ‘84 (he/him) is the College Chaplain and can be reached at rospach@ davidson.edu.

*The perspectives above represent opposing views on the value of Davidson College’s commitment to the Presbyterian Church. Ross Hickman’s piece was originally published online on February 17, 2021. Rob Spach’s piece was then published in response to Hickman’s article online on March 23, 2021. Both pieces have been edited from their original form.