It IS About the Hijab: Wheaton College and the Narrowing Criteria for Evangelical Belonging

[rug]

Larycia Hawkins speaks about her recent suspension from Wheaton College

By Hollis Phelps / December 17, 2015

Larycia Hawkins, a tenured political science professor at the evangelical stalwart Wheaton College, was placed on administrative leave this past week after donning a hijab to express solidarity with Muslims and publicly claiming that Muslims worship the “same God” as Christians.

Wheaton has maintained that the decision to place Hawkins on leave has nothing to do with her wearing of the headscarf. Dr. Philip Ryken, the college’s president, said in a statement that the “College has no stated position on the wearing of headscarves as a gesture of care and concern for those in Muslim or other religious communities that may face discrimination or persecution.” The issue is, rather, with the theological implications of Hawkins’ claim that Christians and Muslims worship the “same God.” The claim potentially violates Wheaton’s Statement of Faith, which faculty must not only adhere to personally but also represent faithfully as they engage in public issues.

That distinction, however, seems all too convenient and more than a little suspect. For one, it would be irresponsible not to read Wheaton’s actions in light of growing anti-Islamic sentiment and rhetoric in the wake of the attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, especially when polls have shown that a substantial majority of evangelicals have negative perceptions of Islam.

It also demonstrates a deeper problem. The decision by Wheaton strikes me as part of a larger trend among evangelicals to isolate a person’s beliefs from other social, political, and cultural practices.

http://religiondispatches.org/it-is-about-the-hijab-wheaton-college-and-the-narrowing-criteria-for-evangelical-belonging/

[elleng]

1. They don't believe in ONE God???

[Cartoonist]

2. There are two gods?

Wheaton College sure is making an asshole of themselves.

[Yorktown]

3. If so, it's a schizophrenic god

Roughly speaking, the god of the Quran is copied from the one in the Torah:

you know, the loon who asks Abraham to submit and sacrifice his son.
the madman in the sky who commands ethnic cleansing of the Canaanites and Malekites.
(one fun fact: the Hebrews are possibly one branch of the Canaanites)

the god of Jesus is more happy slappy Californian guru: judge not, etc.

So, if the god of the Torah/Quran is the same than that of Californian New Age Jesus,
god probably needs to go and seek mental health treatment.

[Jim__]

4. At least some students are supporting Prof Hawkins.

source:

[center][/center]

Larycia Hawkins is the tenured Wheaton College political science professor who wore a hijab during Advent to show her solidarity with Muslims. She posted a photo and wrote on Facebook: "we worship the same god." Wheaton announced that Hawkins has been placed on administrative leave, not for wearing a hijab but over “significant questions regarding the theological implications.” Evangelical Christians including Franklin Graham, son of Billy Graham, are casting shame on Hawkins who “obviously doesn’t know her Bible and she doesn’t know Islam.” (Note: Graham’s parents graduated from Wheaton in 1943.)

A number of Hawkins’ students are joining their mentor in wearing hijads…at least on Facebook. Alyssa Phillips posted a photo of herself wearing a hijab to which Hawkins replied, “I love you. I’m sooo excited to see this my friend.” And Jess Edelblut wears a hijab while standing in front of her Christmas tree. Christa Foster Crawford left a poignant message on Hawkins’ Facebook page: It’s a picture of the Virgin Mary holding Jesus Christ with the caption: “Interesting that most folks in the US don’t have any problem with this woman in a headscarf.”

[rug]

5. Thanks for that info.

They're doing something similar in Utah.

http://www.sltrib.com/home/3322132-155/interfaith-leaders-urge-utahns-to-wear