Jim Bratten
At the 175th anniversary of the founding of Hillsdale College and the dedication of its new “Christ Chapel” on October 3, 2019, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas said in his dedication address for the chapel, “The construction of so grand a chapel in 2019 does not happen by accident or as an afterthought. Christ Chapel reflects the college’s conviction that a vibrant intellectual environment and a strong democratic society are fostered, not hindered, by a recognition of the divine. Hillsdale College affirms with the writer of Proverbs that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.”
Hillsdale’s president, Dr. Larry Arnn, states that the college is an institution of higher learning that educates based on the “Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God” as expressed in the Declaration of Independence and supported by the Constitution.
Since its founding, the college has been supported by four pillars: learning, character, freedom, and faith. At Hillsdale, a course on the Constitution is required to graduate, but so is a thorough understanding of this nation’s founding; that this nation was founded by people of faith. The college has no religious affiliation, only a deep understanding of the essential role of faith in our Founding and a mandate to reveal and explain this fact to students. Hence, Hillsdale had no problem erecting a new chapel on campus named “Christ Chapel” and its students comprehend that before the rise of secularism in the U.S., the advent of political correctness and the cult of cultural diversity, it would never have been considered unusual. Thankfully, Hillsdale is private, independent of federal assistance, so the objections from secular leftists were minimal.
You will not find this wholesome, honest approach toward the way things really are, supported by historical fact, at most colleges and universities, nor will you find a curriculum that values the teaching of America’s reasons for existence, a firm knowledge of civics, and the preservation of Western Civilization.
It’s the reason this “vibrant intellectual environment” continues to thrive.
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