Christianity Today weblog reports that Davidson College, a Presbyterian school in North Carolina, is backing away from its Christian commitment. In our UM tradition too many colleges have gone this direction – but ours seem to go more quietly. CT weblog reports:

No longer does the North Carolina college seek “ties which bind the college to the Presbyterian Church.” (Davidson has official ties to the Presbyterian Church U.S.A.) Now it’s “ties that bind the college to its Presbyterian heritage.” And where the school used to “intend that this vital relationship be continued to the mutual benefit of church and school,” it now doesn’t say that it wants to benefit the church.

So they’re connected to a heritage. Nice and vague. In mainline churches our “heritages” are up for grabs – anyone can identify them however they want. Where will colleges stand up for a more robust conception of Christian higher ed?