Consider No Evil: Two Faith Traditions and the Problem of Academic Freedom in Religious Higher Education

Even casual acquaintances of the Bible know that the Truth shall set you free, but in the pursuit of that Truth in higher education--particularly in Christian or Jewish seminaries--there are often many casualties suffered along the way. What happens when faculty and students at religious academies butt heads with senior staff or dare to question dogmas or sacred cows that the institution cherishes? Consider No Evil examines seminaries affiliated with two faith traditions--Christian and Jewish--and explores the challenges, as well as prospective solutions, confronting those religious academies when they grapple with staying true to their traditions, as they interpret them, while providing an arena that incubates honest and serious scholarship.

Brandon G. Withrow is lecturer in religious studies at The University of Findlay, Ohio. His latest books include, Consider No Evil: Two Faith Traditions and the Problem of Academic Freedom in Religious Higher Education (2014), Becoming Divine: Jonathan Edwards’s Incarnational Spirituality within the Christian Tradition (2011), and Katherine Parr: A Guided Tour of the Life and Thought of a Reformation Queen (2009). His contributions have appeared in The Huffington Post, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and Inside Higher Ed. He lives in Perrysburg, OH where he spends his days cycling, gardening, and drinking copious amounts of coffee.

Menachem Wecker has reported on religion and education for the Washington Post, Houston Chronicle, Chronicle of Higher Education, Religion News Service, Jewish Daily Forward, National Catholic Reporter, Arab American News, and others. He was previously the education reporter at U.S. News & World Report.