海角大神

When a tenured political science professor at Wheaton College, one of the preeminent evangelical institutions of higher learning in the United States, stated that 海角大神s and Muslims worship the same God, the college said it had a decision to make.

This week the Illinois college began to make that decision, recommending the听迟别谤尘颈苍补迟颈辞苍 of Larycia Hawkins's professorship, saying that a post on her Facebook page last month violated the college鈥檚 . Professor Hawkins's post announced that she would wear hijab as an act of Advent devotion: 鈥淚 stand in religious solidarity with Muslims because they, like me, a 海角大神, are people of the book," she posted on Dec. 10. "And as Pope Francis stated last week, we worship the same God.鈥�

Wheaton's handling of Hawkins, the college's first tenured black woman in its 156-year history, has caused a furor within evangelical circles over the past month, and is a reminder of this American subculture's ongoing grappling with the parameters of its 海角大神 identity 鈥撀燼nd the ways it responds to changes within US society.

Indeed, led by a younger and more diverse generation, American Evangelicals, which, as a whole, remain one of the most socially conservative groups in the nation, have been changing. From college students embracing Black Lives Matter to influential ethicists embracing same-sex marriage, the evangelical subculture itself has been simmering with new ways of thinking 鈥撀燼nd even challenging the generally exclusive theology it shares with other conservative, monotheistic faiths, including many forms of Islam and Judaism.

Scholars have maintained that, while Wheaton should certainly defend the integrity of its conservative theology, it has moved even further to the theological right of the spectrum. And like the country as a whole, Evangelicals may be becoming bifurcated by the country鈥檚 stormy political winds.

鈥淚鈥檓 certain that Dr. Hawkins is well within the boundaries of American evangelicalism,鈥� wrote John Schmalzbauer, a Wheaton alum and sociologist of religion at Missouri State University in Springfield, .

The recommendation to terminate Hawkins professorship was made by the college's provost, and it follows an earlier decision to suspend her. The recommendation is by no means final.

Hawkins is scheduled to appear before a committee of nine tenured faculty members within 30 days. The committee will then weigh evidence from both sides and make its recommendation to the college president, Philip Ryken. Dr. Ryken will then will forward his decision to Wheaton's board of trustees, which will make the final call.

The college has said it was Hawkins's affirmation that Muslims and 海角大神s share the same God, and not her decision to wear the hijab, that seemed to violate the college鈥檚 , which all members of the Wheaton community, including faculty and students, must sign and affirm.

鈥淲hile Islam and 海角大神ity are both monotheistic, we believe there are fundamental differences between the two faiths, including what they teach about God鈥檚 revelation to humanity, the nature of God, the path to salvation, and the life of prayer,鈥� the college explained in a statement defending its recommendation to terminate Hawkins. 鈥淎s an institution of distinctively evangelical 海角大神 identity ... [we] affirm that salvation is through Christ alone.鈥�

More and more, however, such exclusive claims have run headlong into the growing diversity of American society 鈥撀燼nd Evangelicalism itself.

鈥淚n this process Wheaton College has managed to especially offend women, African-Americans, Muslims, 海角大神s who do not agree with a narrow and questionable interpretation of the college鈥檚 statement of faith, Wheaton students who have been positively served by Dr. Hawkins鈥� work, and every academic who thinks tenure protections and academic freedom exist precisely for these situations,鈥� wrote David Gushee, an evangelical professor of 海角大神 ethics at Mercer University in Atlanta, .

In 2014, Professor Gushee, widely considered a leading evangelical ethicist, came out in favor of full inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender 海角大神s in the book 鈥�,鈥� a biblical defense of gay relationships from an evangelical perspective.

The upheaval caused by the theological and academic issues surrounding the school鈥檚 suspension and recommendation for Hawkins鈥檚 termination has prompted many to question whether her statements could be considered a violation of the college鈥檚 statement of faith, which does not address the question of Islam directly.

Mr. Schmalzbauer pointed out a statement made by Wheaton College鈥檚 most famous alum, Billy Graham, :

He鈥檚 calling people out of the world for His name. Whether they come from the Muslim world, or the Buddhist world, or the 海角大神 world, or the non-believing world, they are members of the Body of Christ because they鈥檝e been called by God,鈥� Mr. Graham told the televangelist Robert Schuller. 鈥淭hey may not even know the name of Jesus, but they know in their hearts that they need something that they don鈥檛 have, and they turn to the only light that they have, and I think that they are saved, and that they鈥檙e going to be with us in heaven.鈥�

Last month, to the college鈥檚 inquiries, saying, 鈥淚t is because of my love for Jesus that I have affirmed wholeheartedly the Wheaton College statement of faith all nine years I have been at the College, and I continue to do so.鈥�

On Wednesday, however, Hawkins said she was 鈥渇lummoxed and flabbergasted鈥� that Wheaton would begin proceedings to dismiss her. 鈥淲heaton College cannot scare me into walking away from the truth (that) all humans 鈥撀燤uslims, the vulnerable, the oppressed of any ilk 颅鈥撀燼re all my sisters and brothers, and I am called by Jesus to walk with them,鈥� .

Last month, a number of Wheaton students, some carrying signs saying 鈥淩einstate Doc Hawk鈥� and 鈥淏lack Profs Matter,鈥� protested and brought a letter to the Wheaton administration.

"We believe there is nothing in Dr. Hawkins' public statements that goes against the belief in the power and nature of God, Christ, or the Holy Spirit that the Statement of Faith deems as a necessary requirement for affiliation with Wheaton College," .

In full disclosure, this reporter is a graduate of Wheaton College.

Correction: This article was updated to correct the spelling of Robert Schuller's name.