It is a well-known fact that religion courses constitute a significant portion of the core curriculum here at Andrews. According to the university’s website, full-time undergraduate students are required to fulfill 12 religion credits by graduation as a part of the Andrews Core Experience Program. As outlined in Andrews’ mission statement, the curriculum was built to educate students to seek knowledge, affirm faith, and change the world. Religion credits would, I presume, fall under the category of affirming faith. In the learning outcomes of various courses included in the core curriculum, it is stated that the goal of religion credits is to “consciously make Christian convictions explicit and apply them ethically, as well as articulate individual values from the viewpoint of one’s chosen profession.”
In casual conversations with students here at Andrews, I have picked up on various opinions in response to these religion requirements. While some students find value in having spiritually-based courses built into their core curriculum, others view the requirement as infringing on the time and focus they could be putting towards classes for their major. Included in these responses are nuanced opinions on why some may view the act of requiring students to take religion courses as an issue.
I spoke with several students—across majors and class standing—and asked them to share their thoughts on the religion credit requirements. Though the opinions of these individuals should not be taken to be representative of the entire student body, their responses bring to light some interesting takes on the matter that many students may find themselves resonating with.
I presented each of the following individuals with the same prompt: What are your thoughts on religion courses being required as a part of the core curriculum here at Andrews?
Genna Prouty (senior, psychology and French): “I think it makes sense for this school, but I think it’s being handled poorly; a lot of the religion professors seem more like pastors than educators. Every professor has an agenda, but it seems like a lot of the religion professors have a narrower agenda that is less focused on education and more focused on indoctrinating their students into a certain religious ideology. And I think in order for religious education to be actually useful, it has to understand that more than just one pattern of thought can lead to redemption and a deeper understanding of the character of God.”
Jamison Moore (senior, music performance): “I don’t think they should be required. I think they should be strongly encouraged. You can’t force something like that on a young person still trying to find themselves. I think you would get more people genuinely interested in learning about the Bible rather than people who are grudgingly going to class just because they have to or because someone is stipulating them to do so.”
Angelisse Villamizar (freshman, business management): “I think it’s an important aspect because you can always continue learning more about God and more about the Bible. However, I’ve heard that some teachers make the class really hard and that does not motivate students to try in the class—especially for a Bible class.”
Johnathon Woolford-Hunt (senior, global studies and digital communication): “I think it's hard to require a religion course in today’s climate. I think forcing people into a spot where they have to take a religion course is an issue. But on the other hand, if you come to an institution like Andrews University, knowing that it is a Seventh-day Adventist institution, the likelihood is that you would end up taking a religion course.”
Jaylene Koon (senior, nursing): “Over the last three and a half years, I have seen how the Seventh-day Adventist faith has impacted our university’s decisions, student body communication, and even club events. As a Seventh-day Adventist university, I don’t find it surprising that Andrews requires religion courses as part of the core curriculum. My only concern is that the professors are respectful and considerate of students who may not identify with Adventism.”
Sarah Coleman (sophomore, nursing): “I think, being that this is a Christian school, I understand that we’re supposed to take Bible classes. However, I don’t think it should be required for us to take more than one. I feel like when you force somebody to take a Bible class, they’re not really getting the benefit out of it. You’re not really getting anything out of it unless you want to take the class.”
Shane Pierre (senior, music education): “Having religion classes like ‘God and Human Life’ or ‘Jesus and His Time and Ours’ doesn’t serve any purpose towards a major. I can see that it serves a purpose towards lifestyle, so in that sense, I can see both sides. But it's unfortunate that if you’re trying to transfer in or transfer out, that’s where the big issues occur. I’ve personally seen people come in as juniors and be treated as freshmen because they didn’t have the right credits or they didn’t have the religion credits the school wanted.”
In reviewing the responses of these individuals, we can see the range of opinions on the topic of religion courses being required. Some students do not think they should be required, others understand why they would be required, and others acknowledge what faith-based education adds to the overall experience at Andrews. I want to briefly refer back to Genna’s response where she said, "[...] in order for religious education to be actually useful, it has to understand that more than just one pattern of thought can lead to redemption and a deeper understanding of the character of God.” In considering this sentiment, it is vitally important to realize that, within the context of higher education, we are challenged to think critically about everything we are being taught. There is likely not much we can do about religion courses being required at an Adventist institution. How we approach and engage with this requirement, however, can greatly impact the experiences we have.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.