I would argue that all the 'diversification' in offerings since the 1980s (or so) was their inadequate response to an even a deeper problem within the fundamentalist/evangelical tradition. Those Christian colleges (really, only the evangelical CCCU colleges) were reacting to decreasing cultural interest in what their faith had to offer, particularly once this became explicitly intertwined with conservative politics by the 1980s. The diversification was a way to try to tap other demographic groups (and look like they are keeping up with higher ed trends) while enrollments dwindled from their shrinking base (particularly white middle class Protestants). Responding in these ways distracted them from championing (evangelical) Christian higher education and Christian scholarship within the academy, to their core constituents... those core constituents included run-of-the-mill Christian families, pastors and those in lay ministry, Christian writers and apologists, and donors (who used to give more to such colleges). Having not championed it on their own turf, they failed to garner enough support from the people who are their most natural allies, but who also have long-standing anti-intellectualist tendencies (particularly as conservative politicians rail against the elitism and progressivism of higher education in general)... and such parents of would-be college students are, ironically, interested enough in brand and social mobility and prestige that they've become more keen to send their own kids to their state university or even a recognizable private university than to encourage them toward a CCCU school. And over the course of many decades, big time Christian donors have begun to skew toward giving to places like Liberty, or to Alliance Defending Freedom, or to huge politicized campaigns like HeGetsUs, rather than to invest in a CCCU college (one which they might even be an alumnus of).
I agree completely. That was the point of my last sentence. There is an alternative universe where back in the early 80s Christian Universities had focused their energies on articulating their academic worth while maintaining core Christian commitments instead of getting sucked into political culture wars and paranoia. And yes, donors and parents who want the Libertys and Cedarvilles or ADF energies are energized by that while alienating current students. There's a whole segment of Christian Higher Education that could explore another way, which I think could be successful if any school had the courage to try.
I would argue that all the 'diversification' in offerings since the 1980s (or so) was their inadequate response to an even a deeper problem within the fundamentalist/evangelical tradition. Those Christian colleges (really, only the evangelical CCCU colleges) were reacting to decreasing cultural interest in what their faith had to offer, particularly once this became explicitly intertwined with conservative politics by the 1980s. The diversification was a way to try to tap other demographic groups (and look like they are keeping up with higher ed trends) while enrollments dwindled from their shrinking base (particularly white middle class Protestants). Responding in these ways distracted them from championing (evangelical) Christian higher education and Christian scholarship within the academy, to their core constituents... those core constituents included run-of-the-mill Christian families, pastors and those in lay ministry, Christian writers and apologists, and donors (who used to give more to such colleges). Having not championed it on their own turf, they failed to garner enough support from the people who are their most natural allies, but who also have long-standing anti-intellectualist tendencies (particularly as conservative politicians rail against the elitism and progressivism of higher education in general)... and such parents of would-be college students are, ironically, interested enough in brand and social mobility and prestige that they've become more keen to send their own kids to their state university or even a recognizable private university than to encourage them toward a CCCU school. And over the course of many decades, big time Christian donors have begun to skew toward giving to places like Liberty, or to Alliance Defending Freedom, or to huge politicized campaigns like HeGetsUs, rather than to invest in a CCCU college (one which they might even be an alumnus of).
I agree completely. That was the point of my last sentence. There is an alternative universe where back in the early 80s Christian Universities had focused their energies on articulating their academic worth while maintaining core Christian commitments instead of getting sucked into political culture wars and paranoia. And yes, donors and parents who want the Libertys and Cedarvilles or ADF energies are energized by that while alienating current students. There's a whole segment of Christian Higher Education that could explore another way, which I think could be successful if any school had the courage to try.