A rose by any other name...
Posted July 11, 2006
I'll be attending class today at Brite Divinity School in Fort Worth, Texas -- formerly known as Brite College of the Bible. My goal for today is to find out why the name changed and when. Just from reading the cornerstone, I know that the school was officially founded in 1914 through the generosity of Mr. and Mrs. L.C. Brite. And in 1953, when this building was constructed, it still was known as the College of the Bible.
Lexington Theological Seminary, I believe, was also formerly a college of the Bible. Both are beautiful campuses, although Brite is a bit bigger -- this is Texas after all. Both are affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) -- a denomination which traces its roots to the Cane Ridge Revival in Bourbon County more than 200 years ago.
Back to the name: I wonder when they changed and whether there was any great outcry at the time. Any time you change an institution's name, it's bound to be debated. I'm guessing that schools across the country also changed their names -- sometime in the mid-twentieth century. If you're already an expert on this topic, please e-mail me.
And let me know which you prefer -- Bible college, divinity school, theology school, or seminary?
COMMENTS:
AUTHOR: Bill Donovan
EMAIL: bill_donovan@teamworldwide.com
DATE: 07/11/2006 12:12:26 PM
The Christian Church that was started at Cane Ridge, in Boufbon County, by Barton Stone, is not a Disciples of Christ affiliate. They are known strictly as "Christian Church". Alexander Campbell's branch of the Christian Church, formerly referred to as "Campbellites" has become known as the Disciples of Christ.
AUTHOR: Tom Martin
EMAIL: TMartin@lfucg.com
DATE: 07/11/2006 01:36:21 PM
Theology school or Seminary are the only appropriate names, in my opinion. Bible School is limiting and often contradictory and Divinity is strictly a matter of faith. both are subjective. Of course we know that regardless of name, there is little objectivity in the study of religion as offered by these institutions.
AUTHOR: Caleb Powers
EMAIL: Lexington40502@aol.com
DATE: 07/11/2006 01:50:20 PM
I don't want to get off on a tangent, but I don't think Mr. Donovan's post tells the whole story. The "Campbellite Movement," as it's sometimes known, began at a number of "brush arbor" meetings in the early 1800s, one of which was at Cane Ridge. Although the history of the movement has had its twists and turns, there are three modern manifestations of it: The "Church of Christ," which does not believe in the use of musical instruments in church services, the "Independent" Christian Church, such as Southland Christian Church, which is an evangelical church not noticeably different from other evangelicals, and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), which is a moderate to progressive denomination with which Transylvania University and Lexington Theological Seminary (which were formerly connected) are affiliated. Certainly, the Disciples firmly believe that their church has its roots in Cane Ridge, and the Disciples have taken over the site and currently maintain it.