Doctrinal Statement

DOCTRINAL STATEMENT

New College Madison stands in the broad stream of classical Christian faith and practice, in what C. S. Lewis termed Mere Christianity. “What most Christians, at most times and places, have believed…” has been expressed most basically in the ancient Apostle’s and the Nicene Creeds, and more recently in such creedal affirmations as the Westminster Confession and the 39 Articles of the Church of England. The board and staff of New College Madison adhere to these expressions of the Christian faith and commend them to the larger university community. Some of our programming, as a matter of fact–elucidates this point of view and its relevance to the world in which we live.

Given our theological commitment, however, it is important to note that our conferences, lectures and seminars are open to those living out of a wide variety of creedal affirmations, as well as to those who are not aware that they are living out of any credal or religious tradition at all. We take all comers in our various programs, as long as they are willing to enter into dialogue with us on the issues of the day and to participate in that “fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth may be found.” (From a statement by the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents in 1894).

Furthermore, since much of our programming is focused on ethics, we are aware that sometimes the church provides a lead ethically, but sometimes not. As a prominent Christian environmentalist once exclaimed, when asked about another prominent Christian’s notion that we ought to get rid of the secular environmentalists working in our building and replace them with Christian environmentalists, “Till we get some, they’re doing God’s work!”

Nevertheless, we feel that the Christian church has much to offer the ethical process, both in terms of understanding what is happening and what to do about it. As Reinhold Niebuhr noted in his Gifford Lectures (delivered in 1939 just as World War II was about to engulf Europe), the church’s dual fight against idolatry and injustice, and its struggle to form a new and more life-giving community within the chaos and disintegration of modern civilization, is much needed.

It is our conviction that what Niebuhr observed in 1939 is still true today, in our different (but nevertheless very challenging and threatening) setting.

New College Madison 640 Alden Road, Claremont, CA 91711. Email: vmvisick@gmail.com. Phone: 608-628-8924.

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