by John Ellis
This morning, Bob Jones University, my almost alma mater, introduced Dr. Bruce McAllister as the school’s seventh president. The announcement was wrapped in a mood of relieved optimism. Watching it live, the whole thing seemed to me like a giant sigh of relief from those who love a version of Bob Jones University that no longer exists. And that’s the problem. As I explained in “The (Possible) Slow, Strange Suicide of Bob Jones University,” an article that can easily be found on this blog, BJU’s glory days’ version of fundamentalism barely exists now. It definitely doesn’t exist in large enough numbers – feeder BJU-styled fundamentalist churches and schools – to sustain BJU. This means that with the elevation of Dr. McAllister to BJU’s president, I now believe that Bob Jones University’s end is nigh.
During my time as a student at BJU, almost 12 semesters in total, I had several one-on-one interactions with Dr. McAllister. I only remember him as kind and gracious. He was (is) the kinder, gentler face of fundamentalism. But that’s the problem. Bruce McAllister is still a fundamentalist.
No doubt, there are some who will resist my characterizing Dr. McAllister as a BJU-old school fundamentalist.[1] Some will resist because they fall into that category, too, and don’t want that tag to apply to themselves. Others, like many in “positive alumni groups” (I don’t remember the groups’ names and am no longer on social media to check), will resist because they still haven’t accepted that Bob Jones University is on course to either accidently or willfully kill itself. They also seem oddly to have forgotten how fundamentalists operate. I’m guessing that many in the “positive” groups will find ways to downplay the obvious signaling from Dr. McAllister that he, with the support of the Board, intends to move BJU in a direction that can only be characterized from a fundamentalist’s perspective as at least a few steps back towards the good ol’ days.
Those of us who grew up in fundamentalism, attended BJU, and have ears to hear will immediately recognize the fundy buzz words in the announcement like “etiquette,” “modesty,” “respect for authority,” and even, if not especially, “sleep.”[2] Listening to Dr. McAllister’s vision for BJU brought the sight, sounds, and smells of Bibb Graves dormitory flooding back to my mind because that version of BJU is the touchstone for his vision. And don’t be distracted by other buzz words he used like “love,” “discipling,” and “relationship” because if you could go back in time to the mid-90s when I had to go to the discipline committee every single week, the admin and faculty would swear that those buzz words apply to them, too. I have zero doubt that Tony Miller would’ve owned those buzz words if I had thought (or cared enough) to ask him about them during my many sessions in his office.[3]
I suspect that the student body will not only continue to shrink but will shrink even faster after Dr. McAllister and the Board begin reforming BJU into some 21st century version of BJU’s 20th century fundamentalist glory days. In the interim, before the end becomes so apparent that no one can deny it, those who want this reformation to happen will rejoice in how God is going to bless BJU for remaining faithful and returning to the old paths. In a similar vein, many of the “positive” BJU alumni and friends – especially those who are still fundamentalists themselves but don’t realize it – will spin this as a win. They will allow themselves to be distracted by the wrong buzz words and by Dr. McAllister’s gentle kindness. Make no mistake, though, Bob Jones University is reclaiming its fundamentalist heritage.[4] This is why I believe BJU’s end is nigh.
[1] To be honest, thinking of a taxonomy of fundamentalists is something I don’t want to do much less explain. I mean a fundamentalist is a fundamentalist no matter where on the taxonomy he or she falls.
[2] Come on, y’all!!! Seriously? Can you honestly listen to Dr. McAllister talk about focusing on student life and including the importance of enough sleep for the students and not hear the juvenile light bell clanging in your ear?
[3] I recognize that my inclusion of my time spent at DC and with Tony Miller provides BJU apologists with a ready-made reason to dismiss me as a rebellious malcontent who hates the school. Fine. Whatever. I’m not writing to them anyway.
[4] While BJU is still a fundamentalist institution, it is true that it’s not fundamentalist in the same ways as it was. To be clear, I don’t think it’s any better; I still would discourage anyone from attending there. Its current fundamentalist is a more conservative version of conservative evangelicalism – you know, the people who voted for and support Donald Trump. Going to the movie theatre or having an electric guitar on stage during A Midsummer Night’s Dream is not the point and never has been.
Practically Known Theology 