Daniel G. Hummel Archives

The University of Wisconsin and The Ideal of Nonsectarianism

The University of Wisconsin and The Ideal of Nonsectarianism, Daniel G. Hummel. Upper House (ISBN: 9798987660508) 2022.

Summary: A history of organized religious activity at the University of Wisconsin.

I worked in collegiate ministry at a flagship public land grant university for over two decades. So it was with great interest that I received this essay that offers a concise history of organized religious activity through the years and how a public university like the University of Wisconsin (now University of Wisconsin-Madison) related to religion as a state-supported university.

Daniel G. Hummel observes that this was a point of concern from its beginnings in 1848. On one hand, churches in the state feared it would be a “godless, secular university.” However, others feared that religious ideas, or even a particular church would be privileged. Rather, the university intentionally described itself from its beginnings in 1848 as a “nonsectarian” university. While not favoring any church or religious faith, the exploration of religious ideas was welcomed both in the classroom as well as in the varied expressions of organized religion represented in the students, faculty, and administration. In the early year, the course of study for fourth year students included a course in “Christian evidences,” as was true at many colleges.

John Bascom, the sixth president of the university was theologically trained and wrote on religion, philosophy, and science. His baccalaureate addresses spoke often of the importance of religious faith. During his presidency the three prominent university buildings at the top of what would be known as Bascom Hill all had chapels for regular chapel services.

Hummel traces this nonsectarian ideal, and the changes it underwent, throughout the University’s history. He describes a shift under Bascom’s successor, Thomas C. Chamberlin, elevating the role of science, focusing on Common Sense nonsectarianism. Though not hostile to religion, religion was de-emphasized in the university curriculum. This was also during the period where the University expanded from its liberal arts core to embrace the land grant ideal of agricultural and mechanical arts.

However, the period from 1890 to 1940 witnessed a resurgence of Protestant Social Gospel nonsectarianism. Economist Richard T. Ely focused on labor, finance, and economic reforms as an outworking of his Episcopal faith. This period also marked the adoption of the university hymn, “Light for All” and annual Religious Emphasis Weeks, sponsored by the YMCA, bringing Social Gospel leaders like John R. Mott and Harry Emerson Fosdick to campus.

The period from 1940-1975 brought notable changes. The 1950’s would mark the highwater mark of religious identification and involvement of students. Increasingly, nonsectarian meant Jewish, protestant, and Catholic. Yet participation in historic protestant churches and organizations waned. In 1954, the YMCA closed its building. Civil rights and the Vietnam war brought an increasing focus on activism. Muslim students formed an association in 1960.

Hummel describes the period from 1970 to 2023 as “the decline of nonsectarianism. The explosion of parachurch ministries eclipsed denominational ministries. In more recent years, nonsectarianism gave way to diversity and inclusion efforts. Universities moved to an approach of viewpoint neutrality.

What stands out in this history is that the nonsectarian ideal provided the context for a vibrant and changing religious life through the university’s history, reflecting societal changes. Students, faculty, and university leaders saw their academic work and religious faith walking hand in hand throughout this period, whether it be John Bascom, Richard T. Ely, or John W. Alexander, a geography professor who organized a faculty prayer group, and later became the president of InterVarsity. The fact that the University of Wisconsin was a public university did not translate into a “godless, secular” university. Rather it fostered a lively context where students and faculty and religious ministers explored ultimate questions together.

Hummel’s essay makes for a great case study of religious history at public universities. Thus, it offers a good template for similar histories at other comparable campuses. In addition, Hummel’s account provides an account of different ministry models and the factors evident in their waxing and waning. In conclusion, this is a very useful resource for campus ministers as well as student life leaders who have a shared interest in flourishing of students. Free electronic copies are available at the Steve and Laurel Brown Foundation.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author for review.

The Ris e and Fa ll of Dispensationalism, Daniel G. Hummel (Foreword by Mark A. Noll). Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2023.

Summary: A history of the origins, rise, and eventual decline of dispensationalism within American evangelicalism, and its impact on the wider American culture.

When all of us were talking about The Late, Great Planet Earth and prophecies of the end times during my Jesus movement days, I had no idea how this connected with a movement that began in the early 1800’s in England, spread to the United States and became the dominant way of thinking about the end times among much of Protestant fundamentalism and evangelicalism. In this work, Daniel G. Hummel sets this moment in time within the much longer history of this theological movement. What is more, he examines the influence this movement had not only on the church but our wider society.

His account begins with the premillenialism of J. N. Darby among the Exclusive Brethren of England (I wish the author had distinguished this group from Brethren churches in the U.S. that arose out of the German pietist and Anabaptist tradition who were not associated with Darby’s movement). He traces Darby’s work in the region spanning New England and the Great Lakes Basin of the country. He chronicles Darby’s influential successors, James H. Brooks and Joseph A. Seiss, and the emergence of new premillenialism out of old, with its focus on the church-Israel distinction, the idea of dispensational time, and the imminent rapture. Particularly, he elucidates the interpretive structures for studying scripture that these men developed and their appeal to those who wanted to understand the Bible.

He also explains the expansion of this movement through Moody’s revivalism, and the interlaced structures of Bible conferences, Bible institutes, mission agencies (to hasten the imminent coming of Jesus), and publications like Blackstone’s Jesus is Coming. As the movement entered the twentieth century, it expanded both its geographic boundaries to the South and to the West Coast, and also embraced pentecostalism. A key to this was the embrace of sectional reconciliation, downplaying the persistence of racism. Hummel considers the important role of the Scofield Bible in nurturing the new premillenialist movement in this period.

With World War 1, Hummel sees various factions developing between denominational fundamentalists, nationalist fundamentalists, and Philip Mauro’s dispensationalism (a term he coined). One of the most fascinating developments out of what had been a more populist movement is the rise of Lewis Sperry Chafer, scholastic dispensationalism, and Dallas Theological Seminary. In succeeding years, as fundamentalism morphs into neo-evangelicalism, the divisions multiply and harden between the Covenantalists, the Dispensationalists, and those like Harold J, Ockenga, Carl Henry, and George Eldon Ladd.

This is also the era where dispensationalism begins to forge political alliances around concerns for the nation of Israel, opposition to godless, perhaps “Beastly” atheism. Much of this reflected literalist interpretation, that in matters of science advanced young earth creationism, flood geology, and skepticism toward science. By and large, this movement left the Black church and its concerns about persisting racism behind. In light of an imminent rapture, social justice concerns could be seen as “rearranging desk chairs on the Titanic.”

Hal Lindsey and The Late, Great Planet Earth, in Hummel’s analysis represents both media success and broad influence combined with the beginnings of the decline of scholastic dispensationalism, and indeed the whole movement, even while dispensationalist and apocalyptic ideas entered the American cultural and political consciousness showing up in everything from Christian nationalism and the writings of QAnon to apocalyptic films and literature.

Hummel’s work makes the point that American religious history is simply American history. It cannot be kept in a silo to itself–the wider cultural influences are too great. He not only traces a theological genealogy of dispensationalism, he helps us understand the interlacing dynamics that explain the growth, spread, and influences of this movement. Along the way he includes figures that reproduce examples of key documents, including interpretive schemes and timelines and charts. Rather than offering us one more screed against dispensationalism, he offers an even-handed account of this theological movement and the factors that contributed to its decline. Much of American religious history has considered the early Puritan influences, the rise of frontier religion, the period of revivalism, or even the growth of pentecostalism. This work offers a similar account of dispensationalism that perhaps has received less attention. Hummel makes the case that dispensationalism deserves greater attention for both its influence upon American Christianity, and the American culture with which the church has always been entwined.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher.