BOYNTON BEACH RETREAT BANQUET ADDRESS
Dr. Kristin King, President of Bryn Athyn College of the New Church, gave the banquet address at the
Boynton Beach Retreat, focusing on three aspects of the College: developments at the College; the
context of higher education in America; and the mission and future of the College. (Page 149)
The wall of the Brickman Center Hall has the quote
from Divine Providence, "All who live a good life
according to their religious belief are members of
the Lord's church." The belief that every student
is born for eternal usefulness in heaven creates
an educational environment based on respect,
confidence and rigorous expectations.
President King highlighted a number of things that contribute to the spiritual campus:
The effort that faculty put in
to teach their disciplines from
New Church perspectives.
A curriculum and student life
based in moral/civil/spiritual
perspectives and values.
What students get out of
courses, and assignments,
and discussions.
President King asked Robert Benne, the foremost
expert on American religious colleges and
secularization, to study the College and identify
where he saw it drifting from the mission. Dr. Benne
has spent decades studying why some Christian
colleges lose their mission and others do not.
His assessment: Bryn Athyn College is
overwhelmingly focused on its mission. Dr. Benne
was stunned by F