Lutheran Heritage
Established in 1842, Roanoke is the second oldest (Gettysburg College is the oldest) Lutheran-affiliated college in the United States and is associated with three synods of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; the Virginia Synod, the Metropolitan Washington, D.C. Synod, and the West Virginia–Western Maryland Synod. The Virginia Synod is headquartered on the Roanoke campus (in Bittle Hall; the college's first library now occupied by the Bishop of the Virginia Synod).
Historically, the College has had a small Lutheran population. Roanoke's student population is composed of students from many other religious denominations. Approximately 20 religious groups are now represented in the student body with Roman Catholic being the most prevalent; Lutherans total less than 10% of the student body.
Roanoke has an active religious life program for students seeking that experience, however, religion is not prominent on the Roanoke campus; students are not required to attend religious services or to take classes in religion. Roanoke has an independent board of trustees and is not controlled by the church.
The dominant aspect of Roanoke's Lutheran heritage is the college's commitment to academic freedom. Martin Luther encouraged freedom from oppression along with freedom for learning and freedom for service in the community.
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Famous quotes containing the word heritage:
“There are some things which cannot be learned quickly, and time, which is all we have, must be paid heavily for their acquiring. They are the very simplest things and because it takes a man’s life to know them the little new that each man gets from life is very costly and the only heritage he has to leave.”
—Ernest Hemingway (1899–1961)