Centralia Baptist Association - University of Chicago Controversy

University of Chicago Controversy

In 1896, the University of Chicago human origin and Bible controversy began and the association responded with the following resolution: "Whereas, we have been creditably informed that Dr. W.R. Harper, President of the University of Chicago, has said he does not know whether man was made of the dust of the earth, and does not know whether Eve was made of the rib taken from Adam's side, and has declared that he cannot, in brief, say that he accepts absolutely the story of Jonah and the fish and the Hebrews in the fiery furnace, and that the New Testament is not dependent on the freedom of its writers from fallibility in matters of historical and literary criticism, and whereas, if one part of the Bible is untrustworthy, it is all untrustworthy, and the statements of Dr. Harper tend to undermine the faith of the common people and the Holy Scriptures as the Word of God." The Centralia Baptist Association thus decided to recommend to their pastors and churches that they withhold funding and support from the University of Chicago until they could be "convinced that it stands for the Old Faith and for the Word of God as held by Baptists."