The World’s Most Unusual University
In this post, we delve into the history of Bob Jones University (BJU), a fundamentalist Christian college that evolved into a significant American religious institution. A university that claims the title of “The World’s Most Unusual University” because of its demand for separation from the world and rejection of modernism.
The story of BJU begins in 1927 in Panama City, Florida. Founded by Bob Jones Sr., a renowned evangelist and radio preacher, the college moved to Cleveland, Tennessee in 1933 due to the economic hardships of the Great Depression.
Jones Sr. was a passionate opponent of evolution and modernism, advocating for a stringent ‘Bible-based’ curriculum to equip Christians to defend their faith in a rapidly changing world. His vision was to create a bastion of fundamentalist Christianity in response to the rise of modernism, liberal theology, secularism, and evolution.
Modernism, a cultural and intellectual movement that had been reshaping art, literature, and thinking since the late 19th century, posed a threat to the traditional ‘Christian values’ Jones Sr. held dear. Modernists championed reason, science, and progress, believing these could improve society and create a better world. To Jones Sr., such a worldview was synonymous with the rejection of God and a shift toward a godless society.
Bob Jones University was thus founded with a clear mission: to create an environment of like-minded Christians, providing them with controlled exposure to information, a strict rulebook, control of their environment, safeguarding their teachings and continuing the propagation of his version of fundamentalist Christianity.
Bob Jones Sr., born on October 19, 1883, in Alabama, was a fervent American evangelist and preacher. Following his education at a Methodist college in Tennessee, he embarked on a preaching career across the South. His sermons were known for their uncompromising stance on the Bible as the literal word of God.
In 1927, he established Bob Jones College in Florida, which would later morph into Bob Jones University. The institution garnered a reputation for its stringent moral code, prohibiting activities such as dancing, smoking, and drinking. The university moved to Greenville, SC in the late forties and was renamed Bob Jones University. Bob Jones Jr. was president when the college moved to Greenville. Bob Jones III became president in the 1970s.
At one point, BJU aimed to become a self-sufficient 'community.' They operated a farm to supply food for members and even ran their own hospital, Barge, on campus until the early 2010s. The campus has always included a post office, cleaners, a radio station, and a film studio. They also manage a daycare and a K-12 school system to funnel students into the university. Additionally, their printing company, BJU Press produces a homeschooling curriculum and Christian books.
Controversies
However, BJU's history is not without controversy. The university did not admit African American students until the early 1970s and banned interracial dating and marriage among students, faculty, and staff until 2000.
This policy led to the revocation of BJU's tax-exempt status in 1982, as it was seen as a violation of federal law. The university challenged this in court, arguing that their religious freedom was being curtailed. The case, Bob Jones University v. United States, reached the Supreme Court, which ruled in 1983 that the IRS was justified in revoking the tax-exempt status. BJU lifted the interracial dating ban in 2000, albeit amidst substantial controversy.
The early 2000s saw further controversy when George W. Bush, then on his presidential campaign, criticized the ban at a town hall meeting in South Carolina. His comments ignited a national conversation, prompting the university to lift the ban in March 2000. However, BJU defended its policies in the face of criticism, maintaining that it reflected its commitment to traditional Christian values. They still maintained their ban on same-sex dating and other anti-LGBTQ+ policies.
In the early 2010s, BJU faced a sexual abuse scandal with allegations of mishandling reports of sexual abuse and assault. Stephen Jones was president during this scandal. The university commissioned an independent investigation by the law firm GRACE (Godly Response to Abuse in Christian Environment), revealing a culture of silence around abuse issues and a systemic failure to address them.
The history of Bob Jones University is a complex tapestry of fervent religious belief and controversy. Dr. Camille Lewis, who has spent over fifteen years researching Bob Jones Sr. and served on the faculty at BJU, reveals lesser-known facts about Bob Jones Sr. and the institution on my podcast. Learn more about the world’s most unusual university on the podcast ‘Beyond BJU: Exposing Fundamentalism.’
