mendation, or even a sine qua non, for courses on Christianity?rnOne facile answer to this question is that Christianity, unlikernthe other religions, is associated with those dominant culturalrnand political trends that have become so unfashionable underrnstigmatizing terms like the “West,” “imperialism,” “hegemonic”rnculture, and so on. The argument always was weak, but isrnnow essentially obliterated: Africa and Latin America have longrnbeen shaped by both Catholic and Protestant traditions, andrntoday both are leading centers of Christian growth. How betterrnto study non-European cultures and “diversity” than through arnreligion which for its first 1,000 years had the great majority ofrnits adherents located in Africa and Asia, and which is rapidlyrnreturning to this situation? And logically, the best way tornportray these traditions might be through the mouths of NigerianrnBaptists, Korean Catholics, or Brazilian Pentecostalists.rnEven to broach the possibility is to see why it could never happen:rnthey would just preach at the students, wouldn’t they?rnThe insulting assumption is that Christians in teaching positionsrnproselytize, while members of other religions are merelvrnstating and reasserting their cultural traditions and properrnpride, making valuable contributions from their store ofrnlife-experience.rnThere is, in short, no logical reason why, on the analogy ofrnother religious trends, public universities should prevent a developmentrnof “Christian Studies” taught from a Christian perspective.rnOpinions will differ about such a development, but Irnfor one would find it unacceptable, on exactly the samerngrounds that I would reject the idea of advocacy teaching fromrnany other perspective, feminist, racial, or ethnic nationalist.rnLike any other specialized ethnic or religious “studies” unit,rnsuch operations are only rendered tolerable if, at least in theory,rnparticipation is open to nonmembers, to nonadherents: if a GayrnStudies program can occasionally be headed by a heterosexual,rna Women’s Studies unit by a man, a Jewish Studies operationrnby a Centile, Black Studies by a white or Hispanic, and so on.rnThe nature of people’s interests means that, normally, these exceptionsrnwill not be required, but the possibility must be there.rnThe same principle extends to the teaching of regular coursesrnon different religions, where the best approach to the religiousrnoutlook of the particular instructor should propedy follow thernmuch-maligned military principle of “don’t ask, don’t tell.”rnThat will mean that we have Jews teaching courses on Hinduism,rnMuslims on Judaism, and—who knows?—Christiansrnon Christianity.rnHow far such teachers should identify themselves for whatrnthey are, to speak from a given position of faith, is a vexed questionrnthat travels far beyond the world of religious study strictlyrndefined. Somewhere down the road, we need to think hardrnabout when and where ideas of advocacy, involvement, andrncommitment belong in the university, whether inside or outsidernreligion classes. It is not only religious orthodoxies thatrnproduce fundamentalists and proselytizers, and having a secularrnuniversity should not mean that it is legitimate to becomernfanatical about everything except religion. crnTHE REQNERY LECTURESrnThe Rockford Institute is pleased to announce a new addition to its Regnery Lectures audiotape series: the addressesrndelivered at The Rockford Institute’s Twentieth Anniversary Dinner by Chilton Williamson, Jr., on “It Takes an Institute”rnand by Harold O.J. Brown on “Western Civilization Between Chaos and Transformation.” The two-tape packagernalso includes “Reflections at Twenty Years” by Institute President Allan Carlson, introductory remarks byrnChronicles editor Thomas Fleming, and a lively question-and-answer session. Named in honor of Rockford Instituternboard member and longtime supporter Henry Regnery, this series captures for posterity the voices and words ofrnimportant cultural and political figures.rnThe two-tape package is available for only $16.95, shipping and handling charges included. A limited number ofrnthe 16-page commemorative program from the dinner is also available. Order your tapes now and receive this programrnfree. To order, send check or money order, made payable to “The Rockford Institute,” to:rnRegnery LecturesrnThe Rockford Institutern934 N. Main St.rnRockford, IL 61103-7061rnTapes are also still available of John Lukacs’s talk “To Hell with Culture: What Is It That We Must Conserve?” and thernInstitute-sponsored debate between Howard Phillips and David Keene onrn”Should Conservatives Leave the Republican Party?”rnEach of these is available for only $12.50, shipping and handling charges included.rn26/CHRONICLESrnrnrn