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The Rise of the Evangelical Christian School Movement in America, 1920-1952

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The Rise of the Evangelical Christian School Movement in America, 1920-1952 University of Tennessee, Knoxville TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 5-2012 A “Christian America” Restored: The Rise of the Evangelical Christian School Movement in America, 1920-1952 Robert G. Slater The University of Tennessee, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss Part of the History of Religion Commons, Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education Commons, and the United States History Commons Recommended Citation Slater, Robert G., "A “Christian America” Restored: The Rise of the Evangelical Christian School Movement in America, 1920-1952. " PhD diss., University of Tennessee, 2012. https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/1349 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a dissertation written by Robert G. Slater entitled "A “Christian America” Restored: The Rise of the Evangelical Christian School Movement in America, 1920-1952." I have examined the final electronic copy of this dissertation for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, with a major in History. Ernest F. Freeberg, Major Professor We have read this dissertation and recommend its acceptance: Lynn Sacco, Barbara Thayer-Bacon, Kurt Piehler Accepted for the Council: Carolyn R. Hodges Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School (Original signatures are on file with official studentecor r ds.) A “Christian America” Restored: The Rise of the Evangelical Christian School Movement in America, 1920-1952 A Dissertation Presented for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree The University of Tennessee Robert Glenn Slater May 2012 Dedication Thirty-one years ago, I wrote a Master’s Thesis for my M.A. in American history from Texas A&M University – Commerce. At that time, I dedicated my thesis to my wife Gail, and my one year old daughter Kate. Finishing my PhD at the University of Tennessee, my appreciation again goes to these most significant women in my life. So, I am dedicating this dissertation to my wife Gail, and my now thirty-two year old daughter, Kate. Gail Harness Slater remains the most influential and significant person in my life. She has stood by me throughout this entire PhD process having rejoiced with me and cried with me over the course of nine long years. She provided numerous insights into my study reflecting great intellect and understanding of this project. There are really no words to adequately thank her for being so patient, loving, supportive, and encouraging over the pursuit of my fourth college degree. Her selflessness and perseverance truly inspires me and I wish her name could be on the diploma along with mine. Kate Marie Slater is not only a wonderful daughter, but also one of my best friends. Kate is so resilient and has provided me with a warm smile and easy laughter over the course of my journey. Following the model of her mother, she has sacrificed time with me knowing my desire to pursue this degree. She is indeed my joy and a daughter of great worth. I will be forever grateful to the two Slater women, who know me so well and have not grown weary in doing the good work of encouraging me. Their rewards are not college degrees, but eternal treasures in heaven. ii Acknowledgements Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote from prison, “In normal life we hardly realize how much more we receive than we give, and life cannot be rich without such gratitude. It is so easy to overestimate the importance of our own achievements compared with what we owe to the help of others.” Echoing Bonhoeffer’s words, I want to express my sincere gratitude to so many individuals who have helped me in this incredible journey toward the achievement of a dream, a PhD in history from the University of Tennessee. First, let me thank Dr. Todd Diacon, head of the department of history back in 2003 when I started. He decided to take a chance on a 46 year old graduate student who was working full time. I will never forget the opportunity he gave me at that moment. In addition, several other professors at the University of Tennessee deserve my thanks for the myriad of ways they impacted me as a student and as a person. So, a special thanks goes to Dr. Tom Burman, Dr. Lorri Glover, Dr. Palmira Brummett, Dr. J.P. Dessel, Dr. Steven Ash, and Dr. Bruce Wheeler. Each of them, in their own way helped me tremendously. Let me also thank the members of my dissertation committee which consisted of Dr. Lynn Sacco, Dr. Kurt Piehler, and Dr. Barbara Thayer-Bacon. I so appreciate your patience and diligence in helping me to finish in the spring of 2012. I would also to express my sincere gratitude to the school board, faculty, staff, and students of Maryville Christian School, where I have had the honor to serve as administrator over the past decade. They have all been so supportive and allowed me much time and freedom to work on my program. These dear brothers and sisters mean so much to me. Finally, let my express my deepest gratitude to Dr. Ernest Freeberg, my advisor, counselor, and friend over these past nine years. My first class at UT was with Dr. Freeberg and over the course of time, he has worked with me tirelessly and held me to a high standard while always encouraging me to never give up. My respect for him as a scholar and teacher is immense. I have considered it a real honor to work with Dr. Freeberg and will be eternally appreciative of his constructive criticism, time, and patience. iii Abstract Finding the origins and causes of the twentieth century evangelical Christian school movement in America during the years 1920-1952 is the subject of this study. Numerous primary and secondary sources were utilized. Primary sources consisted of original minutes of the proceedings of the National Education Association, the National Union of Christian Schools, and the National Association of Evangelicals. In addition, numerous evangelical publications of this era such as Moody Monthly, The Sunday School Times, and United Evangelical Action were consulted. From within the movement original sources such as Christian School Statistics, The Christian Teacher, and The National Association of Christian Schools Newsletter also added to the project. The scores of original books, speeches, and pamphlets by the two most significant early leaders in the movement, Mark Fakkema and Frank Gaebelein, provided rich insight into the thinking and tactics of the founders of this fledgling Christian enterprise. Secondary sources included numerous historical works on fundamentalism, public education, Christian education, the Cold War, and selected biographical works. Research was conducted in numerous data bases as well as a visit to the Wheaton College archives and to Wheaton Christian Grammar School, both in Wheaton, Illinois. The result of this study revealed several conclusions. First, contrary to widely held views that the Christian school movement started as a reaction to de-segregation and the turbulence of the 1960s, this movement actually predated this era by at least thirty years. Second, the study found that this movement was a direct reaction to the decline of Protestant influence in America over the course of the nineteenth and early twentieth century. Third, this dissertation found that this movement goes back to the long held belief that America was founded as a Christian nation and should remain as such in the minds of evangelicals. Therefore, the thesis of this study states that the Christian school movement, responding to a century of change and adversity, emerged in the twentieth century as a means for evangelical Christians to reclaim their loss of power within the nation, their communities, and their homes in an increasingly complex American society. iv Table of Contents Chapter 1 – “A Christian America” 1 Chapter 2 – “Education in “Christian America” 21 Chapter 3 – “The Devoted Few” 56 Chapter 4 – “Moving Forward as a Mighty Army” 104 Chapter 5 – “The Christian School is a Substitute for the Public School” 138 Chapter 6 – “Being For or Against Christ” 163 Chapter 7 – “What God Hath Wrought” 189 Works Cited 212 v Chapter 1 – “A Christian America” In 1946, the National Association of Evangelicals held its fourth annual convention in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In aftermath of World War II, this association of conservative Protestants met to discuss issues facing their Christian faith and the nation. The President of the Association, Bishop Leslie R. Marston, opened the convention with a message entitled, “Evangelical Christianity in a Pagan Age.” At a time when many Americans felt a sense of relief and jubilation with the end of the war, Bishop Marston bemoaned the sad state of American society, claiming it had surrendered to paganism.1 He noted several areas of concern which included education. Specifically, Marston decried “modern education which made the child and his immediate desires the center of the universe.” He also cited examples of public high schools portraying great American heroes in a negative light and their propagation of Freudian psychology. Marston concluded his bleak feelings about education by stating, “These instances, admittedly extreme, nevertheless indicate the direction of powerful currents in modern education which seek to swerve youth from the charted channel of Christian virtues into the whirlpool of paganism.”2 A few days later, Stephen W. Paine of Houghton College submitted a report from a subcommittee of the convention, the Commission on Christian Educational Institutions.
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