155984_2005_Summer_Unionite 6/8/05 7:47 AM Page 4 NEWSBRIEFS CAMPUS NEWS BSOL programs provides supplies to needy children When 19 children from Youth Village gathered for their weekly meeting recently, they knew they DRIVE were waiting for something. But they didn’t know what. Talking with parents or foster parents and playing restlessly with U.U. the scattered balloons, the children, ages 8-18, were about to be treated to a surprise by some students from Union University. After a dinner of hot dogs, ham- burgers and holiday-themed cookies, 1050 each child received a backpack filled with toiletries, school supplies and other goodies. “We chose Youth Village because we were told that the young men and women were having to go from foster home to foster home using just a black garbage bag for their belongings,” said Union student Kris Phifer, co-chair for the event. “We’re trying to help them out a little. Clarence Page Morton Kondracke We hope to make a difference in their lives and maybe someday they can give back to the community.” The backpacks were a gift from Union’s bachelor of science in Record crowds enjoy organizational leadership program. The Nov. 15 event was part of the capstone class for the 10 students of Union Forum speakers Cohort 27. In the short five-week course the students planned and wo-time Pulitzer Prize winner Clarence “I think if he was around today, he’d organized the charity event and Page and Fox News Channel’s Morton probably say we must be dissatisfied until called around to various businesses T Kondracke attracted record crowds as there is no blue state America and no red to solicit donations. they addressed the topic “Future Directed: state America,” Page said. “There’s one “Pretty much everything you see A Look at America after the 2004 America, and one world, under God’s eyes.” here is donated,” Phifer said. In Presidential Election.” Page also addressed the issue of federal addition to the room, food and The luncheon featuring Page attracted funding for faith-based initiatives, which supplies, every pack also contained 335 guests, and the total for Kondracke are highly controversial because some see a Bible, compliments of Woodville was 400, tops for an event that is now in them as a right-wing attempt to blur the Baptist Church in Ripley. The its seventh year. separation of church and state. Page said students and their instructor, Guy Kondracke told his audience moderation he supports the idea if funds are being DeLoach, paid for 29 backpacks and cooperation are becoming increasingly used for organizations that have a proven out of their own pockets. difficult to find in American politics track record of success and that divisiveness is harmful to the “I don’t care about what’s right or what’s country. He said the tension has even left, what’s liberal or what’s conservative,” halted the tradition of socializing he said. “I care about what works.” among political opponents. Both Page and Kondracke met with “That hardly ever happens anymore,” large groups of faculty and students prior Kondracke said. “It’s impossible to imagine to their luncheon addresses. Page talked Tom DeLay and Nancy Pelosi spending to journalism students about his own any discretionary time together whatsoever. early successes and failures in the field. That’s the way it’s become.” “I appreciated hearing from someone Page tried to imagine how civil rights who is active in our culture who engages leader Martin Luther King, Jr. would in things like politics and journalism,” have reacted to the divided nation. said senior Jill Martin, who is the managing continued> 4 UNIONITE Summer 2005 www.uu.edu 155984_2005_Summer_Unionite 6/8/05 7:47 AM Page 5 CAMPUS NEWS NEWSBRIEFS 1050 continued from pg.4 During DeLoach’s short speech he thanked the children for their courage, spirit of hope and potential, tossing in a few magic tricks to liven U.U. editor of Union’s student newspaper, the “I was shocked to learn that Terri things up. Cardinal & Cream. “I enjoyed the oppor- Schiavo never had a PET scan or an “Each of you is a unique miracle, tunity to speak with him personally. He MRI,” he said. a special gift,” DeLoach said. took the time to talk to me about my Without that conclusive information, Phifer said the program needs DRIVE interest in journalism and my career. He Kondracke said he would have difficulty more foster parents. was a very good speaker, very engaging, allowing her to die. “We want to encourage adults and he helped answer questions that were Regardless, he advised students to take who can find it in their heart to relevant to our students and people in precautions should they ever find them- foster a child in their home,” Phifer our community.” selves in a similar situation. said. “This is not just a project. Kondracke led a lively discussion with “Make your wishes known to some- It is something all of us have been students and faculty about living wills in body, or assign somebody to make your thankful to do for everyone.” light of the recent Terri Schiavo case in decisions for you,” he said. Florida. His late wife Milly died of Kondracke’s best-selling book about his Van Neste book explores Parkinson’s disease last summer, and wife’s experiences, Saving Milly, became Pastoral epistles Kondracke said he was a few weeks away the basis for a CBS-TV movie of the Ray Van Neste, from having to make decisions about a same name that aired a few weeks Union’s director of the feeding tube. prior to his visit. R.C. Ryan Center for Kondracke said he would have supported Four lead sponsors played key roles in Biblical Studies and removing Schiavo’s feeding tube if it had the success of this year’s Union Forum: instructor of Christian been proven she was in a persistent vege- First Tennessee Foundation, The Jackson Studies, has written a book entitled tative state. He’s not convinced, however, Sun, TLM Associates, and West “Cohesion and Structure in the Pastoral of the medical diagnosis. Tennessee Healthcare. Epistles” that was released in October. Published by T&T Clark, International, the book is a technical study of 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus and examines how each one of the Dockery article included in letters fits together and how one paragraph connects to the next. Van Neste began writing the book prestigious German reference set as his doctoral thesis in Aberdeen, Scotland, almost seven years ago. He n article on Baptist theologian A.H. Systematic Theology, which went through completed his doctorate in New Strong by Union University president eight editions over a 20-year period,” Testament from the University of A David S. Dockery is included in the Dockery wrote. “Essentially Aberdeen in 2002. German publication “Religion in Geschichte traditional and orthodox in his theological “I wrote the book in response to a und Gegenwart,” the premier scholarly conclusion, Strong was a pioneer in theologi- significant group of scholars who resource on religion in the Western world. cal method in Baptist life engaging and have argued that these letters don’t Published by Mohr Siebeck, the fourth interacting with the modernists of his day on make sense, that they are a sloppy, edition of the seven-volume reference set methodological and philosophical issues.” disorganized mess with little or no contains thousands of articles in an The “Religion in Geschichte und meaning,” Van Neste said. “I have encyclopedia-style format. Gegenwart” article is just one of dozens sought to show linguistically that “The contributors’ list is literally a who’s of contributions Dockery has made in the letters do fit together well and who of religion all around the world,” recent years to a growing list of respected do make sense. An issue essentially Dockery said. “Even though I have only reference works. is whether we should regard these one article out of the thousands in this His work is also included in such letters as worthy of attention. There set, it is still an honor to be included in a publications as The IVP Dictionary of the is a significant bias against these reference set of this magnitude that serves New Testament, The Dictionary of Jesus letters among scholars and I have the worldwide academic community.” and the Gospels, The Dictionary of Paul sought in one area to combat this.” Translated into German for publication, and His Letters, Evangelical Dictionary of Van Neste was ordained to the Dockery’s article on Strong (1836-1921) Biblical Theology, Holman Bible Dictionary, ministry in 1991 and has served as is a brief biography that explores the Holman Bible Handbook (for which both youth pastor and pastor of theologian’s impact on Baptist thought Dockery serves as general editor), the numerous churches. He has also for much of the 20th century. 40-volume New American Commentary done extensive work among Baptist “He cast a long shadow over Baptist series (for which he serves as associate churches and student organizations thought for decades with his encyclopedic general editor) and others. in Scotland. www.uu.edu Summer 2005 UNIONITE 5 155984_2005_Summer_Unionite 6/8/05 7:47 AM Page 6 NEWSBRIEFS CAMPUS NEWS Gushee speaks at the Vatican Dr. David Gushee, Union University’s Graves professor of moral philosophy, spoke at the DRIVE Vatican as part of “The Call to Justice” conference March 16-18, 2005. Gushee, along with 250 intellectuals from 30 countries, was invited to U.U.