“Christ may be central,” administrator explains, “but we do not want Him sounding exclusionary.” SAN DIEGO, CA — A Christian university has reportedly introduced a spiritual-formation review requiring students to demonstrate that their identity in Christ is “primary, contextual, and appropriately accompanied” after one student allegedly described himself as “in Christ alone.” The controversy follows reports that Point Loma Nazarene University Dean of Students Jason Cha told student leaders that identifying solely as “in Christ” can reflect “white privilege.” Cha declined to comment on the specific remark and referred inquiries to a university statement affirming that its commitment to confronting racism flows from Christian discipleship. Under the proposed review, students will complete an “Identity in Christ Compliance Inventory.” Sample questions include: “Do you affirm that your identity in Christ is primary, while avoiding the implication that it is sufficient?” and “Can you explai...
“They affirm bodily resurrection,” he says. “That is literally the opposite direction.” UNDISCLOSED SPIRITUAL REALM — A local Gnostic issued a strongly worded complaint Thursday after several anti-Calvinist commentators repeatedly compared his religious system to Reformed theology, an association he described as “intellectually careless and personally humiliating.” Basilides “Secret Knowledge” Pleromason said he first noticed the problem while watching an online debate in which a critic called Calvinism “basically Gnosticism.” “Basically?” Pleromason asked. “I have an elaborate cosmology, an inferior creator, and a spiritual escape plan. They have a publicly available confession and a fellowship meal. Where, precisely, is the overlap?” Gnosticism encompasses diverse ancient movements, many of which distinguished an inferior creator from a higher divine reality and understood salvation as awakening to one’s spiritual origins. Reformed confessions instead affirm the goodness of God’s ori...