According to this Baptist Standard op-ed, Baylor University in Waco has a model for what type of university it should aspire to be, but I don’t think the model is the one that Martin Luther had in mind — the University of Notre Dame:
Since former university President Robert Sloan led the school to adopt its Baylor 2012 long-range plan and open its Institute for Faith & Learning, supporters have pointed to Notre Dame as an example of a religiously affiliated school that successfully integrates faith and learning.
They maintain Notre Dame generally has accomplished what Baylor wants to achieveórecognized status as a top-tier university without surrendering to secularism. . . .
Baylor could come become the kind of national university that the best and brightest Protestant students will dream of attending, said Doug Henry, director of Baylorís Institute for Faith & Learning.
ìBaylor can have the same sort of image for Protestants that Notre Dame has for Catholics” . . . Henry said. ìIt can become the most intellectually interesting place to be, and a place where serious, smart Protestant and Baptist students will want to come. . . . Iíd say weíre about 30 years behind Notre Dame in terms of endowment, facilities, faculty and national prestige.î
Make that more like 75 years behind in terms of the football team, though.
Notre Dame not secular? The best football player to wear the gold helmet in the last 25 years is Muslim. I don’t think Touchdown Jesus had much religious meaning to Raghib Ismail.
Possible problem: Rationality is the antithesis of Southern Baptist doctrine; at least Catholicism acknowleges reason as a legitimate method of inquiry. While there are smart Southern Baptists, I’ve met less than a handful of intellectual ones.