Every area of Whitworth University has a diversity plan. The following is from the President's Office diversity plan.

How can a university that hires only practicing Christians uphold its commitment to diversity?

For very good reasons, I am asked this question from time to time. The purpose of the following is to summarize the way in which I usually respond. I do not speak here for the Whitworth University community; rather, I hope to provide a perspective on how I approach the very challenging task of lifting high the richness and rightness of diversity when there is a theological sense in which our community limits diversity.

Like many colleges and universities, Whitworth was founded as a church-related institution, its particular affiliation being with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). For well over 100 years, it has gathered Christian scholars to provide a liberal arts education to learners of all persuasions. But unlike most colleges founded with religious aims, Whitworth has chosen to function neither as Christians teaching Christians (after the fashion of most Christian universities) nor as a mixture of Christians and non-Christians teaching a mixture of Christians and non-Christians (after the fashion of secular post-secondary institutions and most universities related to mainline denominations). Because Whitworth has chosen the less populated path of Christians teaching a mixture of Christians and non-Christians, we value and seek diversity of all kinds when it comes to students, ideas and visiting scholars, but we restrict religious diversity in our hiring practices. So it is altogether appropriate to review whether we have a right to claim our commitment to diversity. Can we embrace diversity honestly when we hire only Christians? I think we can, and I believe there is an important place for Whitworth's uncommon blend of faith and diversity in higher education. Below are a few of the reasons for my belief:

• The legitimacy of a center. The purpose of a mission statement is to identify the core values that comprise the organization's teleological center. It is the center that gives coherence and distinctiveness to an organization. All colleges and universities have some kind of philosophical gathering point upon which its members find common ground. The question I am addressing here is whether diversity and diverse points of view can grow from a Christian center. More fundamentally, can true diversity be fostered by any center that allows for right and wrong, as opposed to just different? If the answer to this question is "no," then diversity becomes a center unto itself. But no advocate of diversity will confess to a desire for unbridled diversity. When our definitions of inclusiveness welcome those people and groups who deny the constitutional freedoms of others, diversity gets slain by its own sword. Hence, institutions committed to diversity must present inclusiveness as a component, rather than as the totality of their ideological centers. When an institution declares diversity as its sole center, believing that other aspects of commonality threaten diversity, the mission loses its power, coherence, and direction. Scholarly institutions gain strength from the purpose-based centers that serve as the essence of their communities. The question becomes one of whether diversity is affirmed or discouraged by the most basic presuppositions of the center.
  
  
• The cornerstone of Whitworth's theological center. Non-sectarian scholarly institutions have no theological component to their center, finding other sources of moral guidance. The long and rich tradition of Whitworth reveals a clear theological influence of protestant Christian theology. Christ himself epitomizes inclusiveness. St. Matthew's genealogy presents Jesus as multi-ethnic, mostly Jewish product of progenitors that ranged from a king to a prostitute. That in Matthew's culture he would include women, particularly non-Jewish women, foreshadowed the kind of radical inclusiveness that Jesus would teach and live. Standing out among the countless examples of Jesus defiantly crossing race and culture boundaries was when he stood among Jews and made a Samaritan the star of his answer to the question, "Who is my neighbor?" Surely it was Christ's example that inspired the apostle Paul to write to the church in Galatia, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus." It is my abiding belief that because of Christ's example and teachings, the more Christian Whitworth becomes, the more welcoming and warm we should be to those who are other than Christian in their faith. Regrettably, Christian history records too many examples of how not to embrace diversity. But in looking to Christ, Whitworth finds its charter for loving and including all people. It is a witness to Christ's inclusiveness that Christianity as practiced in the 21st century sweeps in large numbers across racial, cultural, national and continental boundaries.
  
  
• The nature of allegiance to Whitworth's center. In keeping with the theological character of our denomination, Whitworth identifies itself as generally Reformed in its theological preferences, but not exclusively so. The university has been careful not to impose doctrinal requirements on its scholars. Where many Christian universities have creedal statements for which faculty members must act as signatories, Whitworth has asked only that prospective faculty members compose an essay on the relationship between one's faith and teaching. It would be dishonest to claim that these essays are evaluated without theological expectations, but a clear statement of Christ's deity and lordship would be the only sine qua non of our expectations. The theological range in the substance and process of selecting Christian scholars has created wideness in our center that encourages curiosity and openness, even in dealing with issues and ideas that conflict directly with our own individual points of view. A demonstration of the value of this breadth has been seen recently in the spiritual leadership of our Roman Catholic faculty, staff and students. Their contributions to Whitworth's spiritual life have been wide and wonderfully enriching.
  
  
• The nature of faith. The driving epistemology of a faith-based institution is faith itself. Christian faith, by its own definition (Hebrews 11:1), is based on evidence, not observation. Surely, this evidential basis demands humility and even tentativeness in the way Christian scholars hold their beliefs. Leon Bronowski wrote in the Ascent of Man that his relatives who died in Auschwitz were the victims less of the gas chambers than of arrogance. Clearly, the greatest threat to diversity in modern society is arrogance. It seems to me that the mystery of faith is such that we never stop energetically pursuing evidence. In this pursuit, open-mindedness is an essential element. Looking at what we have already discovered as if we possess the final facts runs directly counter to the epistemology of faith. To suggest that Christian faith discourages exposure to diverse perspectives requires a non-biblical understanding of the nature of faith. Is close-minded Christianity practiced in modern society? Yes, confusingly so, and often by those who claim to have great faith. But great faith should give great confidence that God's revelation can withstand challenges and scrutiny. I think many of the people who question whether Whitworth can embrace diversity from its Christian center have seen a narrow-minded version of Christianity that acts as if no further information is wanted or needed.

Every college and university stakes out boundaries within which it strives for diversity in its hiring. Intellectually, diversity is sought within boundaries related to educational attainment. Ideologically, diversity is sought within boundaries related to tolerance. Socially, diversity is sought within boundaries related to civility. The Jesuits who exercise ultimate authority over our neighboring Gonzaga University have been champions of social justice, diversity and equality. Yet their community is restricted on the bases of faith and gender. Does this render them incapable of fostering a climate that exalts diversity? No, it simply sets certain boundaries within which their efforts take place. Since its founding, Whitworth has chosen to gather as a community of scholars who believe that God took on human form in the person of Christ because all of humanity stood equal in its need for grace. By faith we believe that Christ atoned for the sins of the world. This faith serves as our center and as our boundary, giving elevation to our view of the world for which Christ died. And so it is with the highest respect for all people of all faiths, Whitworth welcomes diverse ideas from diverse peoples and eagerly commits to learn and explore our unfinished world. This is our duty as global citizens, and it is our duty as Christians.