The Story

Bridging the Gap Between Us

Jul. 18, 2008 | By Jonna Knappenberger, co-Editor in Chief

Look, we need to talk. We need to sit down and have a frank discussion about religion.

I sat down to write an article about religion at the College, and all I could turn out was a bunch of stilted and condescending facts. And, see, I don’t want it to be like that.

There is great religious diversity on this campus, but we rarely feel comfortable discussing it candidly.

Our beliefs span the entire religious spectrum. Religion - the elephant in the room - is vastly important to our worldviews and affects our campus life, our communities back home, our national policy and our international standing.

If anyone in the world should be able to discuss religion, it should be us - smart, well-off college students in a country that (supposedly) values liberty and freedom.

But remember the last time we talked about religion?

In 2006, former President Gene Nichol removed a cross from permanent display in the historic Wren Chapel. He had to explain his decision to the press, alumni and the College's Board of Visitors. One alum held back a planned $12 million donation, and the tension built.

To curb criticism over the incident, Nichol created the Committee on Religion at a Public University, which sponsored a series of lectures on religion and eventually decided to permanently display the cross under a glass case accompanied by a plaque.

Some contend the cross had nothing to do with Nichol’s resignation this spring. I think it had everything to do with it. Nichol tried to talk about religion, and the conversation exploded in our faces.

Now, the few who still care are left speculating about the long-term impact of the Wren cross issue, be it actually religious or merely political.

The College actually does have a history entangled with religion. According to the Wren Chapel Web site, the Church of England and the College were (understandably) affiliated in colonial times. Students would have begun and ended each day with services in the chapel. After the revolution, the College had an “unofficial relationship” with the Episcopalian Church until it came under state control in 1906.

The modern depth and diversity of religion in our community is something we surely cannot avoid.

As anyone who has driven down Jamestown Road knows, Williamsburg does not lack churches. If devout students do not attend services, it is usually a question of trying to balance academics and a sometimes sinful party life, leaving only limited time and energy for God.

I recently searched for “churches near Williamsburg, Virginia” on Google Maps and got 13,685 results. Some of those were located in Newport News, others in Hampton, Norfolk or Virginia Beach (also home to televangelist Pat Robertson).

Due to the diverse student population, there is smattering of different types of religious student groups on campus. In the Student Activities office, 31 registered groups are classified as “religious.”

The College has a student Christian Science Organization (whose Web site proclaims, “Find people at college with similar ideas to you!”) and a myriad of other Christian organizations: Catholic Campus Ministry, Campus Crusade for Christ, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship and Canterbury Episcopal Campus Ministry, to name a few.

The Baptist Collegiate Ministries group at the College has a “common myths” site, to clear up any buzz about Baptists that might keep the young College sheep from seeking the shepherd.

Apparently, the BCM, which has a house on South Boundary Street, knows how to embrace their eccentric members.

One myth: “They’re just a bunch of religious nuts.”

The response: “Religious? Yes. Nuts? Yes, but most of us were nuts before we became religious.”

I know that’s supposed to be a joke, but how am I supposed to know that if I can’t sit down with a Baptist and have a serious conversation about religion and our community?

We need inter-faith (including non-faith) dialogue.

Jewish students can join the active group Balfour Hillel. The Hillel Facebook profile, which has 198 friends at William and Mary, lists the interests “eating Jewish food, meeting new Jews, social action.” Hillel holds weekly dinners, arranges transportation to different temples for holy days and serves strict kosher meals during Passover.

Not to leave out a third major world religion, there is an active group of Muslim students running the Muslim Students Association. The MSA sponsors guest speakers, documentary viewings and charity fund raisers. Though there is no mosque in Williamsburg, there is an Islamic Center of Williamsburg and an Islamic Center of Virginia, located in Richmond.

Maybe we should all just take religion classes. It’s a bit impractical, I know.

I’ve heard great things about Religious Studies Professors David Holmes and Tamara Sonn. There are also religion classes offered in the anthropology, black studies, philosophy and classics departments.

The College recently lost a project that could have facilitated discussion about our collective religious experience and the atmosphere at our public university.

Philosophy Professor James F. Harris started the “Serpentine Wall” before the whole Wren fiasco. It was to be the first online resource center anywhere containing documents on the issue of separation of church and state. The documents would have been historic and contemporary, and legal and philosophical.

With cuts in funding, and likely administration fear over the church-state topic, Harris’ project is leaving our school. If it survives, it will transfer to Colonial Williamsburg or to another Virginia university.

In losing the Serpentine Wall, the College has lost something to brag about.

And we’re back to square one, silence. Without dialogue, we miss out on all the good aspects of a community: inclusion, tolerance and freedom.


Jonna Knappenberger is co-Editor in Chief of The DSJ and a regular opinions contributor. Her views do not necessarily reflect those of the entire staff.



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