Quality with Soul: How Six Premier Colleges and Universities Keep Faith with Their Religious Traditions
In The Paradoxical Vision: A Public Theology for the  Twenty-First Century, Benne decried the marginalization of  religion in American life. Here the well-known professor of  religion (Roanoke Coll.) laments the secularization of many fine  colleges and universities with religious origins. Some  institutions became nonsectarian to emphasize their intellectual  and democratic qualities, while others abrogated religious  content to qualify for federal funds or to bolster enrollment.  Benne blames uncommitted board members and faculty for allowing  their schools' heritage to be diminished or eliminated. He then  describes six institutions that have admirably maintained their  religious traditions: Calvin College, Wheaton College, St. Olaf  College, Valparaiso University, Baylor University, and the  University of Notre Dame. The concluding chapters analyze the  factors that have allowed these schools to resist trends toward  secularization and suggest strategies that others might use to  recover their eroded past. Highly recommended for its thorough  research and thoughtful presentation. Will Hepfer, SUNY at  Buffalo Libs.Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.