Religious Studies at Ferrum College — Statement on Recent E-mails from the College Chaplain
To the Ferrum College Community:
I am writing what follows in my capacity as a faculty member and as coordinator of the Religious Studies program at Ferrum College.
This week, our Chaplain sent two e-mails to the community that I and others find deeply troubling. I want to state clearly from the outset that I condemn the antisemitic and violent rhetoric that these e-mails promote. My goal here is to articulate why this rhetoric is problematic, and to encourage anyone reading this to speak out against it with a strong and unified voice.
The first e-mail came on Wednesday, October 11. It reads:
“Over 2000 years ago, the disciples of Christ came to him and asked what shall be the sign of thy coming and the end. Please read Matthew 24: 4–14 and ask yourself which of these things has not happened. Let us pay attention; Israel was attacked on Saturday, October 7.”
The second of the e-mails came on Thursday, October 12. It reads:
“Join Jesus and his army of believers now or face Jesus and that army later.
Inspired by Revelations 10:11–18 [sic]”
Both of these e-mails are problematic on their own. Together, they are dangerous.
The first aims to interpret recent military action against Israel as a sign that “the end” is surely coming soon. This e-mail peddles in well-known Christian apocalyptic fantasies and scenarios that have been popularized by books like Hal Lindsey’s Late Great Planet Earth and the more recent Left Behind series.
In many of these apocalyptic scenarios, conflict in the Middle East is a sort of catalyst that inaugurates the end times and results in the return of Jesus himself. In the Evangelical mind, the return of Jesus is ultimately a good thing, which is to say that this e-mail (whether intentionally or not) treats the invasion of Israel as a necessary plot point that will get the end times rolling.
The scenario that this e-mail presumes is largely reflective of contemporary Evangelical Christian feelings and anxieties about middle eastern politics and conflicts. It is not rooted in any deep or critical engagement with New Testament texts (or other early Christian texts, for that matter).
Infinitely more problematic, though, is that this scenario tokenizes Jewish suffering and appropriates it for this particular Christian apocalyptic fantasy. The stories, experiences, and sufferings of marginalized groups belong to those groups; they do not exist to bolster or inform Christian apocalyptic ruminations.
The second e-mail compounds the problems in the first by adding a threat of violence. For this e-mail tells of another conflict, one between Jesus, his army, and everyone else. Readers are given a choice: you can either side with Jesus and his army, or you can be annihilated by them in the future. There is nothing subtle about the claim that is being made here: non-Christians will find themselves at the business end of the sword.
The rhetoric of these e-mails is hateful, ignorant, violent, and divisive. It does not represent the principles of Ferrum College or the United Methodist Church, and it is antithetical to our mission as an institution of higher learning.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ferrum College adopted the slogan “Stronger Together.” It was on our website and plastered all about the campus. While I am sure that it was meant as something to inspire and motivate us during that specific time, the slogan has in many ways worked itself into the fabric of our campus culture. We are, truly, stronger together.
To my students, staff and faculty colleagues, and Ferrum alumni: you are valued, not because of what you believe or don’t believe, but because you are humans with dignity. I support you and will advocate for you regardless of whether you are Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, atheist, or agnostic. You inspire me, and we are stronger together.
With all good wishes,
Eric Vanden Eykel
Associate Professor of Religious Studies, Ferrum College
