I’m trying to make an honest assessment about what Jenkins has done either for academics or christendom, but i’m finding it hard to see what warrants him getting an honorary doctorate from HU other than the fact that he’s well known for having written Christian fiction. This doesn’t seem to be reason for giving someone an honorary doctorate. I’m not against honoring someone without a ton of education as long as this person is doing or has done something good for the Church or society. Instead, most would say that his writing and theology have done more to divide the church than help it and certainly not helped society
You can find his bio here at his website: http://www.jerryjenkins.com/bio.html
NY Times Book Review:
http://rickroll.it/ba48f5
Perhaps overlooking the Left Behind books would make this decision a little easier to stomach. But unfortunately, I don’t believe anyone would know who Jerry Jenkins was without these books. These are the first things mentioned about him in the press release, when people think Jerry Jenkins, they think Left Behind and will thus associate HU with him. This will also associate a certain form of fundamentalism with HU, a fundamentalism that I don’t believe the students, faculty, or staff would want associated with the school.
So why are we honoring this man? I believe the question is still open and i don’t see the good in inviting him and honoring him as we are.
