Teaching Calvin in California

From The New York Times-

We spend a great deal of time worrying about theology these days. From extremist violence to the American culture wars, the theological imagination can feel like an existential threat to liberal democracy. Or more simply, just to common decency. No surprise that many believe that theology has no place in the secular college classroom.

Over the years, I have decided that this is wrong. I learned to think otherwise teaching Calvin in California.

Given my profession, I am naturally curious about theology. But it takes collaborative work in the classroom to persuade students that they should be, too. To persuade them that theology is more than its bad press; that it is a rich subject as likely to provoke disbelief as belief; that it is more likely to open than to close interesting conversations about religion and public life. To persuade them, in short, that theology matters to a liberal education.

More here-

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/12/opinion/teaching-calvin-in-california.html?emc=edit_ca_20160913&nl=california-today&nlid=51420359&te=1&_r=0