Baylor University’s Institute for Faith and Learning Will Celebrate Its 20th Anniversary on Nov. 6

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Contact: Terry Goodrich, (254) 710-3321

WACO, Texas (Nov. 2, 2017) — The Institute for Faith and Learning at Baylor University will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a lecture by Mark Schwehn, Ph.D., one of the foremost voices in Christian higher education.

Schwehn's lecture — "From Faith and Learning to Love and Understanding: The Recent Past and Promising Future of Church Related Higher Education" — will be from 3 to 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 6, in Barfield Drawing Room of the Bill Daniel Student Center, 1311 S. Fifth St. It will be followed by a reception. The event is free and open to the public.

"For two decades, the Institute for Faith and Learning has inspired reflection at Baylor and beyond about the unique goods and aims of Christian higher education," said Darin H. Davis, Ph.D., vice president for University Mission and IFL director. "In our 20th year, we celebrate the significant work that has been accomplished, a testament to the leadership and vision of those who laid the foundation of IFL, and we look to a bright future, continuing to serve Baylor in its mission to achieve academic excellence oriented by Christian faith."

Schwehn is Professor of Humanities in Christ College at Valparaiso University and served as provost from 2009 to 2014. He is founding director of the Lilly Fellows Program in Humanities and the Arts, a national network of 100 institutions seeking to explore and strengthen the relationship between Christianity, higher education and academic vocation. His publications include "Exiles from Eden: Religion and the Academic Vocation in America" (Oxford, 1993); and "Everyone a Teacher" (Notre Dame, 2000).

"We are delighted to have Dr. Schwehn with us to help celebrate our anniversary," Davis said. "For many years he has been at the forefront of discussions about the purposes of Christian scholarship and teaching, and he has left a significant mark on the trajectory of Christian higher education in America."

The Institute for Faith and Learning was founded in 1997 to assist Baylor in achieving its mission of integrating academic excellence and Christian commitment, and its goal of becoming a university of the first rank committed to its Baptist and Christian heritage. Three directors have served the Institute: Michael Beaty (1997-2002); Douglas Henry (2002-2008); and Darin Davis (2008-present).

Since its founding, the Institute has developed several major programs in support of this mission, cultivating high-quality research, sponsoring conferences, mentoring students, and encouraging teaching faithful to the Christian intellectual tradition. Among its numerous programs and activities, the Institute for Faith and Learning hosts the Baylor Symposium on Faith and Culture, the Baylor Medical Ethics Seminar, Communio: A Retreat for Baylor Educators and the Bill and Roberta Bailey Family Lecture in Christian Ethics. It also sponsors the William Carey Crane Scholars program for undergraduate students and the A. J. Conyers Scholars program for graduate students.
For more information, call 254-710-4805.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 17,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.