Kentucky sojourn: University of the Cumberlands

From 22 to 25 February I was privileged to visit the University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, Kentucky, where I was a guest speaker. My time there was originally scheduled for last month, but a severe storm passing through the central part of the United States delayed my travels until this week. My principal host was Devon Goings, a graduate of Cumberlands who now works there as Director of Civic Responsibility. Goings has studied at Fuller Seminary under Matthew Kaemingk, whom I've known for the better part of two decades and for whom I have considerable respect.

Cumberlands is a Christian university in the Baptist tradition, although it is no longer formally affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. Established as the Williamsburg Institute in 1889, it became Cumberland College in 1913 and University of the Cumberlands in 2005. I was astonished to read that it has over 25,000 students, making it one of the largest universities in the state. But I was told that most of these are online students with around 2,000 residential students on campus. Student numbers have grown considerably in recent years, with a focus on outreach to the larger eastern Kentucky region.

My visit lasted two full days. In the morning of the 23rd I guest lectured in Goings' apologetics class on the relationship between idolatry and political ideologies. Due to the (insignificant amount of) snow that day, much of the campus was closed and the class converted to hybrid in-person/online. Nevertheless, all but two of the students showed up for the occasion, and we had a lively conversation. (I was somewhat amused to recognize that in February the average single-family-home in Hamilton seems to have enough snow on its property to paralyze the entire state of Kentucky.)

That evening I delivered the inaugural address in the recently established Public Square Lecture Series. Here I spoke on citizenship, the subject of my most recent book, Citizenship Without Illusions. Despite the weather, there was a good turnout for this at the Dr. A. Gatliff Memorial Chapel, pictured above. Good questions were asked, and thoughtful discussion ensued. All in all, a memorable event in an historic venue.

 

 

In preparation for my visit, Goings had had his students reading my latest book, two small stacks of which I was pleased to see in his office. I hope and pray that those reading it will find it helpful as they discern their own calling as citizens of their earthly political communities.

Less formally, I enjoyed a coffee hour and several meals with students and faculty. A favourite restaurant was The Hunt & the Harvest, where we dined on locally sourced, ecologically sustainable food, including, of all things, fresh Kentucky shrimp!

Travelling in the winter months can be a precarious venture at best. This time I had to use three airports: Pearson in Toronto, Dulles near Washington, DC, and Knoxville, Tennessee. As I was leaving Knoxville for Dulles, I kept hearing that a "northeaster" was heading for DC and would hit that city around 5 pm. Happily, my second plane left for Toronto a few hours before it hit. A pleasant trip thus came to a pleasant end, and I am glad to be home again for some weeks before travels beckon once more.