UA-R-GC-1914-01-01-1953-11-06_Page-021

296 President's Report —page 7— iv BASIC OBJECTIVE The most difficult phase of t',e University's work to judge ac-curately is the basic cause of its being -- the Christian witness it bears in a non—Christian land. Yearly re- ,orts have recorded the con-tinuing prograrn of teaching in tie fiele, of philosophy and religion, a program w'-ii ch is still unj.que in the Near. East. ricny examples have been cited of personal influences brought to bear on students. To the best of their. ability -- ane often the nidst of eifficult conditions - the University staff and administration have tried to be true to their Christian calling. Yet there is nuch to be e one . The religi lus teaching program of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences needs to be ex ended to t'le other Faculties. There, conditions are different, students are more mature and their continuing contact with the University is less — but these problems should not stand in the way of finding the integral place for the study of religion in the curiculum. The institution must also keep its relation to the native Christian life of the :Tear East, which both needs its services and can contribute its fellowship. The recent arrangement with the Theological Seminary of the Evangelical Church whereby its students may take work for a degree at the Univer-sity is an example of this relation. There is also the need to develop a more profound and intense study of Christian faith a.ad life. The Huslin Near Fast needs at least one center where the intelligent Uuslim can meet the intelligent Christian in an atmosphere of mutual intellectual respect and integri-ty. It has long been hoped that this could be accomplished in the School of Oriental Studies. Perhaps a start could be made by offering an undergraduate major in the field of religion as distinct from phil-osophy, administerec, by the School of Oriental Studies but open to the students from other Faculties. Something like the recent Princeton UniversityColloquium on Islamic Culture uieht also be sponsored, at which Christian and :usli?.i scholars w:odd consider the implications of their faith for current wore problems. accognizing that this area is extremely sensitive, I still believe the Unl..versity should not relin•- quiSh its hope of placing the exploration of Christianity and its mean-ing for modern life at tIlp heart of its program. V — COi1CLUSIOIT In lea'ting the University I am deeply grateful for what the years in its service have ï'eant to my own, personal life. Broadened intellec-tual horizons, deep friendships, the stimulation of cooperative enter-prise, the satisfaction of signific^nt Christian service .- these have been rewards past all personal merit. I cannot express fittingly my indebtedness to all my colleagues for their friendship, tolerance an