University of the South - Cap and Gown Yearbook (Sewanee, TN)

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MY STAR THOU ' LT BE! m a V y INTRODUCTION 23

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- 22 INTRODUCTION

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The Heavenly Vision 99 The theme of this yearbook is the Heavenly Vision. It is taken from Paul ' s words to King Agrippa, I did not disobey the heavenly vision (Acts 29:19). The question that the University of the South must ask itself again and again is, Have we been obedient to the ' heavenly vision ' which was given to the founders of this place? To answer that question, we must first find the answer to another question: What was the original vision of this Universi- ty? When Leonidas Polk spoke of the university he envi- sioned, he said it would embody the cultivation of true religion, learning, and virtue, that thereby God may be glorified and the happiness of man may be advanced. The church was to be at the center of the life of the University, and in fact, was not only the mother of the place in the sense of bringing it forth, but of being the perpetual source of direction and nurture. The University of the South is in a situation which is extraordinary if not unique. If she obeys her heavenly vision she will be neither too secular to enter into a genuine dialogue with the new religious enthusiasm which is a fact in the United States today, nor too narrow to be a genuine place of liberal education in the true sense of those words. The truth is that all human institutions have a tendency to fall short of the visions which were their foundation. Sewanee is no exception. A remarkable thing takes place in the life of any institution when individuals commit themselves to recalling that institution to its foundation. The editors of this book have nothing less in mind. They are saying without apology that this institution was founded not only on Christian values, but on faith in the truth of the Christian Gospel which proclaims Jesus Christ is Lord. This is not say that any doctrinal state- ment should be exacted from those who choose to be a part of this venture. It is rather to remind us of our heritage and to point us toward a future based on an honest under- standing of that heritage. The extraordinary opportunity which Sewanee has before it is to be a university which does not say to secular and sectarian institutions, A plague on both your houses, but, Come and I will show you a better way. William Porcher Dubose exaggerated perhaps only a little when he wrote that Sewanee was differentiated from all other places and institutions by the value and claim of culture for culture ' s sake . . . The tendency to rule out as useless everything that cannot be turned to immedi- ate practical account will inevitably for a long time affect the aims and ideals of educational institutions. Sewanee will never compete successfully in turning out the ready- made supply to such popular demands, in furnishing me- chanical, industrial, educational or other experts for the various businesses waiting to employ them. But Sewanee will more and more have a mission all her own, and will not be lacking in a constituency of her own, if she will prepare those who desire to be educated not for labor but for life. Life, of course, as Dubose understands it, was the abundant life which was intended by God and included, not on the periphery but at the heart, the presence of Christ. There is a saying which perhaps says most clearly what is needed now and will always be needed to alert the memory and strengthen the resolve of those who love a place like Sewanee. That saying is It is not surprising that when we forget who we are, we forget how to act. This yearbook may serve to recall to us at least who we were meant to be, and by God ' s grace, we may remember how to act. „, . . ....... ..... Chaplain William Millsaps 24 THE CENTER