Freedom and Irresponsibility: Fundamentalism's Effect on Academic Freedom in Southern Baptist Life‪.‬

Historically, Baptist attitudes toward academic freedom have been decidedly mixed. Arthur Walker described the Baptist attitude toward the academic arena as one of "ambivalence." (1) Baptists have sensed an imperative to establish and support institutions of higher learning. Yet, Baptists appear not able to escape completely their underlying suspicion of education. This awkwardness between Baptists and higher education has existed at least since their earliest educational endeavors. One would thus be hard-pressed to argue that Baptist support for academic institutions has ever been unqualified.