The Power Dynamics of Faith and Faculty
Usually a place of conflict- Gary Miller incite change,
Chaplain's office is unusually powerful and deep roots, built in, for a non-denominational school
Power difference between Students and Faculty and the roles Miller and Temple were able to play
Gary Miller
References Metropolitan Community Church of Lehigh Valley (brought female Pastor, Jane Spahr to campus)
Initiated brown bag lunch programming
Open forum about 1992 Princeton Review
Conflict between Miller and Lafayette Christian Fellowship (DiscipleMakers?)
Focus on interfaith activities after Campus Presbyterian congregation dissolved in 1984 (6-7% of student body were Presbyterian at that point)
Riley Temple
Advocated for domestic partnership benefits at Lafayette, challenging trustees who resisted due to religious beliefs
Noted a lack of institutional support for queer students, though some faculty members were quietly supportive.
Quotes
“It’s an embarrassment. But nobody lifted a finger to do a damn thing. Then one time, Michael Benitez, who was head of Intercultural Affairs, yeah yeah, asked me to come and to lecture on the Bible and homosexuality, which I did. It was an evening lecture. [00:49:00] All of the gay faculty, the gay and lesbian faculty was there, plus some. And just a handful of students. Just a handful of students. But some member of the board... You know, it must have been in the mid- to late-’90s, because I was a trustee at the time. And Peter Simon said to me that he had gone back and listened to my speech and was intrigued and wanted to know more. Jeff Kirby was very supportive. And then, just a few years ago, I jumped up out of my seat and shouted when I saw all of those colorful t-shirts on the campus.”
“You know, I was in a board meeting when we had, when Arthur Rothkopf introduced a motion to have, oh God. Was it same-sex benefits. Yes, yes, yes. Domestic partner benefits, recognition of domestic partners. And [01:21:00] they said, “Well, should we have this for everyone?” You know, because there was some kind of a distinction between people who are married and people who are living in domestic partnerships . And, you know, and Arthur said, “Well, the people who are married have an option. They have another option.” And not a lot of discussion about it. But I remember two board members voting no. And I said, “What did you do that for?” You know, later. And they said, “Well, you know, I’m Catholic,” and so forth and so on. And I said, ‘Yes, but Christ teaches you to love one another.’”