Calvin News

EDITOR'S NOTE: The following news release is courtesy of King College.

King College in Bristol, Tenn., has announced the founding of a new institute dedicated to exploring the intersections and collisions between faith and culture that define our times.

“Faith, art and culture share a complex relationship,” said Dr. Tracy Parkinson, dean of the faculty for King College. “We have worked to ensure that King’s academic heritage has always included a broad study of how these subjects interact and influence each other. I am delighted to say that studies in these areas will be brought into vibrant focus with the establishment of the Buechner Institute at King College.”

The institute is dedicated to the work and example of Frederick Buechner, the Vermont novelist, memoirist, and essayist. A Presbyterian minister, Buechner has penned more than 30 books, all of which circle on the relationship between faith and public life. A Pulitzer Prize finalist for his novel “Godric,” Buechner has become a notable, accessible voice in conversations about the role of faith in art. Linking his name to the institute is a way of underscoring the challenge of producing work of unquestionable artistic depth while bringing faith to the process.

The institute is being developed by Dr. Dale Brown, who will also serve as director of the program. “I am pleased that Frederick Buechner has lent his name to this enterprise, and I am delighted to be coming to King College,” Brown commented. “There has never been a more appropriate time for us to examine the critical business of how faith interacts in the larger culture. Even Harvard is adding a ‘Faith and Reason’ section to its core curriculum,” Brown noted.

The institute has a tri-fold mission according to Brown. It will serve scholars as a center for reflection on matters of faith and academic life; it will be a center for artists and performers to share programming with the campus and region; and it will be a locus for students from around the nation to spend a semester immersing themselves in Appalachian culture and studies related to expressions of faith in art.

Brown’s background includes a doctorate from the University of Missouri, and 20 years service with Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan as a professor of English. Brown directed Calvin’s nationally recognized Festival of Faith & Writing for twelve years and in 2003 was named that college’s Professor of the Year.

An author who has published extensive interviews with many of America’s prominent writers, Brown became acquainted with King while serving as a visiting professor during the fall of 2004. He used his residency on campus to complete his newest work, a critical study of Buechner’s career. “The Book of Buechner: A Journey Through His Writings” is the result of many interviews and conversations with the author, and is scheduled for publication in January 2007. Proceeds from the book’s sales will help cultivate the growth and success of the institute.

“Dale Brown is an established, well-respected scholar who is nationally and internationally known in his field. His presence will enrich the level of intellectual inquiry and discussion among our students, faculty and staff,” said Parkinson. “We are delighted to welcome him to the King College community and to have him lead this important new endeavor.” In addition to his duties with the institute, Brown will also serve as a member of King’s English Department and teach classes in American literature.

The Buechner Institute is preparing to welcome students, scholars, and artists who are interested in discussion, reflection, and examination of social and spiritual matters. Under Brown’s guidance, participants will review a palette of music, sociology, literature, history, ecology and other disciplines as they examine the broad rubric of faith and culture. “Over a lifetime, Frederick Buechner has contemplated many of the questions that have come into sharp relief today,” Brown said. “Buechner’s work, combined with King’s rich tradition, offers an ideal platform for students and artists to begin their exploration of the many subjects within the institute’s focus.”

The official inauguration for the Buechner Institute is planned for Fall 2007.