“While I acted to exercise my position of oversight of the faculty within the bounds of Wheaton College employment policies and procedures, I apologized for my lack of wisdom and collegiality as I initially approached Dr. Hawkins, and for imposing an administrative leave more precipitously than was necessary”.
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The statement also says that “both parties share a commitment to care for the oppressed and the marginalized, including those who are marginalized due to their religious beliefs, and to respectful dialogue with people of other faiths or no faith”.
Hawkins, who is a Christian, was placed on leave in December when she posted on Facebook that Christians and Muslims worship the same God.
The announcement may not end a controversy about whether Wheaton had grounds to take action against Hawkins.
After Hawkins’ Facebook post, the higher education institution released a statement saying that she was being placed on administrative leave pending a review of the “theological implications” behind her comments.
“While Islam and Christianity are both monotheistic, we believe there are fundamental differences between the two faiths, including what they teach about God’s revelation to humanity, the nature of God, the path to salvation and the life of prayer”, said the statement. “And we diverge on questions of salvation, soteriology – how do you get to God? – and also on questions of Christology – who is Christ?”
Dr. Larycia Hawkins and Wheaton College are parting ways after finding a “mutual place of resolution and reconciliation” according to a statement the evangelical school’s website.
The statement of shared faith was questioned by the private college’s administration, as it went against the school’s Statement of Faith.
Hawkins said the college had recommended she resign.
In his letter to faculty, Jones still maintained that Hawkins’ statements “raised important theological questions”, but now confesses his “earlier deficiences”, and says “Dr. Hawkins’ Theological Response was a promising start toward answering satisfactorily some of the questions that I was raising”.
“President Ryken followed that email with the announcement that the school and Hawkins would part ways”. Many professors were celebrating this news, The Chicago Tribune reported, assuming this was a first step toward reinstating Hawkins.
“I asked Dr. Hawkins for her forgiveness for the ways I contributed to the fracture of our relationship, and to the fracture of Dr. Hawkins’ relationship with the College”, he wrote.
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A joint press conference will be held 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Chicago Temple First United Methodist Church, 77 W. Washington St., in Chicago.
