Bethany College

Book excerpt: Since Alexander Campbell's 1840 charter established "a seminary of learning for the instruction of youth," Bethany College has claimed a place of national importance in education and in the history of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). D. Duane Cummins, for fourteen years Bethany's president and a noted Disciples historian, takes a fascinating and comprehensive look at the institution in Bethany College: A Liberal Arts Odyssey. Cummins intertwines Bethany's story with American history and economic patterns, from the founding of a religion-related institution in antebellum times, through the rebalancing of liberal arts and professional arts during the 1970s and 1980s, to "American Higher Education and the Liberal Arts in the New Millennium." Many resources, including a timeline connecting Bethany's history with world events, make Bethany College: A Liberal Arts Odyssey an invaluable read for academics, historians, and those who hold this beloved institution near their hearts.