A Wheaton College professor who was suspended for saying that "Muslims and Christians worship the same God," will part ways with the college through a confidential agreement with mutually acceptable terms.
Provost at Wheaton College Stanton Jones had given the decision to take back Professor Larycia Hawkins to college President Philip Ryken. But Ryken later informed the faculty that Hawkins has instead decided to leave the college.
"The administration and Dr. Hawkins have come to a place of resolution and reconciliation," Ryken wrote in an email to the staff. "With a mutual desire for God's blessing, we have decided to part ways."
"This is a time for prayer, lament, repentance, forgiveness and reconciliation," Ryken continued in the letter, inviting the faculty to private worship service night at Edman Memorial Chapel where Hawkins' farewell reception will be held.
The controversy started for Hawkins when she wrote on Facebook that both the religions worship the same God, a stance that conflicts with Wheaton's theological statement of faith.
She posted a photo of herself wearing a hijab, along with a long note, saying among other things: "I stand in religious solidarity with Muslims because they, like me, a Christian, are people of the book," she said. "And as Pope Francis stated ... we worship the same God."
She had written the post expressing her views on why she has started wearing a Hijab during the Lent season, which was to express solidarity with Muslims. The college had taken no position on her wearing the Hijab, but her comments on theology invoked a response from the college asking her to explain her stance and was given an administrative leave to research and reconsider the issue from Biblical perspective.
In a separate email to the staff, provost Jones said: " I communicated to Dr. Hawkins that I recognize her as a sister in Christ, and that it was never my intent to call the sincerity of her faith into question. 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. 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."
"I stand by my concerns that Dr. Hawkins's theological statements raised important questions. However, in light of the deficiencies in my early responses, and recognizing that Dr. Hawkins's Theological Response was a promising start toward answering satisfactorily some of the questions that I was raising at the time, I revoked the Notice."
Hawkins reflected on her years back at the Wheaton College, writing in the college press release: "I appreciate and have great respect for the Christian liberal arts and the ways that Wheaton College exudes that in its mission, programs, and in the caliber of its employees and students."
