History Commons^™

A Response To John Sommerville’S 'The Decline Of The Secular University', William Vance Trollinger

History Faculty Publications

Introduction to William Vance Trollinger's plenary presentation:

I agree with Prof. Sommerville that in too many places the secular university has trivialized religion and religious commitment, and that it is high time for religion to be welcomed into our academic debates. I say this even while I take issue with some of the particulars in Prof. Sommerville’s book. I will give two examples related to our discipline of history.

First, Prof. Sommerville decries that “secularist humanities have declared war on metanarratives because of their hegemonic power.” But I confess that I am very pleased to see the demise of metanarratives …