The Republican response to President Obama’s SOTU speech introduced many Americans to Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers. While those of us who reside in Spokane are already familiar with our congresswoman, little is known about her alma mater, Pensacola Christian College. A brief introduction to PCC might help illuminate some of the formative ideas that have shaped the faith and religious views of Rep. McMorris Rodgers.
Study of the Bible is a major concern at PCC, and every student there is required to take Bible courses. The treatment of the Bible at PCC is somewhat extreme. The school has a particular (and peculiar) attachment to the King James Version (published in 1611), noting on its website, “it is our practice to use only the Authorized Version (KJV) in the pulpit and in classroom instruction.” Their obsession with the KJV is at odds with scholars who consider dozens of alternative English versions (e.g. the NRSV) to be more faithful translations since they, unlike the KJV, are based on more ancient (and reliable) biblical manuscripts.
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