Christianity Today, Sexual Misconduct, and Forgiving Institutions

Construction noise is a constant background in the soundtrack of our American impulse for self-improvement. Lately, however, that sounds less like buildings going up and more like the toppling of statues and the chiseling of buildings that represent our problematic history. At U.C. Berkeley, where I teach writing, many of our buildings have been experiencing an overhaul. Yes, one of the most dangerous earthquake fault lines in California runs right through the middle of campus and some of those buildings are aging, crumbling, and in need of earthquake retrofitting. But a simultaneous building rejuvenation reflects the university's attempts to correct mistakes of the past. In a scene playing out on campuses around the country, maintenance crews are peeling, grinding, and chiseling the names off of numerous academic buildings.