Francis J. Beckwith
Encyclopedia
Francis J. "Frank" Beckwith (born 1960) is an American
Christian philosopher
, scholar, debater, and lecturer. Beckwith advocates in the areas of social ethics
, legal philosophy, philosophy of religion
, intelligent design
and the Christian countercult movement
. Currently, he is the associate director of the J.M. Dawson Institute of Church-State Studies and an associate professor of Church-State studies at Baylor University
. Beckwith, born in New York City
, now resides with his wife in Texas
. Beckwith returned to Roman Catholicism in 2007.
Beckwith has defended the pro-life
position on abortion
and the constitutional permissibility of the teaching of intelligent design
in public schools. He has been affiliated with organizations that advocate for these issues. Beckwith is a former fellow at the Discovery Institute
the "hub of the intelligent design movement
"; and a former member of the advisory board for the Intelligent Design and Evolution Awareness Center
. As of late 2007, he is a fellow at The Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity (CBHD); and a professor at Baylor's Institute for the Studies of Religion (ISR).
(B.A. in Philosophy), Simon Greenleaf School of Law, Anaheim (MA in apologetics), Fordham University
(Ph.D. and M.A. in philosophy) and the Washington University School of Law, St. Louis
(Master of Juridical Studies).
A condensed version of Beckwith's 1984 MA thesis on the Bahá'í Faith
was published by Bethany House
in 1985.
Other social ethics questions to which he has contributed include the influence of relativism on public culture, affirmative action
and discrimination
, same-sex marriage
, bioethics
generally (including cloning), and interpreting constitutional issues as they touch on religious liberty and practices, such as the inclusion of intelligent design in public school science curricula.
Beckwith has held academic appointments at Whittier College
(1996–1997) and Trinity International University
(1997–2002).
In November 2005, Professor Beckwith became the President-elect of the Evangelical Theological Society
, a professional organization of theologians. He is also a member of the American Philosophical Association's
Committee on Philosophy and Law.
In May 2007 Professor Beckwith made public his conversion to the Roman Catholic Church
, which took place in late April 2007, and resigned as both President of the Evangelical Theological Society and member of the society, effective May 7, 2007.
he thinks they mistakenly accept "the modern idea that an Enlightenment view of science is the paradigm of knowledge." Critics of intelligent design, such as Barbara Forrest
, consider Beckwith a proponent. Beckwith often speaks on the legal permissibility of teaching intelligent design in public school science classes, arguing that it is legally permissible and arguing against the ruling in Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District
that intelligent design is essentially religious in nature, a form of creationism
, and thus its teaching as science in public schools violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution
. He provided much of the legal reasoning and justification behind the claim of the Discovery Institute that intelligent design is not a religious belief and maintains that the religious motives of the policy's supporters, which he says the judge in the case relied on, should have no bearing on assessing the constitutionality of the policy, since a motive is a belief and the federal courts have, in other contexts, forbidden the government's assessing of beliefs. Beckwith is closely tied to the Discovery Institute intelligent design campaigns
, both from his arguments and writings being often repeated and promoted by the Discovery Institute and by receiving support from the Institute during his tenure controversy. Beckwith endorsed fellow Discovery Institute Fellow Richard Weikart
's controversial book, From Darwin to Hitler, Evolutionary Ethics, Eugenics and Racism in Germany.
, the National Review Online
published a response to Leiter written by Hunter Baker defending Beckwith and alleging Leiter was "attacking" both a student writer and "academic freedom." Hunter's article was republished by the Discovery Institute.
Leiter revealed that Hunter Baker was Beckwith's teaching assistant when he wrote the defense of Beckwith for the National Review, something both Beckwith and Hunter did not disclose. This prompted Leiter to question the journalistic integrity of Baker and to describe such tactics as "fraud" and a "right-wing slime and smear job."
During the controversy over Beckwith's tenure Hunter Baker went on to write another National Review article arguing that the denial of tenure was an attack on academic freedom, again without disclosing his relationship to Beckwith.
Kevin Drum of the Washington Monthly reported in the magazine's weblog that this controversy led to the creation of the blog the Panda's Thumb
, which has become one of the most notable fora for critics of intelligent design; however, Ed Brayton of the Panda's Thumb stated that the timing was a coincidence.
advocated by J.M. Dawson: "We are troubled because Dr. Beckwith is a fellow of the Discovery Institute. The activities of this organization are widely recognized in the academic community as engaging in political activities that contravene the fundamental principle of the separation of church and state for which J.M. Dawson stood." ...
"The Discovery Institute works to get the concept called 'intelligent design' into the science curriculum of public school textbooks, claiming that intelligent design is a scientific, not a religious, concept. In our judgment and in the judgment of the scientific community, this is a ruse for getting a religious notion into the public schools--clearly a violation of the separation of church and state."
According to a March 31, 2006 BPNews article Beckwith stated that he was following an appeals process in hopes of having the decision reversed. In early September 2006 stories concerning the reasons for Beckwith's denial of tenure and the political intrigue behind it were published in the Chronicle of Higher Education. On September 22, 2006, Beckwith won his appeal and was tenured by Baylor University. The Discovery Institute, where Beckwith served as a Fellow, lobbied extensively on his behalf during the controversy, comparing him to others connected to the Institute who have alleged academic or employment discrimination due to their advocacy of intelligent design such as Richard Sternberg
and his peer review controversy
. Beckwith also received support from an opponent of intelligent design, Ed Brayton, on his blog Dispatches from the Culture War.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Christian philosopher
Christian philosophy
Christian philosophy may refer to any development in philosophy that is characterised by coming from a Christian tradition.- Origins of Christian philosophy :...
, scholar, debater, and lecturer. Beckwith advocates in the areas of social ethics
Ethics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
, legal philosophy, philosophy of religion
Philosophy of religion
Philosophy of religion is a branch of philosophy concerned with questions regarding religion, including the nature and existence of God, the examination of religious experience, analysis of religious language and texts, and the relationship of religion and science...
, intelligent design
Intelligent design
Intelligent design is the proposition that "certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process such as natural selection." It is a form of creationism and a contemporary adaptation of the traditional teleological argument for...
and the Christian countercult movement
Christian countercult movement
The Christian countercult movement is a social movement of Christian ministries and individual Christian countercult activists who oppose religious sects thought to either partially abide or do not at all abide by the teachings that are written within the Bible. These religious sects are also known...
. Currently, he is the associate director of the J.M. Dawson Institute of Church-State Studies and an associate professor of Church-State studies at Baylor University
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
. Beckwith, born in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, now resides with his wife in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. Beckwith returned to Roman Catholicism in 2007.
Beckwith has defended the pro-life
Pro-life
Opposition to the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-life, or anti-abortion, movement, a social and political movement opposing elective abortion on moral grounds and supporting its legal prohibition or restriction...
position on abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
and the constitutional permissibility of the teaching of intelligent design
Intelligent design
Intelligent design is the proposition that "certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process such as natural selection." It is a form of creationism and a contemporary adaptation of the traditional teleological argument for...
in public schools. He has been affiliated with organizations that advocate for these issues. Beckwith is a former fellow at the Discovery Institute
Discovery Institute
The Discovery Institute is a non-profit public policy think tank based in Seattle, Washington, best known for its advocacy of intelligent design...
the "hub of the intelligent design movement
Intelligent design movement
The intelligent design movement is a neo-creationist religious campaign for broad social, academic and political change to promote and support the idea of "intelligent design," which asserts that "certain features of the universe and of living things are...
"; and a former member of the advisory board for the Intelligent Design and Evolution Awareness Center
Intelligent Design and Evolution Awareness Center
The Intelligent Design and Evolution Awareness Center is a Christian nonprofit organization formed originally as a student club promoting intelligent design at the University of California, San Diego . There are about 25 active chapters of this organization in the United States, Kenya, Canada,...
. As of late 2007, he is a fellow at The Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity (CBHD); and a professor at Baylor's Institute for the Studies of Religion (ISR).
Education and career
Beckwith is a graduate of the University of Nevada, Las VegasUniversity of Nevada, Las Vegas
University of Nevada-Las Vegas is a public, coeducational university located in the Las Vegas suburb of Paradise, Nevada, USA. The campus is located approximately east of the Las Vegas Strip. The institution includes a Shadow Lane Campus, located just east of the University Medical Center of...
(B.A. in Philosophy), Simon Greenleaf School of Law, Anaheim (MA in apologetics), Fordham University
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
(Ph.D. and M.A. in philosophy) and the Washington University School of Law, St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis is a private research university located in suburban St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1853, and named for George Washington, the university has students and faculty from all fifty U.S. states and more than 110 nations...
(Master of Juridical Studies).
A condensed version of Beckwith's 1984 MA thesis on the Bahá'í Faith
Bahá'í Faith
The Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in 19th-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. There are an estimated five to six million Bahá'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories....
was published by Bethany House
Bethany House
Bethany House Publishers is an evangelical publisher that publishes mostly Christian fiction and Non-Fiction. Bethany House Publishers was bought out in 2003 by Baker Publishing Group. In 2010, Bethany House has been open of fifty-two years....
in 1985.
Other social ethics questions to which he has contributed include the influence of relativism on public culture, affirmative action
Affirmative action
Affirmative action refers to policies that take factors including "race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation or national origin" into consideration in order to benefit an underrepresented group, usually as a means to counter the effects of a history of discrimination.-Origins:The term...
and discrimination
Discrimination
Discrimination is the prejudicial treatment of an individual based on their membership in a certain group or category. It involves the actual behaviors towards groups such as excluding or restricting members of one group from opportunities that are available to another group. The term began to be...
, same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
, bioethics
Bioethics
Bioethics is the study of controversial ethics brought about by advances in biology and medicine. Bioethicists are concerned with the ethical questions that arise in the relationships among life sciences, biotechnology, medicine, politics, law, and philosophy....
generally (including cloning), and interpreting constitutional issues as they touch on religious liberty and practices, such as the inclusion of intelligent design in public school science curricula.
Beckwith has held academic appointments at Whittier College
Whittier College
Whittier College is a private liberal arts college in Whittier, California. As of January 2009, the college has approximately 1540 enrolled students.-Overview:...
(1996–1997) and Trinity International University
Trinity International University
Trinity International University is an evangelical Christian institution of higher education headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois. It comprises an undergraduate college, a graduate school, a theological seminary , and a law school--together with nearly 3,000 students...
(1997–2002).
In November 2005, Professor Beckwith became the President-elect of the Evangelical Theological Society
Evangelical Theological Society
The Evangelical Theological Society is a professional society of Biblical scholars, educators, pastors, and students with the stated purpose of serving Jesus and his church by advancing evangelical scholarship. It was established in 1949 in Cincinnati. The number of members in 2005 was over 4,200...
, a professional organization of theologians. He is also a member of the American Philosophical Association's
American Philosophical Association
The American Philosophical Association is the main professional organization for philosophers in the United States. Founded in 1900, its mission is to promote the exchange of ideas among philosophers, to encourage creative and scholarly activity in philosophy, to facilitate the professional work...
Committee on Philosophy and Law.
In May 2007 Professor Beckwith made public his conversion to the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, which took place in late April 2007, and resigned as both President of the Evangelical Theological Society and member of the society, effective May 7, 2007.
Intelligent design and the Discovery Institute
Beckwith states that he is not an intelligent design advocate, and his interests lie in the legal and cultural questions raised by the movement. Beckwith has stated that although he is sympathetic to the intelligent design movementIntelligent design movement
The intelligent design movement is a neo-creationist religious campaign for broad social, academic and political change to promote and support the idea of "intelligent design," which asserts that "certain features of the universe and of living things are...
he thinks they mistakenly accept "the modern idea that an Enlightenment view of science is the paradigm of knowledge." Critics of intelligent design, such as Barbara Forrest
Barbara Forrest
Barbara Carroll Forrest is a professor of philosophy at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. She is a critic of intelligent design and the Discovery Institute.- Biography :...
, consider Beckwith a proponent. Beckwith often speaks on the legal permissibility of teaching intelligent design in public school science classes, arguing that it is legally permissible and arguing against the ruling in Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District
Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District
Tammy Kitzmiller, et al. v. Dover Area School District, et al. was the first direct challenge brought in the United States federal courts testing a public school district policy that required the teaching of intelligent design...
that intelligent design is essentially religious in nature, a form of creationism
Creationism
Creationism is the religious beliefthat humanity, life, the Earth, and the universe are the creation of a supernatural being, most often referring to the Abrahamic god. As science developed from the 18th century onwards, various views developed which aimed to reconcile science with the Genesis...
, and thus its teaching as science in public schools violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution
First Amendment to the United States Constitution
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering...
. He provided much of the legal reasoning and justification behind the claim of the Discovery Institute that intelligent design is not a religious belief and maintains that the religious motives of the policy's supporters, which he says the judge in the case relied on, should have no bearing on assessing the constitutionality of the policy, since a motive is a belief and the federal courts have, in other contexts, forbidden the government's assessing of beliefs. Beckwith is closely tied to the Discovery Institute intelligent design campaigns
Discovery Institute intelligent design campaigns
Discovery Institute intelligent design campaigns are a series of related public relations campaigns conducted by the Discovery Institute which seek to promote intelligent design while attempting to discredit evolutionary biology, which the Institute terms "Darwinism." The Discovery Institute is the...
, both from his arguments and writings being often repeated and promoted by the Discovery Institute and by receiving support from the Institute during his tenure controversy. Beckwith endorsed fellow Discovery Institute Fellow Richard Weikart
Richard Weikart
Richard Weikart is a professor of history at California State University, Stanislaus, and is a senior fellow for the Center for Science and Culture of the Discovery Institute. In 1997 he joined the editorial board of the Access Research Network's Origins & Design Journal...
's controversial book, From Darwin to Hitler, Evolutionary Ethics, Eugenics and Racism in Germany.
Hunter Baker / National Review Online controversy
In 2004 the Harvard Law Review published a review by Lawrence VanDyke, a Harvard Law student, praising a book written by Beckwith that defended the teaching of intelligent design in schools. In response to a scathing review of VanDyke's review by professor of law and philosophy Brian LeiterBrian Leiter
Brian Leiter is an American philosopher and legal scholar who is currently John Wilson Professor of Law at the University of Chicago Law School, and founder and Director of Chicago's new Center for Law, Philosophy, and Human Values and the editor of the Philosophical Gourmet Report. He taught from...
, the National Review Online
National Review
National Review is a biweekly magazine founded by the late author William F. Buckley, Jr., in 1955 and based in New York City. It describes itself as "America's most widely read and influential magazine and web site for conservative news, commentary, and opinion."Although the print version of the...
published a response to Leiter written by Hunter Baker defending Beckwith and alleging Leiter was "attacking" both a student writer and "academic freedom." Hunter's article was republished by the Discovery Institute.
Leiter revealed that Hunter Baker was Beckwith's teaching assistant when he wrote the defense of Beckwith for the National Review, something both Beckwith and Hunter did not disclose. This prompted Leiter to question the journalistic integrity of Baker and to describe such tactics as "fraud" and a "right-wing slime and smear job."
During the controversy over Beckwith's tenure Hunter Baker went on to write another National Review article arguing that the denial of tenure was an attack on academic freedom, again without disclosing his relationship to Beckwith.
Kevin Drum of the Washington Monthly reported in the magazine's weblog that this controversy led to the creation of the blog the Panda's Thumb
The Panda's Thumb (weblog)
The Panda's Thumb is a weblog on the creation-evolution controversy from a mainstream scientific perspective. In 2006, Nature listed it as one of the top five science blogs. It is written by multiple contributors, including Wesley R. Elsberry, Paul R. Gross, Nick Matzke, PZ Myers and Mark Perakh,...
, which has become one of the most notable fora for critics of intelligent design; however, Ed Brayton of the Panda's Thumb stated that the timing was a coincidence.
Baylor controversies
In 2003 shortly after his appointment as associate director of the J. M. Dawson Institute of Church-State Studies at Baylor, twenty-nine members of the J.M. Dawson family called on Baylor University to remove Beckwith as associate director. In a letter the Dawson family members questioned the appointment of Beckwith, accusing him of holding church-state positions contrary to the strong stand for separationSeparation of church and state in the United States
The phrase "separation of church and state" , attributed to Thomas Jefferson and others, and since quoted by the Supreme Court of the United States, expresses an understanding of the intent and function of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States...
advocated by J.M. Dawson: "We are troubled because Dr. Beckwith is a fellow of the Discovery Institute. The activities of this organization are widely recognized in the academic community as engaging in political activities that contravene the fundamental principle of the separation of church and state for which J.M. Dawson stood." ...
"The Discovery Institute works to get the concept called 'intelligent design' into the science curriculum of public school textbooks, claiming that intelligent design is a scientific, not a religious, concept. In our judgment and in the judgment of the scientific community, this is a ruse for getting a religious notion into the public schools--clearly a violation of the separation of church and state."
According to a March 31, 2006 BPNews article Beckwith stated that he was following an appeals process in hopes of having the decision reversed. In early September 2006 stories concerning the reasons for Beckwith's denial of tenure and the political intrigue behind it were published in the Chronicle of Higher Education. On September 22, 2006, Beckwith won his appeal and was tenured by Baylor University. The Discovery Institute, where Beckwith served as a Fellow, lobbied extensively on his behalf during the controversy, comparing him to others connected to the Institute who have alleged academic or employment discrimination due to their advocacy of intelligent design such as Richard Sternberg
Richard Sternberg
Richard M. Sternberg is an American scientist. Sternberg believes intelligent design should be part of the discussion about evolution and the origin of life on Earth. Although he is not a proponent of intelligent design, Dr. Sternberg has been critical of the mainstream in evolutionary biology for...
and his peer review controversy
Sternberg peer review controversy
The Sternberg peer review controversy concerns the conflict arising from the publication of an article supporting the controversial concept of intelligent design in a scientific journal, and the subsequent questions of whether proper editorial procedures had been followed and whether it was...
. Beckwith also received support from an opponent of intelligent design, Ed Brayton, on his blog Dispatches from the Culture War.
Other Relevant Sources
- Kenneth D. Boa and Robert M. Bowman, Faith Has Its Reasons: An Integrative Approach to Defending Christianity (Colorado Springs: NAV Press, 2001), pp. 214–217.
External links
- Francis Beckwith's website
- Whats Wrong With The World, a website in which he contributes
- review by Douglas Groothuis of Law, Darwinism and Public Education, Philosophia Christi, 5/1 (2003)
- A critical book review of The Mormon Concept of God by Blake T. Ostler, a Mormon scholar. FARMS Review 8/2 1996 pp 99–146.
- Antidote to abortion arguments, a favorable review by Jonathan SarfatiJonathan SarfatiJonathan D. Sarfati is a former New Zealand national chess champion and creationist author with a PhD in chemistry. Sarfati works for Creation Ministries International , formerly part of Answers in Genesis , a non-profit Christian Apologetics ministry specialising in Young-Earth creationism...
of Politically Correct Death