If you check the lists of pagan or general virtues in the past or present, you will not find this virtue listed (with one exception). If you check the list of virtues found in American laws that list virtues that K-12 schools are supposed to teach students, you will also not see this virtue. You will also not find any positive psychology scales that try to measure it. I am talking about the virtue of faithfulness.
Dumbing and Defining Faithfulness Down
What is faithfulness? I found it quite surprising to see how unsatisfactory the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) definition for faithfulness is. It defines it as “Fidelity, loyalty (to a superior or friend); (religious) devotion. Also: adherence to one’s word; trustworthiness; honesty, sincerity.” Certainly, many of these things comprise faithfulness, but to talk about being loyal to one’s spouse or sincere with God as similar to faithfulness falls short of how we think and use the word in these contexts.
When we reference faithfulness in Christianity or marriage, we mean a wholehearted commitment to a specific or implied covenant relationship. Nothing like that is found in the OED definition. In marriage and Christianity, it also involves forsaking others until the point of death (i.e., “till death do us part”). Rev. 13:10 provides a helpful example, “If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity they will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword they will be killed. This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people.” That’s a different level of faithfulness, and one finds nothing like that in the OED definition.
Since the OED lists the first use of the word “faithfulness” in English as from Wycliffe’s Bible around 1400, it may be helpful to look to the Bible for more guidance.
Why Is It Central?
In the Scriptures, we find that faithfulness is central to God’s character. God first describes himself using virtue language in Exodus (15:13; 20:5). In one of those instances (Ex. 34:6), we find this description, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness (we·’ĕ·meṯ–historically translated “truth” but now translated “faithfulness” in all major contemporary translations). God overflows with faithfulness—a truth repeated several times in the Old Testament (2 Sam. 2:6; Ps. 25:10; Ps. 86:15).
Since we are made in God’s image and bear God’s image by demonstrating God’s virtues, it should be no surprise that God’s people are advised to find and acquire faithfulness (Prov. 14:22). As Proverbs 3:3, reflecting Ex. 34:6’s description of God, admonishes us, “Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.” (Prov. 3:3). Of course, faithfulness is also a fruit of the Spirit (albeit a neglected one).
In contrast, unfaithfulness is a central vice against God that Biblical writers understood as similar to unfaithfulness in marriage (Jer. 3:7-20; Hosea). It results in harsh punishments with Israel repeatedly punished for their unfaithfulness (I Chron 9:1; 2 Chron. 12:12; 2 Chron 29:6; 2 Chron. 30:7; 2 Chron. 36:14; Ezra 9:2-4; Neh. 1:8; 13:27; Ps. 73:27; Prov. 11:6; 13:15; 22:12; Ezek,: 14:3; 15:8; 18:24; 39:23; Mal. 2:11-14). The harsh punishments include captivity, exile, and death (similar to what Revelation says faithful Christians will endure). God is deathly serious about both human faithfulness and unfaithfulness.
The Study of Faithfulness and Unfaithfulness in Christian Higher Education
We usually spend considerable time with someone before we get married or join them in a serious business or ministry partnership. We believe we can get to know their character, and that their character will be consistent later in these endeavors. Perhaps not surprisingly, this belief has empirical support. Scholars find that people who are unfaithful to their spouses are also more likely to engage in professional misconduct at work.1
My co-authors and I wrote the book, Christian Higher Education: An Empirical Guide, to help parents and others understand the degrees of faithfulness among Christian institutions of higher education. I have had numerous parents contact me about how to determine the Christian character of an institution. I wanted to help them understand that there are supposedly Christian universities that are already playing the field, organizationally disconnected from their Christian identity, and treat their relationship as little more than the Gotye song suggests, “Just somebody that I used to know.”
Yet, if we understand faithfulness as similar to faithfulness in marriage, we must establish the same habits that cultivate faithfulness in our Christian institutions as we would to cultivate faithfulness in marriage.
Some Practices for Faithfulness
A Christian university will only be as faithful to God as its leaders, faculty, and staff are faithful to God. Thus, one would think that when we hire administrators, faculty, or staff, just like in a dating relationship before marriage, we would do our best to determine that person’s faithfulness to God. Yet, when we hire Christian faculty at Baylor University, our process is nothing like that one. There is often no request for an important level of commitment to being a faithful Christian scholar or an affirmation from others about this character quality of faithfulness. One colleague recently told me that a recent hire in their department had not attended church since high school. It would appear that those involved in our hiring process are not asking challenging questions about Christian academic faithfulness.
Of course, other institutions require faculty to sign statements of faith. Yet, those statements do not necessarily capture the exercise of faithfulness. Yes, they affirm a certain form of cognitive faithfulness, but we know that in marriage, cognitive faithfulness is not all there is to faithfulness. One’s spouse may believe lots of wonderful things about the other spouse’s character, but that does not mean he or she is faithful to that person in how they habitually live their lives or speak in public. I find the same with Christian faculty who may sign a statement of faith but are afraid to speak theologically about their discipline with non-Christian students. Just as watching cold, distant marriages is disheartening and discouraging, the same is true with cold or cowardly Christian affection among colleagues in the university.
I wonder if it would be helpful to have, on the annual review of every faculty member and administrator, the following question: How are you cultivating scholarly faithfulness to God? Still, I always recommend that the carrot is better than the stick. Just like we encourage strong marriage relationships among couples through the development of second-nature habits (showing agape love for one other, being patient and gentle with each other, forgiving each other, etc.), various practices (e.g., speaking positively about each other in public, continual loving and gentle communication, praying together, marriage retreats, date nights, etc.), following basic rules (no adultery), and gathering wisdom (e.g., what is your spouse’s central needs? Their love language? Their key emotional needs? Their favorite gifts?), we need to foster these positive moral supports for faithfulness with God among our faculty. What fosters robust Christian faithfulness among university faculty should be a topic worth discussing at an annual faculty retreat or meeting, both for the flourishing of the Christian professor and the Christian institution.
Perry
This is a powerful and well-reviewed clarification of faithfulness. Thanks. It raises the bar for our academic and professional virtues.
In my religion and ethics classes I show all or part of the Bible Project’s 6 Part series on The Character of God. For me, it shows the core of morality, by showing the FIVE Character qualities of God in Exodus 34:6,7. https://bibleproject.com/videos/collections/character-of-god/
The last video discusses God’s EMET or Faithfulness: https://bibleproject.com/videos/faithful/
I have come to notice my feeble attempts at faithfulness are best driven by a deep experience of God’s forgiveness despite my unfaithfulness. This is the counterintuitive and countercultural moral superiority at work in Judeo-Christian virtues. God’s faithfulness in forgiving our heinous “wickedness, rebellion and sin” (Ex 34: 7) shows that He truly more faithful than we can imaging. In treating us better than we deserve and coming to our realization of that truth, we are energized to treat others better than they deserve, which s the heart of faithfulness.
Duane
Timely, with an engaging beginning. You hooked me — arresting my morning reading when this appeared in my Inbox until I read the first full paragraph to discover the virtue in question. Also, one of the better uses of a song — Gotye! As you’re aware, Todd, Chris, and I have done various books on the status of and suggestions for Christian higher education. Here, you prompted me to think anew about a unique dynamic– how long does it take to get to know an institution. I often see families walking through our campus to determine if this is their college choice. Often they will do part or all of “the Christian corridor” in a day or two. That is, I-69, Anderson (just north of Indy) then next exit or so North they stop at Taylor University and Indiana Wesleyan University (same exit, 15 min. apart). Then back on I-69 to Huntington College and Grace just north. Then Goshen, and a bit west Bethel. And for some, Notre Dame. Others schools could be added, starting on 1-69 closer to Evansville with the smaller Oakland City University (General Baptist) and going all the way North and across to Valpo, depending on the ilk of religiosity desired. I raise this Christian Corridor phenomenon after reading your piece because I’ve seen hundreds of campus tours, sometimes with large groups–and on various campuses during visits (last week alone I witnessed this on both IWU and Taylor campuses, both stunning settings). I wondered how well they really got to know our schools and the tenacity of our missions. How much of their college choice rests on the student guide or staff member? What level of background work was done before stopping. Quite often I’ve discovered high-school sophomores and juniors in the mix (especially girls), showing a more serious approach to the decisions ahead. Some have typed questions to ask and keep notebooks. The depth of understanding of ‘faithfulness’ indeed takes time. If you have a simple guide — questions and/or characteristics — to help these students and families, perhaps some would use it. Given the mélange of books and articles you’ve written on this topic, you may already have produced one.
Thanks Jerry. Yes, I agree that I guide with questions or characteristics would be helpful. Some things are found in my book on Christian higher education, but it would be easy to produce a one page guide that could be a future blog. I appreciate the idea!