Biola University

Biola's former Los Angeles building: under construction (top) and complete in 1916 (bottom). It was demolished in 1988, after damage in a 1987 earthquake.[2]

Biola University was founded in 1908 as the Bible Institute of Los Angeles by Lyman Stewart, president of the Union Oil Company of California (subsequently known as Unocal and later purchased by the Chevron Corporation); Thomas C. Horton, a Presbyterian minister and Christian author; and Augustus B. Prichard, also a Presbyterian minister.[3][4][5]

In 1912, the school appointed R. A. Torrey as dean, and in 1913 began construction on a new building at the corner of Sixth and Hope St. (536 South Hope St.), in downtown Los Angeles, which included a 3,500-seat auditorium, two large neon signs (added later) on top of the building proclaiming "Jesus Saves", and a carillon of eleven bells on which hymns were played three times each day.[2][3][6][7] These early leaders wanted the school to focus on the training of students in the Bible and missions, rather than the broad approach to Christian education typical of Christian liberal arts colleges. The Institute offered a diploma after completion of a two-year curriculum. This model was based largely on the Moody Bible Institute.[8] Beginning in the 1920s, attempts were made to broaden the curriculum,[9] but it was not until 1949 that the institution took the name "Biola College" and in 1981 was renamed "Biola University". Biola re-located to La Mirada, California in 1959.[2][3][6][10]

In 1915 Torrey announced plans to organize an independent church that would meet in Biola's auditorium called the Church of the Open Door. This decision proved controversial with local Presbyterian and Baptist clergy.[11]

In 1917, the Institute published a four-volume version of The Fundamentals: A Testimony To The Truth (a series of essays affirming conservative Protestant beliefs, and source of the term fundamentalism), edited by Torrey and others, with funds donated by Lyman Stewart and his brother Milton.[12][13]

Lyman Stewart died on September 28, 1923, and ten months later, Reuben Torrey resigned as dean. The school appointed Joseph Irvine as president, and on April 3, 1925, appointed John Murdoch MacInnis as the school's second dean. MacInnis was a Presbyterian minister who had been an instructor at the school for only about two years. MacInnis served as dean until his forced resignation on December 31, 1928. His administration had been turbulent and suffered from leadership conflicts and religious controversy.[14] In 1927, Biola published a book by MacInnis entitled "Peter the Fisherman Philosopher". This book became the focus of an intense national controversy, in which MacInnis was accused by Fundamentalists of advocating liberal theological positions contrary to Biola's standards.[15][16] Eventually MacInnis was forced to resign, and all remaining copies of the book along with the printing plates were destroyed.[17]

In 1929 Charles E. Fuller a businessman, evangelist and graduate of Biola, was drafted as vice president to find a new dean and a president. Elbert McCreery and William P. White, both associated with Moody Bible Institute, were chosen to fill these posts.[18]

During the Great Depression, the Institute suffered serious financial difficulties.[6] In 1932, Louis T. Talbot, pastor of the Church of the Open Door, assumed the presidency and helped raise much-needed funds.[6] During the next two decades, Talbot led a shift away from missions, instead concentrating on academic programs.[6] Talbot Theological Seminary became Biola's first graduate school, and in 1977, Biola acquired the graduate programs of Rosemead Graduate School of Professional Psychology and relocated them to the La Mirada campus.[6] Biola added a School of Intercultural Studies in 1983,[19] a School of Business in 1993,[6] and a School of Education in 2007.[20]

"The Word", mural by Kent Twitchell

Biola holds two annual student conferences, the Missions Conference during the spring semester and the Torrey Memorial Bible Conference during the fall semester.[21][22]

The Missions Conference is the largest annual missions conference and the second largest missions conference in the world, second only to the tri-annual Urbana Missions Conference. It is a three-day student-run event that is intended to inspire students towards missionary activity and provide information about missionary work. Classes are canceled Wednesday through Friday in the middle of spring semester to accommodate this. The conference offers ethnic meals, cultural awareness field trips, on-campus cultural experiences, and interaction with missionaries.[23]

The Torrey Memorial Bible Conference is also a three-day conference dedicated to students' spiritual growth. Every year a specific topic is chosen that is geared towards the typical college student's spiritual needs.[24]

The annual one-day Biola Media Conference seeks to advance the integration of faith and the arts. It brings together Christian media leaders and other Christians for education, inspiration, and networking.[25]

On November 16, 1996, the university hosted the first national conference on intelligent design. Later, Intervarsity Press published Mere Creation (ISBN 0-8308-1515-5), a collection of the papers presented at the conference. Subsequent intelligent design conferences were held at the university in 2002 and 2004.[26]

Since 2015, Biola requires students to attend 5 conference sessions and 20 chapel services per semester, or face a financial penalty.[27]

On October 8, 2007, Biola opened the Charles L. Feinberg Center for Messianic Jewish Studies in Manhattan. The Center offers a Masters in Divinity in Messianic Jewish Studies. The program, which is in cooperation with Chosen People Ministries, focuses on the education and training of leaders in the Messianic Jewish community.[28] The program is approved by the New York State Board of Regents and the Association of Theological Schools.[29]

Biola has over 65 student organizations and clubs. The most prominent are the Student Government Association and the Student Missionary Union.

Biola's Student Government Association (SGA) equips student leaders to advocate for the student experience by funding student initiatives and representation for the undergraduate student body in order to foster Christ-centered community. SGA also sponsors student-initiated and student-run clubs on campus through which anyone can get involved, create community, and develop teamwork and leadership skills. There are more than 40 active clubs on campus.

The Biola Student Missionary Union (SMU) is the largest student-led missions organization in the United States. The ministry focuses in three primary areas: Biola, our city, and the Nations. Students from every background and skill set can live out the Great Commission in their lives through the Missions Conference, Local Missions trips (Jerusalem and Judea project), Short-Term Missions trips and many other opportunities. SMU exists to mobilize students to align their lives towards the completion of the Great Commission. Their desire is to consistently raise up generations of student leaders who passionately and obediently serve Jesus throughout their lives.

In May 2012, an underground LGBTQ community, calling themselves the Biola Queer Underground, launched a website in support of promoting dialogue and reconsideration of Biola's expulsion policy regarding homosexual behavior.[44] The covert group requested to be accepted as a facet of diversity within the campus, declaring that, despite traditional church teaching on homosexuality, they held similar Christian beliefs and values to the university.[44] The website was advertised on campus without authorization, and garnered national attention from the mainstream media.[45][46] The Biola administration released a formal statement on their views on human sexuality shortly afterwards, and gave a chapel message reiterating their view that marriage is strictly between a man and woman.[47] In the Spring of 2013, William Haggerty and Natasha Magness, both former students of the university, were interviewed by Biola's student newspaper, revealing that they were the co-founders of the organization.[48]

Since then, The Dwelling, a university-sanctioned LGBTQ organization, has been established. It seeks to support LGBT students without endorsing same-sex marriage and related policies.[49]

Biola University teams, nicknamed athletically as the Eagles, is currently transitioning into the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in the Pacific West Conference (PacWest). Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, swimming, tennis and track & field; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track & field and volleyball.[50]

In 2012, Biola inducted three alumni into Inaugural Athletics Hall of Fame. The athletics department inducted Todd Worrell (baseball), Becky White (volleyball and women's basketball) and Wade Kirchmeyer (men's basketball). The school has since inducted 14 more alumni, including: Jim Blagg, Dr. Clyde Cook, Musa Dogonyaro, Ronn Johnson, Natasha Miller, Ben Orr, Jessica Pistole, Rianne Schorel and Tim Worrell.[51]

Biola University also has a club men's lacrosse team that competed in the Western Collegiate Lacrosse Conference, but since, they compete in a new conference, the Southwestern Lacrosse Conference (SLC). A club women's lacrosse team began competition in 2012 in the Western Women's Lacrosse League. Biola also has a club men's rugby team that began playing in the SCRFU in 2013.

In 2005, the university's soccer pitch, Al Barbour Field, was completely rebuilt, incorporating a FieldTurf synthetic grass surface, new lighting, and a parking garage beneath the field.

In 2013, Biola's softball field was newly renovated. The new "Freedom Field" contains an upgraded facility complete with new dugouts, bullpens, a team room and other major improvements.

On July 20, 2016 Biola University's application for membership into the NCAA Division II had been approved for the three-year membership process. The Eagles continued as an active member of the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) for the 2016–17 school year while completing Provisional Year One with the NCAA. In Provisional Year Two (2017–18), Biola joined the Pacific West (PacWest) Conference and competed primarily against NCAA opponents. With successful completion of Provisional Year Three (2018–19) of the membership process, the Eagles will gain full, active NCAA DII membership and become eligible to compete for NCAA Division II championships beginning as early as 2019–20.[52]

Biola has four university centers, each with a unique mission and vision based upon the university's principles. The centers are:

• Center for Christian Thought
• Center for Christianity, Culture and the Arts
• Center for Marriage and Relationships
• Center for the Study of the Work and Ministry of the Holy Spirit Today

In 2012, the Biola University Center for Christian Thought (CCT) was launched, funded by a $3.03 million grant from the John Templeton Foundation, the largest academic grant ever awarded to Biola University.[53] The CCT (cct.biola.edu) is a forum where leading Christian thinkers from around the world gather to research and discuss issues of significance to the academy, the church, and the broader culture.[54] In 2013, the Biola University Center for Christianity, Culture and the Arts (CCCA) was launched, funded with a grant from philanthropists Howard and Roberta Ahmanson's Fieldstead and Company.[55] The CCCA (ccca.biola.edu) sponsors events and symposia, produces online resources and strives to facilitate thoughtful reflection on the interplay of Christian faith, the larger culture and the world of the arts.[56] In October 2014, Biola launched the Center for Marriage and Relationships (CMR). The center exists to build and sustain healthy relationships and marriages in the church and broader culture. They strive to provide a safe place for individuals, couples and families to share their stories and be heard. CMR also desires to restore and inspire a vision of marriage that reflects the beautiful model of Christ's redeeming love for the church. In Fall of 2017, Biola launched the Center for the Study of the Work and Ministry of the Holy Spirit Today, funded by a $3 million donation.[57] Located within Talbot School of Theology, the center is a 10-year initiative that provides resources for students and scholars who wish to gain a better understanding of the work of the Holy Spirit.[58]

The university has been involved in the publication of the following magazines and academic journals:

• The King's Business was a monthly publication of Biola from 1910 to 1970. In the first decades of its publication, it was the leading journal for conservative Christianity and the early fundamentalist movement. In fact, The Fundamentals and The King's Business shared the same chief editor (R. A. Torrey) and were supported by the same "concerned laymen" (Lyman and Milton Stewart).[59]
• Philosophia Christi is a peer-reviewed journal published twice a year by the Evangelical Philosophical Society with the support of Biola University as a vehicle for the scholarly discussion of philosophy and philosophical issues in the fields of ethics, theology, and religion. The journal is indexed by The Philosopher's Index and Religious & Theological Abstracts.
• Journal of Psychology and Theology has as its purpose to communicate recent scholarly thinking on the interrelationships of psychological and theological concepts, and to consider the application of these concepts to a variety of professional settings. The major intent of the editor is to place before the evangelical community articles that have bearing on the nature of humankind from a Biblical perspective.[60]
• Journal of Spiritual Formation and Soul Care has as its purpose advancing the discussion of the theory and practice of Christian formation and soul care for the sake of the educational ministries of the church, Christian education, and other para-church organizations through scholarly publications that are rooted in Biblical exegesis, systematic theology, the history of Christian spirituality, philosophical analysis, psychological theory/research, spiritual theology, and Christian experience.[61]
• Christian Education Journal has as its purpose to strengthen the conception and practice of Christian education in church and para-church settings.[62]
• Great Commission Research Journal is a peer-reviewed journal devoted to research and scholarly thinking on church growth.[63]
• Biola Magazine is the official magazine of Biola University.[64]
• Talbot Magazine is the official magazine of Talbot School of Theology.[65]
• The Chimes is Biola's student newspaper.[66]
• The Point is a magazine produced by Biola's journalism program that won the 2008 Associated Collegiate Press Pacemaker Award, the highest honor for a collegiate magazine.[67]
• The Inkslinger is a student creative arts journal.[68]
• The Bells is a humorous, fictitious news site created by and for Biola students.[69] The Bells is a satire similar to The Onion.
• Open Biola is an online database allowing visitors from anywhere in the world to easily search, stream, download and share videos and other learning materials that engage academic topics from a Christian perspective.[70]

• William P. White (1929–1932)
• Louis T. Talbot (1932-1935)
• Paul W. Rood (1935–1938)
• Louis T. Talbot (1938–1952)
• Samuel H. Sutherland (1952–1970)
• J. Richard Chase (1970–1982)
• Clyde Cook (1982–2007)
• Barry Corey (2007- )

• Steve Bridges (1986) – Comedian, impressionist and actor
• Clyde Cook (1957) – Missionary, professor, and university president
• Scott Derrickson (1990) – Director, screenwriter and producer
• Sikhanyiso Dlamini (2010) – Princess of Eswatini
• Kate Durbin (2004) – Artist
• Charles E. Fuller (1921) – Christian clergyman and radio evangelist
• Judith Hill (2006) – Singer-songwriter
• Michael Horton (theologian) (1985) – Theologian and academic
• Zach King (2012) – Filmmaker and YouTube personality
• Josh McDowell (1971) – Christian apologist, evangelist and writer
• Trevor Oaks – Major League Baseball player for the San Francisco Giants
• Nabeel Qureshi (2008) – Author and Christian apologist
• Jos Charles (2010) – Poet
• Cassie Randolph (2016) – Television personality and winner of The Bachelor
• Tobin Sorenson (1980) – Mountain climber
• John Thune (1983) – U.S. Senator from South Dakota since 2005 and Senate Majority Whip since 2019
• Larry Tieu (2007) – ASEAN Basketball League player for the Saigon Heat
• Tim Worrell (1990) – Former professional baseball pitcher .
• Todd Worrell (1982) – Former professional baseball relief pitcher
• Danny Yamashiro (1991) – Evangelist and pastor
• Anabel Muñoz (2010) – Reporter/Anchor for ABC7LA[71]

• Christopher Castile, Adjunct Professor of Political Science
• William Lane Craig, Research Professor of Philosophy
• J. Vernon McGee, Professor of Bible and Department Chair
• J. P. Moreland, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy
• Bernard Ramm, Baptist theologian and apologist
• Robert L. Saucy, Distinguished Professor of Systematic Theology
• J. Warner Wallace, Adjunct Professor of Apologetics

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• Official website