Divinity Association Officers Attack Criticisms by Coffee

John Papandrew 2Dv, president of the Divinity School Student Association, denied last night that statements made Monday by the school's newspaper editors represent the opinion of either the student body or of its officers.

John M. Coffee, Jr. 4Dv, editor of the Association's official publication, the Scribe, had criticized the University's religious policies and the present renovation of the Divinity School, which, in his opinion, neglects the traditional historical approach of the School.

"Those statements reflect Coffee's own opinion, not necessarily ours," Papandrew stated. "It would be highly presumptuous," he said, "for any student or group of students--even for the editor and officers of the Scribe--to set themselves up as representing the opinion of so diverse a student body as this."

Papandrew added that the local Divinity School, unlike many denominational schools, does not represent one or even several religious opinions, but includes a very wide range of beliefs.

Student association member Samuel McM. Keen 2Dv, is preparing a written reply to Coffee's charges. "Coffee's article misrepresents the purpose of the administration," he commented last night. "The University does not in any way mean to supplant the study of history here. It merely wishes to supplement the historical side of religion with other important and previously neglected aspects."

"The historical method of studying religion," according to Keen, "is not historical until it takes into account the experience that produced the events and doctrines studied by such method."