Interdenominational Policy Backed By Dean Horton of Divinity School

The Rev. Douglas Horton, new Dean of the Divinity School, reaffirmed previous statements of President Pusey by saying yesterday that the School "may draw for its leadership from any group within the great Church of Jesus Christ."

Speaking at the annual Divinity School convocation to the largest student body in the School's history, including the first nine women ever admitted, Dean Horton said that the School "would not shut out any, either to the left, side, or the right, because of theological differences."

Stating that the "very search for truth itself involves an act of faith," Rev. Horton said that there is no reason to fear that "unrestricted thought will eliminate in the Divinity School the factor of commitment to Christ and the Church."

"Enquiry without faith may prevail for a little, but in the end the unbalance, the list to one side, will take it off course and cause it to lose not only direction but any sense of direction, Horton said.

He described the Divinity School as a "community of believing scholars." "To be sure, there are some in it who are not believers, as there are some in it who are not scholars, but as a whole it is part alike of the Church and the University," Dean Horton said.

Before a student is graduated from the School, Dean Horton said he or she "must come into at least slight contact with all of the major disciplines and the fullest possible rapport with the humanities.