I can’t find reliable information, but some members of the faculty have told reporters they don’t think private Christian donors contribute substantially to SPU’s budget, which makes the story all the stranger. The thing is that while SPU has always celebrated its Christian identity, it hasn’t been in the front lines (or even the trenches) of the culture wars. When Professor Rinedahl’s department chair recommended him for promotion (knowing he was a married gay man) everyone assumed the promotion was a sure thing.

One statement the board put out recently sheds some light. When they say they made their decision not to change employment policy, they said they did so in order to preserve SPU’s “Christian identity.”

Maybe this means a significant number of major donors are part the camp that defines Christianity by sexual matters, but given SPU alumni tend not to be conservative Christians, maybe not. Short of the board releasing detailed donor information, there’s probably no way to know.

It seems equally or perhaps more possible that board members themselves are ideologically driven to define Christianity by sexual matters.