In what appears to be the conclusion to more than a month of controversy, the Campus Crusade for Christ yesterday distributed free copies of the C.S. Lewis book "Mere Christianity" to all members of the freshman class.
Members of the Class of 2002 received the books in their Hinman Boxes more than a month after they were originally scheduled to receive them.
Dean of the Tucker Foundation Scott Brown temporarily stopped the books' distribution in early December because of concerns from campus religious leaders that the book might offend certain students and that the mailing violated their voluntary agreement not to solicit students.
After a meeting of all the religious leaders, Brown decided to allow the CCC to mail the book, but the group did not do so because of time constraints prior to the winter interim.
The CCC ultimately decided to send "Mere Christianity," which is an autobiographical account of Lewis' conversion to belief in Jesus, to all freshmen at a special meeting of the group's membership last week, CCC Director Chris West said.
Included with the books were letters from the organization describing the book, its author and what the group sees as the importance of the novel and learning about Jesus Christ. The letter also encourages students to read the book.
Two additional paragraphs were added to the original letter from last term detailing the reasons for the mailing delay, including the controversy.
"After a long and very thoughtful consideration of all the issues involved we believe that ultimately it is best for you to decide what to do with the mail you receive," the letter states.
Near the Hinman Boxes, two reclamation boxes were set up by the CCC for students to deposit their books if they did not wish to accept them.
Brown said he found out about the decision to mail the books yesterday and that it did not concern him.
"I was glad they did it," Brown said. "I was concerned they would feel overly constrained by the circumstances in December and I wanted them to feel they could mail it out and was glad they did."
Brown suggested in a BlitzMail message last term that the CCC only send the book to students who selected a Christian-preference on their religious preference cards, but the CCC instead sent the book to all freshmen.
West said they chose to universally mail the book so they would not "stimulate any controversy between students [who did not receive the books] and leaders of their own faiths" if they had actually wanted to receive the mailing.
West told The Dartmouth last term he had offered to pull Jewish students from the mailing but that the offer was refused by Rabbi for Dartmouth Hillel Edward Boraz on privacy grounds.
CCC Student Director Owen Fletcher '00 said he thought the delay was appropriate "to give people time to cool off" from the controversy which garnered regional media attention.
Fletcher said the CCC was solidly in support of sending the books. "It's something we prayed about and discussed and in the end it was something we were unanimous about."
Creating further hostility among the campus ministers is not something the CCC wanted to achieve through this mailing, Fletcher said.
"We're more than willing to keep working with them and I hope it's not a cold relationship -- I hope we're mature enough to have differences and still work together."
West refused to comment on specific matters of yesterday's weekly campus minister meeting but did say, "I don't believe our decision to move on was pleasing news to some of our colleagues."
Brown said he believes he can maintain a working relationship with the CCC leadership after the events of the last two months. He said the group and West play "a valuable role" on campus, but added there might be lasting repercussions from the book controversy.
"It could have been handled more easily with more communication," Brown said. "It left a lot of bruised feelings and relationships that could have been avoided."
"I don't think the campus ministers should treat a request as something that is binding," West said. "We did weigh their request [not to distribute the books] in our decision."
This is the second year the CCC has distributed the books free of charge to all freshmen. Brown said seven Jewish students expressed concern about the mailing last year.
As for the future, West said his group plans to send letters to all members of the Class of 2003 prior to the book mailing informing them of the intention to send "Mere Christianity" and inviting students to send a BlitzMail message if they do not wish to receive it.
Brown said he feels that plan is an improvement from this year and also thinks the change in timing, away from final exams, is better for the freshman recipients.
Most of the students interviewed by The Dartmouth said they were not personally offended by the book but did not think the distribution was appropriate.
"I can see how other people could take it offensively, but for me it wasn't offensive," Tasha Francis '02 said.
Other people said the mailing was too forceful and thought it might be better if the distribution was more similar to the CCC's Bible give-a-way last term when the group left free copies of the text on tables in dining halls for students to pick up themselves.
"I was frustrated because I always feel I am being shoved this religious information that I don't want," Alison Muehrcke '02 said. "I guess it's a good idea because you get more information, but I think it was a bit forced."
