essay liberty university

Liberty University

• Cost & scholarships
• Essay prompt

Want to see your chances of admission at Liberty University?

We take every aspect of your personal profile into consideration when calculating your admissions chances.

Liberty University’s 2023-24 Essay Prompts

Select-a-prompt short response.

Answer each question in just 100-150 words

Describe how your personal faith and beliefs contribute to your college search process. (Examples include reasons for choosing Liberty, background information about your personal faith and beliefs, or other information you deem relevant.)

Liberty’s mission is to develop Christ-centered leaders. Describe how you will contribute to this mission as a Liberty student. (Examples include interests in church or community service, personal achievements or goals, or other examples of what you hope to achieve as a student.)

Common App Personal Essay

The essay demonstrates your ability to write clearly and concisely on a selected topic and helps you distinguish yourself in your own voice. What do you want the readers of your application to know about you apart from courses, grades, and test scores? Choose the option that best helps you answer that question and write an essay of no more than 650 words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response. Remember: 650 words is your limit, not your goal. Use the full range if you need it, but don‘t feel obligated to do so.

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you‘ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

What will first-time readers think of your college essay?

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Liberty University Requirements for Admission

Choose your test.

What are Liberty University's admission requirements? While there are a lot of pieces that go into a college application, you should focus on only a few critical things:

• GPA requirements
• Testing requirements, including SAT and ACT requirements
• Application requirements

In this guide we'll cover what you need to get into Liberty University and build a strong application.

School location: Lynchburg, VA

This school is also known as: LU

Admissions Rate: 55.5%

If you want to get in, the first thing to look at is the acceptance rate. This tells you how competitive the school is and how serious their requirements are.

The acceptance rate at Liberty University is 55.5% . For every 100 applicants, 56 are admitted.

This means the school is moderately selective . The school expects you to meet their requirements for GPA and SAT/ACT scores, but they're more flexible than other schools. If you exceed their requirements, you have an excellent chance of getting in. But if you don't, you might be one of the unlucky minority that gets a rejection letter.

We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies . We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools , from state colleges to the Ivy League.

We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools.

Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in.

Liberty University GPA Requirements

Many schools specify a minimum GPA requirement, but this is often just the bare minimum to submit an application without immediately getting rejected.

The GPA requirement that really matters is the GPA you need for a real chance of getting in. For this, we look at the school's average GPA for its current students.

Average GPA: 3.59

The average GPA at Liberty University is 3.59 .

(Most schools use a weighted GPA out of 4.0, though some report an unweighted GPA.

With a GPA of 3.59, Liberty University requires you to be around average in your high school class. You'll need a mix of A's and B's, and very few C's. If you have a lower GPA, you can compensate with harder courses like AP or IB classes. This will help boost your weighted GPA and show your ability to take college classes.

If you're currently a junior or senior, your GPA is hard to change in time for college applications. If your GPA is at or below the school average of 3.59, you'll need a higher SAT or ACT score to compensate . This will help you compete effectively against other applicants who have higher GPAs than you.

SAT and ACT Requirements

Each school has different requirements for standardized testing. Only a few schools require the SAT or ACT, but many consider your scores if you choose to submit them.

Liberty University hasn't explicitly named a policy on SAT/ACT requirements, but because it's published average SAT or ACT scores (we'll cover this next), it's likely test flexible. Typically, these schools say, "if you feel your SAT or ACT score represents you well as a student, submit them. Otherwise, don't."

Despite this policy, the truth is that most students still take the SAT or ACT, and most applicants to Liberty University will submit their scores. If you don't submit scores, you'll have one fewer dimension to show that you're worthy of being admitted, compared to other students. We therefore recommend that you consider taking the SAT or ACT, and doing well.

Liberty University SAT Requirements

Many schools say they have no SAT score cutoff, but the truth is that there is a hidden SAT requirement. This is based on the school's average score.

Average SAT: 1166

The average SAT score composite at Liberty University is a 1166 on the 1600 SAT scale.

This score makes Liberty University Competitive for SAT test scores.

Liberty University SAT Score Analysis (New 1600 SAT)

The 25th percentile SAT score is 1050, and the 75th percentile SAT score is 1270. In other words, a 1050 on the SAT places you below average, while a 1270 will move you up to above average .

Here's the breakdown of SAT scores by section:

SAT Score Choice Policy

The Score Choice policy at your school is an important part of your testing strategy.

Liberty University has the Score Choice policy of "Highest Section."

This is also known as "superscoring." This means that you can choose which SAT tests you want to send to the school. Of all the scores they receive, your application readers will consider your highest section scores across all SAT test dates you submit .

Click below to learn more about how superscoring critically affects your test strategy.

For example, say you submit the following 3 test scores:

Even though the highest total you scored on any one test date was 1000, Liberty University will take your highest section score from all your test dates, then combine them to form your Superscore. You can raise your composite score from 1000 to 1400 in this example.

This is important for your testing strategy. Because you can choose which tests to send in, and Liberty University forms your Superscore, you can take the SAT as many times as you want, then submit only the tests that give you the highest Superscore. Your application readers will only see that one score.

Therefore, if your SAT superscore is currently below a 1166, we strongly recommend that you consider prepping for the SAT and retaking it . You have a very good chance of raising your score, which will significantly boost your chances of getting in.

Even better, because of the Superscore, you can focus all your energy on a single section at a time. If your Reading score is lower than your other sections, prep only for the Reading section, then take the SAT. Then focus on Math for the next test, and so on. This will give you the highest Superscore possible.

Download our free guide on the top 5 strategies you must be using to improve your score. This guide was written by Harvard graduates and SAT perfect scorers. If you apply the strategies in this guide, you'll study smarter and make huge score improvements.

Liberty University ACT Requirements

Just like for the SAT, Liberty University likely doesn't have a hard ACT cutoff, but if you score too low, your application will get tossed in the trash.

Average ACT: 25

The average ACT score at Liberty University is 25. This score makes Liberty University Moderately Competitive for ACT scores.

The 25th percentile ACT score is 21, and the 75th percentile ACT score is 29.

Even though Liberty University likely says they have no minimum ACT requirement, if you apply with a 21 or below, you'll have a harder time getting in, unless you have something else impressive in your application.

ACT Score Sending Policy

If you're taking the ACT as opposed to the SAT, you have a huge advantage in how you send scores, and this dramatically affects your testing strategy.

Here it is: when you send ACT scores to colleges, you have absolute control over which tests you send. You could take 10 tests, and only send your highest one. This is unlike the SAT, where many schools require you to send all your tests ever taken.

This means that you have more chances than you think to improve your ACT score. To try to aim for the school's ACT requirement of 25 and above, you should try to take the ACT as many times as you can. When you have the final score that you're happy with, you can then send only that score to all your schools.

ACT Superscore Policy

By and large, most colleges do not superscore the ACT. (Superscore means that the school takes your best section scores from all the test dates you submit, and then combines them into the best possible composite score). Thus, most schools will just take your highest ACT score from a single sitting.

We weren't able to find the school's exact ACT policy, which most likely means that it does not Superscore. Regardless, you can choose your single best ACT score to send in to Liberty University, so you should prep until you reach our recommended target ACT score of 25.

Download our free guide on the top 5 strategies you must be using to improve your score. This guide was written by Harvard graduates and ACT perfect scorers. If you apply the strategies in this guide, you'll study smarter and make huge score improvements.

SAT/ACT Writing Section Requirements

Currently, only the ACT has an optional essay section that all students can take. The SAT used to also have an optional Essay section, but since June 2021, this has been discontinued unless you are taking the test as part of school-day testing in a few states. Because of this, no school requires the SAT Essay or ACT Writing section, but some schools do recommend certain students submit their results if they have them.

Liberty University considers the SAT Essay/ACT Writing section optional and may not include it as part of their admissions consideration. You don't need to worry too much about Writing for this school, but other schools you're applying to may require it.

Final Admissions Verdict

Because this school is moderately selective, strong academic performance will almost guarantee you admission . Scoring a 1270 SAT or a 29 ACT or above will nearly guarantee you admission. Because the school admits 55.5% of all applicants, being far above average raises the admission rate for you to nearly 100%.

If you can achieve a high SAT/ACT score, the rest of your application essentially doesn't matter. You still need to meet the rest of the application requirements, and your GPA shouldn't be too far off from the school average of 3.59. But you won't need dazzling extracurriculars and breathtaking letters of recommendation to get in. You can get in based on the merits of your score alone.

But if your score is a 1050 SAT or a 21 ACT and below, you have a good chance of being one of the unlucky few to be rejected.

Admissions Calculator

Here's our custom admissions calculator. Plug in your numbers to see what your chances of getting in are. Pick your test: SAT ACT

• 80-100%: Safety school: Strong chance of getting in
• 50-80%: More likely than not getting in
• 20-50%: Lower but still good chance of getting in
• 5-20%: Reach school: Unlikely to get in, but still have a shot
• 0-5%: Hard reach school: Very difficult to get in

How would your chances improve with a better score?

Take your current SAT score and add 160 points (or take your ACT score and add 4 points) to the calculator above. See how much your chances improve?

At PrepScholar, we've created the leading online SAT/ACT prep program . We guarantee an improvement of 160 SAT points or 4 ACT points on your score, or your money back.

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• We guide you through your program step-by-step so that you're never confused about what you should be studying. Focus all your time learning, not worrying about what to learn.
• Our team is made of national SAT/ACT experts . PrepScholar's founders are Harvard graduates and SAT perfect scorers . You'll be studying using the strategies that actually worked for them.
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Application Requirements

Every school requires an application with the bare essentials - high school transcript and GPA, application form, and other core information. Many schools, as explained above, also require SAT and ACT scores, as well as letters of recommendation, application essays, and interviews. We'll cover the exact requirements of Liberty University here.

Application Requirements Overview

• Common Application Not accepted
• Electronic Application Available
• Essay or Personal Statement Required for all freshmen
• Letters of Recommendation
• Interview Not required
• Application Fee $50
• Fee Waiver Available? Available
• Other Notes

Testing Requirements

• SAT or ACT Considered if submitted
• SAT Essay or ACT Writing Optional
• SAT Subject Tests
• Scores Due in Office None

Coursework Requirements

• Subject Required Years
• Foreign Language
• Social Studies

Deadlines and Early Admissions

• Offered? Deadline Notification
• Yes Rolling Rolling

Admissions Office Information

• Address: 1971 Lynchburg, VA 24515
• Phone: (434) 582-2000 x2000
• Fax: (434) 582-2304
• Email: [email protected]

Other Schools For You

If you're interested in Liberty University, you'll probably be interested in these schools as well. We've divided them into 3 categories depending on how hard they are to get into, relative to Liberty University.

Reach Schools: Harder to Get Into

These schools are have higher average SAT scores than Liberty University. If you improve your SAT score, you'll be competitive for these schools.

Same Level: Equally Hard to Get Into

If you're competitive for Liberty University, these schools will offer you a similar chance of admission.

Safety Schools: Easier to Get Into

If you're currently competitive for Liberty University, you should have no problem getting into these schools. If Liberty University is currently out of your reach, you might already be competitive for these schools.

Data on this page is sourced from Peterson's Databases © 2023 (Peterson's LLC. All rights reserved.) as well as additional publicly available sources.

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Turabian Writing Guide: Bibliography

• Bibliography
• Citing the Bible

Writing Center

The Liberty University Writing Center is available to provide writing coaching to students. Residential students should contact the  On-Campus Writing Center  for assistance. Online students should contact the  Online Writing Center  for assistance.

Bibliography (Notes-Biblography Style)

All bibliographic entries should be single-spaced, indenting subsequent lines. Like the rest of the paper, the bibliography should be in Times New Roman. The following are examples and due to the nature of formatting in web pages may not reflect the exact style as would be seen in a Word document.

Book with a Single Author

Kitamura, Katie. A Separation . New York: Riverhead Books, 2017.

Book with Two or More Authors

Sassler, Sharon, and Amanda Jayne Miller. Cohabitation Nation: Gender, Class, and the Remaking of            Relationships . Oakland: University of California Press, 2017.

Books with Four or More Authors

For books with up to ten authors, list each author in the order in which they appear.  For books with more then ten, list only the first seven authors followed by "et al."

Eichengreen, Barry, Lim, Wonhyuk, Park, Yung C., and Dwight H. Perkins. The Korean Economy: From         a Miraculous Past to a Sustainable Future . Cambridge: Harvard University Asia Center, 2015.

Books with an Editor

John D’Agata, ed. The Making of the American Essay . Minneapolis: Graywolf Press, 2016.

Chapter or Other Part of a Book

Rowlandson, Mary. “The Narrative of My Captivity.” In The Making of the American Essay , edited by        John D’Agata, 19–56. Minneapolis: Graywolf Press, 2016.

Translation of a Book

Lahiri, Jhumpa. In Other Words . Translated by Ann Goldstein. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2016.

For online ebooks, include a URL or the name of the database. For other types of ebooks (such as e-reader files), name the format at the end of the citation.

Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice . New York: Penguin Classics, 2007. Kindle.

Dostoevsky, Fyodor. Crime and Punishment . Translated by Constance Garnett, edited by William Allan Neilson. New York: P. F. Collier Son, 1917.                          https://archive.org/details/crimepunishment00dostuoft.

Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the American Meal . Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2001.  ProQuest Ebrary.

Journal Article

For online articles, include the doi address (the address begins with https://doi.org/).  If the article doesn't have doi information, list the article's permalink or database instead.  If an article has more than ten authors, list the first seven authors followed by an "et al."

Keng, Shao-Hsun, Chun-Hung Lin, and Peter F. Orazem. “Expanding College Access in Taiwan, 1978–2014: Effects on Graduate Quality and Income                       Inequality.” Journal of Human Capital 11, no. 1 (Spring 2017): 1–34. https://doi.org/10.1086/690235.

LaSalle, Peter. “Conundrum: A Story about Reading.” New England Review 38, no. 1 (2017): 95–109. Project MUSE.

Pérez, Ashley Hope. “Material Morality and the Logic of Degrees in Diderot’s Le neveu de Rameau .” Modern Philology 114, no. 4 (May 2017): 872–98.                https://doi.org/10.1086/689836.

Weber, Jesse N., Martin Kalbe, Kum Chuan Shim, Noémie I. Erin, Natalie C. Steinel, Lei Ma, and Daniel I. Bolnick. “Resist Globally,Infect Locally: A                      Transcontinental Test of Adaptation by Stickleback and Their Tapeworm Parasite.” American Naturalist 189, no.1 (January 2017): 43–57.                             https://doi.org/10.1086/689597.

Magazine Article

Lind, Dara. “Moving to Canada, Explained.” Vox , September 15, 2016. http://www.vox.com/2016/5/9/11608830/move-to-canada-how.

Newspaper Article

Manjoo, Farhad. “Snap Makes a Bet on the Cultural Supremacy of the Camera.” New York Times , March 8, 2017.                                                                          https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/08/technology/snap-makes-a-bet-on-the-cultural-supremacy-of-the-camera.html.

Book Review

Eberstadt, Fernanda. “Gone Guy: A Writer Leaves His Wife, Then Disappears in Greece.” Review of A Separation , by Katie Kitamura. New York                            Times , February 15, 2017. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/15/books/review/separation-katie-kitamura.html.

Thesis or Dissertation

Navarro-Garcia, Guadalupe. “Integrating Social Justice Values in Educational Leadership: A Study of African American and Black University Presidents.”                  PhD diss., University of California, Los Angeles, 2016. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global.

Website Content

If a website doesn't list a date of publication, posting, or revision, include an access date.

Columbia University. “History.” Accessed May 15, 2017. http://www.columbia.edu/content/history.html.Google. “Privacy Policy.” Privacy & Terms. Last modified        April 17, 2017. https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/.

Audiovisual Content

Beyoncé. “Sorry.” Directed by Kahlil Joseph and Beyoncé Knowles. June 22, 2016. Music video, 4:25. https://youtu.be/QxsmWxxouIM.

Stamper, Kory. “From ‘F-Bomb’ to ‘Photobomb,’ How the Dictionary Keeps Up with English.” Interview by Terry Gross. Fresh Air , NPR,April 19, 2017. Audio,        35:25. http://www.npr.org/2017/04/19/524618639/from-f-bomb-to-photobomb-how-the-dictionary-keeps-up-with-english.

Examples are adapted from Kate Turabian's A Manual for Writers and the Turabian 9th Edition Quick Guide .

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• Next: Citing the Bible >>
• Last Updated: Aug 28, 2023 2:25 PM
• URL: https://libguides.liberty.edu/Turabian

Home — Application Essay — National Universities — Liberty University: A Journey of Growth and Excellence

Liberty University: A Journey of Growth and Excellence

• University: American University

About this sample

Words: 644 |

Published: Feb 15, 2024

Words: 644 | Pages: 1 | 4 min read

Table of contents

Introduction, personal growth, academic excellence, spiritual journey.

Ever since I was a child, I have dreamt of attending Liberty University. The institution's unwavering commitment to faith-based education, exceptional academic programs, and dedication to shaping future leaders align perfectly with my own aspirations. As a college student seeking personal growth, academic excellence, and a fulfilling spiritual journey, I am eager to contribute to Liberty University's vibrant community and be shaped into the individual God has destined me to be.

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Throughout my educational journey, I have learned the importance of personal growth. However, it wasn't until my college years that I truly understood the transformative power of education. As a college student, I have been exposed to diverse ideas, perspectives, and cultures. This exposure has broadened my horizons, allowing me to develop a global mindset and cultivate empathy for others.

At Liberty University, I believe that this passion for personal growth will be nurtured and further developed. The university's commitment to fostering critical thinking skills and encouraging intellectual curiosity resonates deeply with me. I am excited by the prospect of engaging in stimulating conversations and collaborative learning environments that will challenge my preconceived notions and enable me to become a more well-rounded individual.

As an aspiring student, academic excellence is a top priority for me. I firmly believe that pursuing a rigorous education is essential for personal and professional success. Liberty University's distinguished reputation for academic excellence and commitment to challenging its students academically greatly appeals to me.

Upon researching Liberty's exceptional programs, I was thrilled to discover the variety of majors and minors offered. The School of Business, specifically, caught my attention. Its comprehensive curriculum and emphasis on ethical leadership align with my own career aspirations. I am particularly enthused about the opportunity to combine my passion for business with my commitment to making a positive impact on society.

Additionally, I am drawn to Liberty's commitment to research and experiential learning opportunities. The prospect of engaging in undergraduate research projects and internships excites me as they provide invaluable hands-on experiences that complement classroom learning. This combination of academic rigor, practical application, and ethical values is precisely what I seek in my college education.

While academic pursuits are crucial, I firmly believe that true growth encompasses the spiritual aspect of life. Liberty University's foundation on Christian principles and mission to develop Christ-centered leaders resonates deeply with me.

Throughout my own spiritual journey, I have come to understand the transformative power of faith and the importance of integrating it into every aspect of my life. The vibrant Christian community at Liberty University provides the perfect environment for me to further strengthen my relationship with God, deepen my understanding of Scripture, and foster a heart of compassion and service.

I am eager to engage in chapel services, Bible studies, and spiritual retreats that will allow me to connect with fellow believers, explore my faith on a deeper level, and develop a biblical worldview that will guide me throughout my life. Liberty's commitment to spiritual growth aligns perfectly with my own desire to continuously develop and live out my faith in a meaningful way.

In conclusion, I am eager to embark on my college journey at Liberty University, as it aligns perfectly with my aspirations for personal growth, academic excellence, and spiritual development. The university's commitment to nurturing critical thinking skills, providing exceptional academic programs, and fostering a vibrant Christian community resonates deeply with me.

I am confident that Liberty University's rigorous academic environment, coupled with its strong faith-based foundation, will empower me to become not only a successful professional but also a compassionate leader grounded in Christian values.

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I am ready to embrace the opportunities and challenges that await me at Liberty University. I am excited to contribute to the university's vibrant community and grow academically, personally, and spiritually. I firmly believe that Liberty University will be the catalyst for me to fulfill my potential and make a positive impact in the world.

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Theological Foundations – THEO 706

CG • Section 8WK • 07/01/2018 to 12/31/2199 • Modified 02/01/2024

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Course Description

In this course students will analyze theological foundations that undergird apologetic applications. Attention will be given to how these foundations inform and guide the research and application of apologetic argument for elements of a biblical worldview.

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the  Academic Course Catalog .

Theological education is often compartmentalized into independent courses in Old Testament, New Testament, Theology, Church History, Practical Ministry, and so forth with little correlation or integration. Consequently, the biblical-theological foundation at the heart of all ministry can be obscured. This course “connects the dots” so that students can move into their dissertation preparation with a correlated and integrated understanding of biblical theology as the foundation and framework for ministry.

Course Assignment

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations , the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Peer-Review Discussions (2)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the, student will complete two (2) Peer-Review Discussions in this course. Peer-Review Discussions facilitate collaborative learning in which the students share insights about each other’s work, noting strengths and weaknesses and offering suggestions for improvement.

The student will upload the appropriate Peer-Review Discussion assignment for their classmates' review, together with a thread of at least 400 words explaining and elaborating on the uploaded assignment. The student will then post at least two (2) replies of at least 200 words each to classmates' threads offering additional insights, helpful critique, noting strengths and weaknesses, and making suggestions for improvement. (CLO: A, C, D)

Biblical Theology Map Assignment

The student will complete two interrelated and interdependent assignments (this assignment and, later in the course, the Reflective Essay Assignment) in which the student maps out their pre-course understanding of biblical theology and then compares that understanding with the student's end-of-course understanding of biblical theology.

The first of those is the Biblical Theology Map Assignment in which the student maps out their current understanding of biblical theology in a paragraph of no more than 150 words; that is, the understanding of biblical theology with which the student entered the course. (CLO: C, D)

Theological Foundations Project: Project Proposal Assignment

The student will propose and develop a project exploring the theological foundations for ministry. The project will be completed in four (4) scaffolded steps with subsequent steps dependent on the successful completion of earlier ones: Project Proposal, Annotated Bibliography, Outline, Final Paper/Project.

In this first step, the student will propose a topic to be researched throughout the term from a list of pre-approved topics, or propose one of their own pending instructor approval. The proposal must include a preliminary thesis statement and a preliminary bibliography of five to ten sources to be researched. (CLO: A, E)

Theological Foundations Project: Annotated Bibliography Assigment

The student will submit an annotated bibliography of no fewer than fifteen (15) scholarly sources the student plans to use in their research. Each bibliographic entry must include a brief paragraph (100 – 200 words) providing a clear rationale for the use of the source in terms of its appropriateness for the research and what it potentially contributes to the research plan. (CLO: B, D, E, F)

Theological Foundations Project: Outline Assignment

The student will provide an outline (or project map), in Harvard style, of their final paper. The outline must include a revised (if needed) thesis statement that will be defended in the paper. The outline must include all major headings (points) in the paper, along with all supporting points for each heading. At the end of each major heading (Roman numerals) in the outline the student must include an explanatory paragraph (100 – 200 words) describing what is being undertaken in this section of the paper and how it contributes to the paper’s logic and development. The outline must reflect logical flow and development as well as internal integrity. (CLO: B, D, E, F)

Theological Foundations Project: Final Paper Assignment

The student will assemble the various parts of the project into the final paper for submission, including a thesis and conclusion, clear organization and development, appropriate engagement with research resources, a well-framed and consistently-defended argument, and presented in a form appropriate to doctoral-level writing.

In lieu of the research paper project described above, the student may, with prior approval of the instructor, design and submit, in scaffolded steps, a ministry project that reflects, incorporates, and demonstrates in a real-world setting the biblical-theological foundations for ministry learned in this course. (CLO: B, D, E, F)

Reflective Essay Assignment

The student will compose an essay of no more than ten (10) pages, double-spaced in which they revisit, review, and reassess their Biblical Theology Map Assignment submitted in Module 1: Week 1 reflecting on what has been learned about the biblical-theological “baggage” brought into the course, what new information and ideas were discovered along the way, and what now the student, upon further reflection, has determined are the non-negotiables to be re-packed into one's biblical-theological “baggage” to take with them as they conclude the course. (CLO: A, B, C, D)

Quiz: Mid-Term

The student will complete a Mid-Term Quiz during the course. The quiz is an essay and requires the student to choose one (1) of five different essay questions to answer. The essay of 400 to 500 words must engage and interact with Learn materials in the covered modules and document that interaction with appropriate source citation. The Mid-Term Quiz will cover the Learn materials from Module 1: Week 1 through Module 4: Week 4 and will be open-book/open-notes, contain 1 essay question, and have a time limit of 2 hours. (CLO: A, B, C, D)

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How ‘History and Tradition’ Rulings Are Changing American Law

A new legal standard is gaining traction among conservative judges — one that might turn back the clock on drag shows, gun restrictions and more.

Credit... Photo illustration by Ricardo Tomás

Supported by

By Emily Bazelon

Emily Bazelon is a staff writer for the magazine and the Truman Capote fellow for creative writing and law at Yale Law School. Her recent features on the Supreme Court have focused on its rightward lurch, its struggle with affirmative action and the political clashes over its power.

• April 29, 2024

In November 2022, a group of L.G.B.T.Q. students at West Texas A&M University started planning a drag show for the following spring. They wanted to raise money for suicide prevention and stand up for queer self-expression at a time when conservatives in Texas, in the name of protecting children, were mobilizing to shut drag shows down.

Listen to this article, read by Almarie Guerra de Wilson

The student group, Spectrum WT, set a few guidelines. The show would be “PG-13,” the students told the university. Kids under the age of 18 — the students had in mind the siblings of a performer — could come only if they were accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Despite this plan, the president of West Texas A&M, Walter Wendler, announced in March 2023 that he was barring the event from campus. In a statement on his personal website, Wendler called drag shows “derisive, divisive and demoralizing misogyny.” Spectrum WT sued, arguing that Wendler’s decision to cancel the show was a “textbook” example of discriminating against speech based on viewpoint.

Legally speaking, Spectrum WT had a strong case. Since the 1970s, the Supreme Court has ruled that the First Amendment protects speech on public university campuses, “no matter how offensive” and despite “conventions of decency,” as two decisions put it. Wendler acknowledged that he was refusing to allow the drag show to take place “even when the law of the land appears to require it.”

But the lawsuit landed on the docket of Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk, a Trump appointee to the federal bench in Amarillo who is the author of several sweeping arch-conservative rulings. And in the drag-show case, Judge Kacsmaryk had a new tool, supplied by the Supreme Court. Known as the “history and tradition” test, the legal standard has been recently adopted by the court’s conservative majority to allow judges to set aside modern developments in the law to restore the precedents of the distant past.

The conservative justices applied the history-and-tradition test in three major rulings decided in the space of a week in June 2022. First, they struck down a New York restriction on gun ownership for being out of line with the nation’s “historical tradition” around regulating guns. Next, in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a conservative majority ended the constitutional right to abortion in Roe v. Wade because it was not “deeply rooted in the Nation’s history and tradition.” Finally, the court held that a public high school’s decision to let go of a football coach for praying with a crowd he gathered at midfield was out of line with “historical practices and understandings” of religious freedom.

The flurry of history-and-tradition opinions prompted an uproar among liberal court-watchers. What counted as historical or traditional? The open-ended nature of the terms seemed to invite a freewheeling survey of the 18th and 19th centuries. It’s “basically a fancy way of saying, ‘if men in power didn’t recognize this right as fundamental in ye olde times, we won’t recognize it now,’” tweeted Joseph Fishkin, a law professor at the University of California, Los Angeles. The court was playing “memory games,” in the words of a widely cited law review article about Dobbs by Reva Siegel, a Yale law professor. Why does the conservative majority “appeal to history and tradition in exactly those cases in which it is changing the law?” she asked in another, forthcoming piece.

Some judges expressed practical concerns as well. In one of many recent suits that involved challenges to state and federal gun restrictions, Judge Carlton Reeves, an Obama nominee to the federal bench in Mississippi, pointed out that judges were not trained to sort through the competing interpretations of history. “We are not experts in what white, wealthy and male property owners thought about firearms regulation in 1791,” Reeves wrote.

Conservatives, meanwhile, had their own furious debate. For them, a central question was whether the Supreme Court’s conservative majority was deviating from originalism, the method of interpreting the Constitution championed since the 1980s by heroes of the right like former Justice Antonin Scalia. Originalism resembles the history-and-tradition test in focusing on the past. But its main selling point was to fix the meaning of the Constitution to the moment in which it was written, to prevent judges from substituting their values for the wisdom of the nation’s founders.

Though originalism in practice never lived up to this promise , because judges used it inconsistently or to reach the results they preferred, “history and tradition,” unlatched from any one moment, is even more pliable and indeterminate. It lets judges choose from a vast array of sources, which makes it easy to cherry-pick.

Skeptics of the history-and-tradition standard received some validation from an unlikely source. At a talk at Catholic University’s law school in September 2023, Justice Amy Coney Barrett, a former Scalia clerk who joined Alito’s opinion in Dobbs, used an old saying to warn that a judge’s hunt for historical sources could be like “looking over a crowd and picking out your friends.”

That same day, Judge Kacsmaryk issued his opinion about the student drag show. Citing the Supreme Court’s approach to history in the 2022 gun case, Kacsmaryk said that the early history of the First Amendment is “drastically different” than the modern version. Kacsmaryk cited an 18th-century treatise describing the government’s power to censure “licentiousness” and a 19th-century ban on mailing “lascivious” materials. Older rules like these continue to set an “outer limit” on “ sexualized ‘expressive conduct,’” Kacsmaryk wrote. He ruled that the university could bar the drag show — an extraordinary and anti-modern result.

In March, the Supreme Court rejected the student group’s request to hold a second annual drag show on campus. Kacsmaryk’s decision is now pending at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Also unresolved is a larger question: How much will the scope of American liberty change as conservative judges impose the past on the present?

Justice Samuel Alito, the author of the majority opinion in Dobbs, has called himself a “practical originalist,” a phrase that fits his record of putting results above theory. In Dobbs, he used the history-and-tradition test to solve a problem that originalism posed for abortion opponents: When the Constitution was written, and long afterward, courts in the United States followed English common law, a set of rules and precedents developed by judges that widely permitted abortion in early pregnancy.

For centuries, before pregnancy tests, many people believed that fetal life began with “quickening,” when women felt the first fetal movement, usually between 15 and 18 weeks. Early American law did not even recognize an abortion as having occurred before that stage, according to a friend-of-the-court brief in Dobbs submitted by the American Historical Association and the Organization of American Historians.

In 1973, when the Supreme Court decided Roe, Justice Harry Blackmun, in his majority opinion, contrasted this early history with more recent state restrictions. “At the time of the adoption of our Constitution, and throughout the major portion of the 19th century, abortion was viewed with less disfavor,” Blackmun wrote. “A woman enjoyed a substantially broader right to terminate a pregnancy than she does in most States today.”

Blackmun, who was not an originalist, did not feel bound by the distant past. He treated history in Roe as “a resource, not a command,” as Jack Balkin, a Yale law professor, has written in his new book, “Memory and Authority,” describing how lawyers often use historical facts. This approach to the past — as relevant but not determinative — “was the major form of constitutional interpretation,” says Robert Post, author of the recent book “The Taft Court.” “History was never a simple fact to be ascertained. It was always an interpretation of the meaning of widespread practices.”

The cornerstone Blackmun laid for the constitutional right to abortion came from the 14th Amendment, which Congress ratified in 1868 during Reconstruction. As one clause of the amendment states, “nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.” Interpreting those words a century later, the court said that the 14th Amendment’s concept of liberty, in the due-process clause, included a right to privacy. In Roe, Blackmun said the right to privacy was “broad enough to encompass a woman’s decision whether or not to terminate her pregnancy.”

Since then, majorities made up of liberals and conservatives have turned to the due-process clause as the basis for adapting the Constitution to modern social conditions, recognizing new rights including parental authority and sexual liberties. Anthony Kennedy, a Reagan nominee, took the lead. “The generations that wrote and ratified the Bill of Rights and the 14th Amendment did not presume to know the extent of freedom in all of its dimensions,” Kennedy wrote in his landmark 2015 majority opinion providing for the right to same-sex marriage, in the case Obergefell v. Hodges, “and so they entrusted to future generations a charter protecting the right of all persons to enjoy liberty as we learn its meaning.”

In Dobbs, however, Alito called the court’s reliance on the due-process clause in abortion cases “controversial.” He stopped short of declaring it invalid, which would jettison too many modern rights and freedoms, like sweeping all the pieces off a chess board. (Only Justice Clarence Thomas, in a concurrence no one else joined, called for such a reconsideration.)

Alito aimed to topple the right to abortion and only that right. Using the history-and-tradition test, he purported to show that legal abortion was not “deeply rooted” in the nation’s history, claiming that “an unbroken tradition of prohibiting abortion on pain of criminal punishment persisted from the earliest days of the common law until 1973.” But Alito didn’t acknowledge that in the rare known cases in which someone was convicted of causing an abortion up to the Civil War, it was almost always after quickening. And “such abortion providers came to public notice not because of their practice per se but if the pregnant woman had suffered badly or died as a result,” says Nancy Cott, an emerita professor of history at Harvard.

Alito also made this key claim: “By 1868, the year when the 14th Amendment was ratified, three-quarters of the States, 28 out of 37, had enacted statutes making abortion a crime even if it was performed before quickening.” But according to Aaron Tang, a law professor at the University of California, Davis, that number is inflated. “Substantial evidence suggests that as many as 12 of the 28 states” continued to permit abortions before quickening, Tang wrote in a 2023 article in The Stanford Law Review.

Alito then pointed out more abortion restrictions through 1910, ignoring other moments in history, including steps some states took before and after Roe, to ensure that abortion would be legal within their borders under certain circumstances. He also relied on a 1997 case, in which the court refused to extend its concept of liberty based on the due process clause to include physician-assisted suicide, because it had “no place in our Nation’s traditions.” It was hard not to think that Alito was, as Justice Barrett put it, looking out over the crowd for his friends.

The history-and-tradition test could have even more far-reaching effects on other areas of law. Last year, for example, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit considered a challenge to Tennessee’s ban on gender-related medical treatments for minors, brought by parents who argued that they had a 14th Amendment right to make decisions about treatments on their children’s behalf. In the majority opinion of a three-judge panel, Judge Jeffrey Sutton agreed that parents have the right to make decisions “concerning the care, custody and control of their children” — but ruled against the parents, because they hadn’t shown that a right to new medical treatments was “rooted in the nation’s history and tradition.” A month later, another federal appeals court similarly upheld an Alabama ban on gender-related care for minors.

Applied literally, the history-and-tradition test turns on whether a new practice is like an old one. If not, courts can discount whatever modern goal it is supposed to serve. But some of the justices are already wrestling with whether they have painted themselves into a corner.

The dilemma was evident at the oral argument in November for United States v. Rahimi, a case about the intersecting dangers of guns and domestic violence. In 2021, Zackey Rahimi was arrested for having a gun, which put him in violation of a 1994 federal law that made it a crime for someone to possess a firearm if subject to a protective order for threatening a spouse or partner. The rationale for the law, which many states have versions of, is that women who live with abusers are far more likely to be murdered if their partners have access to a gun. A Texas judge granted Rahimi’s ex-girlfriend a protective order in 2020 after she said Rahimi threw her to the ground, dragged her to his car and slammed her head against the dashboard. Months later, Rahimi went on a shooting spree, which included firing at another driver after a car accident, prompting police to search his home and find his guns.

But using the history-and-tradition test, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit reversed Rahimi’s conviction for illegal gun possession. The conservative appeals court struck down the 1994 law for being a historical outlier “that our ancestors would never have accepted” and thus invalid under the Second Amendment. The past governed the present, in the view of the Fifth Circuit. At the Supreme Court, the Biden administration was forced to defend the 1994 law according to the terms of the history-and-tradition test. (A decision is expected by the end of June.) The government argued that the statute fit into a general tradition, throughout American history, of disarming people who were considered dangerous.

But for much of American history, women, who could not vote, had little recourse when their family members harmed them. And the groups the government disarmed had nothing in common with domestic-violence offenders. They included enslaved people and Native Americans. The Biden administration disavowed these examples, calling them “odious” because they were based on race. That left historical examples that were also not analogous — like British loyalists and Confederate rebels.

Some conservative justices seemed to search for a way to allow the government to disarm domestic-violence offenders. “The legislature can make judgments to disarm people consistently with the Second Amendment based on dangerousness,” Justice Barrett suggested.

Now it seemed as if the history-and-tradition test were flexible — not really a command at all. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, a liberal, used the argument to reflect on the inconsistency. “If we’re still applying modern sensibilities, I don’t really understand the historical framing,” Jackson said. She was exposing the trap the Supreme Court has set for itself and the lower courts. Either the past, however archaic, retains real command over the present, or the history-and-tradition test is no test at all.

Read by Almarie Guerra de Wilson

Narration produced by Krish Seenivasan

Engineered by Lance Neal

Source photos: Harris & Ewing/Library of Congress; Erin Schaff/The New York Times.

Emily Bazelon is a staff writer at The New York Times Magazine. More about Emily Bazelon

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