OCR Text |
Show Professor Attiya -2~ June 17, 1955 rlu as we seek to make the Seminary a more effective agency of service to the Church of Christ throughout the world. We would not ask you to undertake an onerous teaching responsibility. It is our thought that you might offer two or three courses of two or three hours a week each. We should wish you to follow your own inclination in suggesting to us what these courses might be. It has been suggested that one of them might be in the field of comparative religions. We would suggest that the second course deal with urgent problems confronting the Christian Churches, especially in Egypt, in the years immediately ahead. I am happy to inform you that Columbia University, acting through Dr. Schuyler C. Wallace, Director of the School of International Affairs, is inviting you to give one course at Columbia throughout the entire academic year, and Columbia is sharing with Union Seminary in the total compensation proposed to you. Doubtless Dr. Wallace will be directly in touch with you regarding your course at Columbia. The Luce Visiting Professorship has a double purpose. Its major purpose is the contribution which the incumbent is able to make to the thought and life of Union Seminary, and indeed to wider church circles in North America. But a secondary consideration is the values which we hope the incumbent will derive from his time here and take back to the church life of his own land; I am sure you will have the second as well as the first purpose in your mind. It is the intention of the Seminary that the Luce Professor should have considerable free time (for example, he is asked to teach only a little more than half of the academic schedule which is customary for our Faculty). We deliberately intend that he should have this tine to observe church life in this country and, if he so desires, to tender service through speaking to church and other groups. • We should place at your disposal one of our Faculty apartments in McGiffert Hall, which would be supplied you without charge, and would wish in every way to make you feel fully a part of the intimate life of the Seminary Community. Doubtless you would be overwhelmed with invitations to speak and lecture elsewhere, and you would be entirely free to accept such of these appointments as you wished, but we would wish to protect you from excessive demands on your time and strength so that you might have much opportunity for leisure, study, rest, and informal conference. The total salary for your services to Union Seminary and Columbia University would be $6,000 in addition to the apartment. Doubtless there would also be considerable additional income from other speaking and lectureship engagements. With the sincere hope that you may find it possible to render this service, and the assurance of a warm welcome to the Faculty of Union Seminary, I am Faithfully yours, HPVD:jtc |