Discover How Faith-Based Institutions Impact Academic Freedom in President Jim Gash's Op-Ed for U.S. News & World Report

As national conversations about academic freedom intensify, Pepperdine president Jim Gash offers a thought-provoking perspective in his new U.S. News & World Report op-ed, “Can Belief in God Strengthen Academic Freedom?” Gash argues that faith-based universities are uniquely positioned to pursue truth with both intellectual rigor and moral clarity—creating environments that value robust dialogue and genuine investigation. Drawing on insights from a recent gathering of Christian higher education leaders hosted by Pepperdine, Gash reflects on the distinct advantages of institutions that are "tethered" to a foundational belief in objective truth and believes that freedom is not diminished by faith, but is deepened by it.

Read the full op-ed on the U.S. News & World Report website.