EDITORIAL: Belmont Takes a Huge Step Towards Religious Inclusion

Belmont Vision Multimedia, Braden Simmons

There’s a saying that goes, “don’t just talk the talk, walk the walk.”  

In other words, to mean what you say and follow through with your actions. 

Belmont’s talked the talk of inclusion for years, and just recently it took giant steps in that direction. 

President Greg Jones announced that applicants of all faith backgrounds would be able to be hired at Belmont University nearly two years after it started accepting Jewish applicants in three of its graduate school programs. 

This newest change is a step in the right direction for religious inclusion on campus. 

The university announced in the fall of 2022 that it had amended its hiring practice to accept Jewish applicants but only in three of its graduate school programs.  

It also hired its first Jewish student faith adviser in 2024. 

These changes were seen as a great opportunity for inclusion of Jewish students and the continuation of relationship-building with the local Jewish community. 

The university approved the establishment of student organizations for Jewish and Muslim students in 2022, becoming the first university sponsored spaces for these religious groups. 

While the changes touched on the Jewish faith for both faculty and students and provided a space for Muslim students, nothing was done for faculty who practice Islam, or a third of the Abrahamic religions. 

Until now. 

Now Belmont accepts applicants of any or no faith background. It is walking the walk it has talked about. 

The next step is how far will this inclusion go? 

Jones noted in his initial announcement that the university will continue to hire mostly Christian faculty but will consider other applicants who support the mission of the university. 

The primary goal seems to be finding applicants who adhere to the university’s mission of being a Christ-centered university – regardless of religion. 

By doing this, Belmont is living out Christianity in the truest sense by welcoming its neighbors and loving them without changing them. 

Everything has happened in steps. 

Belmont is walking the walk it has talked about. 

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This article was written by Braden Simmons