By: John Mauck
Should government be able to dictate when a religious college, university, or seminary awards a “degree” (bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate) in an exclusively religious subject? Should Oklahoma be able to forbid a Master’s Degree in Biblical Wisdom being awarded if the curriculum is exclusively biblical, simply because Wisdom University (link) refused to apply for accreditation through an agency selected by the State? Well, Wisdom University, many who cherish religious freedom, 27 states, and Mauck & Baker answer “no!”
However, Oklahoma was one of the 23 states that insisted on requiring degrees in religion be issued only through their ultimate approval. M&B sued. We lost, but during the litigation we worked with legislators in Oklahoma. M&B drafted an Amendment to Oklahoma Law which passed the Oklahoma House & Senate, and was signed into law by Governor Stitt on April 23, 2024. This law allows religious schools of higher education to award degrees in religious subjects without governmental accreditation. Did the lawsuit help Oklahoma see the light? We think so!
Because we achieved through the Oklahoma legislature and governor Stitt, the primary relief Wisdom sought, the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals then ruled that the case was “moot” and has dismissed it.
