This is a fascinating history. Thanks so much for researching and writing it.
It's particularly timely given that just a couple of weeks ago at the Pepperdine Bible Lectures, there were multiple sessions lead by a senior Pepperdine administrator calling for the reconciliation of the Churches of Christ and Independent Christian Churches, which would potentially include treating members of both denominations identically at CofC universities with respect to scholarships, hiring, etc. It seems to me that this vision of unity has both resonances and dissonances with George Pepperdine's theological values--not that George Pepperdine's personal beliefs must necessarily rule the day, of course.
Fascinating story. Here is a question: the Phillips name is very large in Christian Church/Disciples of Christ, especially in Oklahoma—Phillips University (now defunct), for example. The family wealth came from oil, I believe (Phillips 66). Is this the same Phillips family that funded the tower? If so, it is an especially rich association.
Yes, the Phillips family connection is a whole story unto itself that I’ve tried to reconstruct. If I have it all straight, Mildred’s husband was Benjamin Dwight Phillips. Both B. D. and his brother Thomas Wharton Phillips Jr. were scions of the family oil fortune based in Pennsylvania. The defunct Phillips University in Enid, OK, as well as Phillips Theological Seminary in Tulsa, are both named in honor of T. W. Phillips Sr. The family also funded the Phillips Memorial building in Nashville that used to host the Disciples of Christ Historical Society. My understanding is that this Phillips family is not related to Frank and Lee Phillips who founded Phillips 66.
This is a fascinating history. Thanks so much for researching and writing it.
It's particularly timely given that just a couple of weeks ago at the Pepperdine Bible Lectures, there were multiple sessions lead by a senior Pepperdine administrator calling for the reconciliation of the Churches of Christ and Independent Christian Churches, which would potentially include treating members of both denominations identically at CofC universities with respect to scholarships, hiring, etc. It seems to me that this vision of unity has both resonances and dissonances with George Pepperdine's theological values--not that George Pepperdine's personal beliefs must necessarily rule the day, of course.
Well said, Derek. Thanks for reading!
I must have missed those sessions, but I did catch Laura’s on Ephrem. It was excellent. Standing room only!
Fascinating story. Here is a question: the Phillips name is very large in Christian Church/Disciples of Christ, especially in Oklahoma—Phillips University (now defunct), for example. The family wealth came from oil, I believe (Phillips 66). Is this the same Phillips family that funded the tower? If so, it is an especially rich association.
Yes, the Phillips family connection is a whole story unto itself that I’ve tried to reconstruct. If I have it all straight, Mildred’s husband was Benjamin Dwight Phillips. Both B. D. and his brother Thomas Wharton Phillips Jr. were scions of the family oil fortune based in Pennsylvania. The defunct Phillips University in Enid, OK, as well as Phillips Theological Seminary in Tulsa, are both named in honor of T. W. Phillips Sr. The family also funded the Phillips Memorial building in Nashville that used to host the Disciples of Christ Historical Society. My understanding is that this Phillips family is not related to Frank and Lee Phillips who founded Phillips 66.