Larycia Hawkins, a tenured professor at Wheaton College, pledged on Dec. 10 to wear hijab during Advent as an embodied show of support to her Muslim neighbors.
"I don't love my Muslim neighbor because s/he is American," Hawkins wrote in a Facebook post.
"I love my Muslim neighbor because s/he deserves love by virtue of her/his human dignity."
"I stand in religious solidarity with Muslims because they, like me, a Christian, are people of the book. And as Pope Francis stated last week, we worship the same God."
"But as I tell my students, theoretical solidarity is not solidarity at all. Thus, beginning tonight, my solidarity has become embodied solidarity."
In response to her comments, Wheaton College released a statement on Dec. 15 stating that Hawkins has been placed on "administrative leave" in response to her comments "about the relationship of Christianity to Islam."
In subsequent Facebook posts, Hawkins further explained her comments, calling for "unity in our diversity" of traditionally Christian doctrine.
"My wearing of the hijab as an act of advent devotion has certainly caused some to question the sincerity of my devotion," she wrote on Dec. 13.
"To those who question the authenticity of my faith, I love you."
Hawkins also cited the work Christian theologian Miroslav Volf to support her claim that Christians and Muslims worship the same God. If you're interested in learning more about this issue, check out Miroslav Volf's article in Sojourners magazine, "Did Jesus Pray to Allah?"
Read more at Christianity Today.
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