Office of Diversity

Charleston Southern University defines diversity as people groups varying in ethnic makeup, cultural background, age, language, educational and professional experience, veteran and socioeconomic status. Our commitment to diversity is biblically informed; therefore, the university engages and supports diversity related-matters as they are defined by Scripture.

Genesis 1:27 “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” Because all people are made in God’s divine image, they possess full dignity and are worthy of respect.

Matthew 22:39 “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus’ command for us to love others as ourselves extends to all people.

Revelation 7:9 “After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb . . .”

Inclusion exists when individuals or groups (as defined in the university’s definition of diversity) are embraced as full members of the institution.

John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”

Galatians 3:28 “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Equity is the process of being fair or impartial toward others.

James 2:2-7 “For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, ‘You sit here in a good place,’ and you say to the poor man, ‘You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,’ have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives? Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court? Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called?”

Multiculturalism recognizes that numerous cultures exist within society in addition to one’s own. Furthermore, believers’ understanding and appreciation for these diverse cultures should be guided by the following principles:

• Diverse cultures display God’s creativity and role as the sovereign, Creator God (Gen. 1; Neh. 9:6; Col. 1:16; Rev. 4:11).
• The final, eternal state (heaven) will include different people from diverse cultures (Rev. 7:9).
• Believers should show respect for different cultures for the advancement of the gospel (1 Cor. 9:19-23, 10:23-33).
• Christianity is marked by a definite exclusivity in regard to certain truths (Exod. 20:2-3; John 14:6, 3:36; 1 Tim. 2:5). Thus, believers cannot regard every philosophical, religious or ethical idea from diverse cultures as equality true or valid. Christians are not moral relativists.
• Christians cannot affirm a cultural practice that Scripture regards as sinful (Rom. 1:18-32; Eph. 4:17-24; 1 Thess. 4:1-8).