The Gordon Review started last spring semester motivated, as expressed on our website, to provide the Gordon community with an “intellectually diverse range of conservative and moderate thought.” Three editions and over fifty articles later, the purpose behind our publication has not been elaborated upon beyond this short statement. During the flurry of the last semester we spent much time producing content, advertising on social media, and expressing our goals in person to those who were interested. We spent little time, however, explaining who we are to the broader community. What drives us? Is the Gordon Review simply another outlet for frustrated individuals to vent, or is there a more constructive vision in mind? What grounds us? Are we simply guided by a reactionary impulse? Or are we motivated by a greater desire to communicate in a positive and civil manner, our sincerely held convictions and beliefs? And most importantly, where does The Gordon Review fit within the greater Gordon community? What is so unique about this publication? Aware of these questions, we spent much time over the course of the summer reflecting. After much prayer, planning, and conversation, The Gordon Review staff is happy to share what we believe is a renewed purpose and vision for this next semester and beyond. 

WHO WE ARE

We are committed to the conservative perspective

The Gordon Review is dedicated to engaging our campus community with a diverse array of perspectives rooted in conservative principles. We seek to foster an environment where conservatism is discussed intelligently, explained with clarity, and defended against ideas it believes is corrosive to society and the enduring moral order it seeks to uphold.  

We are committed to civil dialogue 

We are guided by the classically liberal ideas of open-discourse and free expression of beliefs. Though our editorial stance is conservative, an environment of civility requires intentionality from people of all commitments and faiths. For us, this means that the content we write and the events we host will seek to foster important conversations in ways contrary to how modern discourse is currently playing out. Our world is bitterly divided. Polarization is increasingly fragmenting communities and atomizing individuals. In light of this reality, our goal at The Gordon Review is to be a force for mutual understanding and civil dialogue.

We are committed to good journalism

Journalism is storytelling. When done correctly, it is a tool for the individual to use to understand the nuances and complexity of the world as it happens. From our perspective, journalism aids the reader to grasp truth, as it occurs both in the past and the present. It is a task we take very seriously, because the telling of stories can either be honest or distorted. The importance of an honest story: one that conveys meaning and fact independent of bias or an agenda, provides a shared understanding for people of all kinds to engage with in dialogue. For this reason, we hope to provide the Gordon community with quality journalism throughout the year. 

We are committed to faith

At the foundation of all we write and publish is a dedication to the Christian faith. In Scripture, we see that Jesus longs for his disciples to be changed and made holy through Truth itself, not “a” truth or “my” truth, but simply Truth – the Truth of the word of God (John 17:17). His Truth is powerful; His word is a weapon (Ephesians 6:10) wielded to bring sharp change (Hebrews 4:12) and through the Holy Spirit, transform every fiber of our beings to look more like Christ. We believe that only through the truth of Christianity and a disciplined pursuit of Christ (Hebrews 11:6, James 2:14-26) can restoration, healing, and inner order of the soul be found. We desire our opinions to honor God; to reflect what He says is wise and good about important issues pertaining to human identity, sexuality, race and the like. 

Our commitment to community

We are dedicated to Christ, to each other, and hope to foster a community representing the grace and truth of Christ through our work (John 1:14). This publication is not designed to be a political platform. Our goal is to establish a community of students who share a commitment to conservatism and a devotion to Christ. In addition to this task, we desire to provide a platform for people to come together and contribute to the greater Gordon community through good journalism, storytelling, and a diverse range of events. Our goal is to maintain and grow this community by stimulating important conversations and likewise, encouraging new forums for open dialogue. 

PLANS FOR THE 2021 FALL SEMESTER

• We are substantially revising our publishing routine. Starting now, every semester The Gordon Review will be publishing one edition that we plan to design, print, and distribute to the student body! This work will include commentary, sections on art, faith, theology, student life, and various fun columns we hope will be both interesting and engaging. 
• At least one article will be posted on the website per week, in addition to the print edition. 
• The Gordon Review will be hosting multiple in-person speaker events as the semester upfolds.
• We will be looking into inviting two speakers to debate on a controversial, but important subject in our community. 
• Our team is looking into ways to promote missions, charity work, and other service projects we have on our heart. 

If you are interested in joining our team for next semester, or in rejoining, fill out this form!