JACKSON, Tenn. — March 18, 2016 — Ray Van Neste, professor of biblical studies, theology and missions at Union University, recently released a new book compiling Founders Day addresses from Union faculty members.
Van Neste said he hopes the book gives students, alumni and faculty at Union a better appreciation of the institution’s history.
“It’s easy to be a student or even work here and have no sense of where we came from,” he said. “We can’t know where we’re going if we don’t know where we came from.”
The book, entitled “From the Cloud of Witnesses: Founders Day Addresses at Union University,” includes a foreword by former Union University President David S. Dockery, who implemented the Founders Day celebration. It contains every Founders Day address given by Union faculty during Dockery’s tenure.
Current faculty members Van Neste, James Patterson, Jimmy Davis and Cindy Jayne contributed chapters to the book, in addition to former faculty members Gene Fant and Carla Sanderson.
Van Neste said it is important for the institution to know its history and keep retelling it, and he believes the faculty addresses are a part of that.
Van Neste said tracking down speakers and assembling their addresses was challenging. He said many of the addresses had not been written for publication, so they had to be transcribed for the first time.
“We need to have a greater realization that we stand on the work of others, and we’ve been given a tradition to uphold,” Van Neste said.
“From the Cloud of Witnesses” is available on Amazon and at the LifeWay bookstore on Union’s campus.