Phillip E. Johnson received an Honorary Doctor of Laws for distinction in public service at the undergraduate commencement ceremony on December 19, 2008.

Johnson, a retired UC Berkeley professor of law and the godfather of the Intelligent Design movement, is the author of Darwin on Trial, a key piece of literature for Intelligent Design. He also authored Reason in the Balance: The Case Against Naturalism in Science, Law and Education, which sheds light on how Darwinian naturalism has attained cultural dominance and has deteriorated the morality of society.

He guest spoke prior to the commencement ceremony at a special dinner where he shared thoughts on Biola and the school’s mission.

“Biola is the place that takes biblical thought seriously within the realm of ideas. And in this location in Southern California, Biola can be very influential in leading Christian thought. L.A. is a rich area for its ethnic and religious diversity as well as being the megaphone of entertainment to the world. Because of this location, there is a wide opportunity for mission work in the L.A. metropolitan area. Here you find a diverse ethnic world that houses the entertainment industry with great opportunities to place talented people with a Christian commitment to change and influence the secular society– to communicate to them and accomplish the Great Commission. With such a great resource of talented committed Christians at Biola, a great deal can be accomplished in the world because of where you are located.”

He continued by saying, “You have everything right here at Biola. Too many colleges have lost their foundation in faith and now, added to that foundation is an intellectual component. This is not the time for comfortable academic mediocrity but a time for a stimulating intellectual Christian leadership role. This is the time and opportunity for Biola University to show how good it really is. Students can get a better education here at Biola than at Harvard or Yale and it is God centered education that you cannot find anymore at these prestigious educational environments. The Torrey Honors Institute and its great teaching pattern of classical thinking doesn’t require students to leave their Christian faith at the door when they enter the intellectual world. That’s what the other schools have done and promote. They have abandoned their Christian foundation they were founded upon hundreds of years ago and now condemn any notion that a Christian can be an intellectual. Biola has the best undergraduate liberal arts program in the world. There is a strong willingness, drive and ability among Biola’s faculty to be Christ centered in education and can do this better than any other college or university in the world.”

He concluded with “Biola educates the top percent of young Christians and then puts the brightest students into the work force with tremendous attraction. Biola is radically Christian for a radically secular world.”