Sheffield Uni slaps ‘violent’ trigger warning on Gospel accounts

The University of Sheffield has slapped ‘trigger warnings’ on the Bible’s account of Jesus’ life leading up to his crucifixion.

According to Freedom of Information requests obtained by The Mail on Sunday, English Literature students studying biblical and classical sources were warned of “graphic bodily injury and sexual violence” in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. A similar warning was placed on Genesis’ story of Cain and Abel.

Last year, Nottingham University was criticised for flagging medieval literature’s “expressions of Christian faith” as potentially distressing content.

‘Beautiful salvation’

The University of Sheffield stated: “A content note is a standard academic tool used to signpost when sensitive or graphic content will be discussed. Its purpose is to ensure subjects can be highlighted and discussed openly and critically, while preparing students who might find such details difficult.”

But The Christian Institute’s Head of Communications, Angus Saul, lamented the mischaracterisation of biblical texts.

He said: “Neither the Gospels nor  Genesis give explicit accounts of Abel’s murder or Jesus’ crucifixion, and what the ‘sexual violence’ label refers to is mystifying. While Christians and unbelievers alike can be profoundly moved by the powerful and enduring words of Scripture, such passages are far less explicit than many of the set texts English Literature students come into contact with.

“What people are more likely to find offensive in the Bible are its bold assertions: that there is one God; that all have sinned and fall short of his glory; that Jesus Christ is God; that he died to offer forgiveness and eternal life to all who believe in him and repent; and that salvation is only possible through him.

“Such truths are offensive to many, but they are a tremendous blessing to those who believe. The only ‘trigger warning’ the Bible needs is ‘This book may completely transform your life’.”

‘Latest wokery’

When Nottingham University told its students that some set texts in the module ‘Chaucer and his Contemporaries, c.1380-c.1420’ contained “incidences of violence, mental illness and expressions of Christian faith”, historian Jeremy Black called the trigger warning ‘tick-box nonsense’.

Dr Adrian Hilton, Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Buckingham, observed that Christian themes “of mercy, sin, salvation and forgiveness” permeate Western literature. It struck him as odd, he said, “to slap one or two with a trigger warning”.

Writing in The Telegraph, Catherine Pepinster commented: “perhaps the most insidious aspect of this latest wokery is the idea that Christianity is part of the past, rather than acknowledging that it continues to be part of the warp and weft of British culture”.