SHOW / EPISODE

What Happened to Point Loma Nazarene University?

46m | Nov 9, 2026

What happens when a Christian university begins to abandon the convictions it was founded to uphold?

In this episode of Conversations That Matter, Jon Harris speaks with Point Loma Nazarene University alumni Lidiya Harvey and Isabella Simmons about the growing controversy surrounding the university and what they describe as a broader ideological shift away from its Christian foundations.

Lidiya and Isabella share their experiences at Point Loma, including concerns about progressive ideology in the classroom, university programming, faculty influence, and the treatment of students who object to these developments. They discuss the controversy surrounding the school's response to students who wanted to honor Charlie Kirk following his assassination, troubling statements attributed to university personnel, and the difficulty of getting alumni, donors, and institutional leaders to take these concerns seriously.

They also discuss why they decided to speak publicly, the importance of standing up for Christian convictions, and the responsibility of students and alumni to hold Christian institutions accountable.

Follow the guests and see their material:

Lidiya Harvey on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/lidiyaharvey/

Isabella Simmons / For Further Discussion:

https://www.instagram.com/forfurtherdiscussion/


Chapters


00:00 Introduction

01:12 Lidiya Harvey's Experience as a Point Loma Alumna

02:18 The Charlie Kirk Vigil Controversy

05:00 What Is Happening at Point Loma?

06:00 The University's Nazarene and Wesleyan Heritage

08:00 Progressive Ideology and Faculty Influence

10:00 Controversial Programming and the University's Christian Identity

13:00 Is This an Isolated Problem or an Institutional One?

15:00 Students, Faculty, and Evidence of Ideological Drift

17:00 Recordings, Curriculum, and Classroom Concerns

20:00 What the University's Own Materials Reveal

21:00 Alumni, Donors, and Institutional Accountability

24:00 The Charlie Kirk Memorial and Campus Double Standards

27:00 Why Isabella Decided to Speak Out

29:00 Christian Convictions and Lessons from the Soviet Union

34:00 Where Are the Men? Taking Responsibility for Christian Institutions

37:00 The History of Student Protests and Resistance

40:00 Christian Testimony and the Purpose of Christian Education

43:00 Encouraging Students to Speak Up


Jon's Music: jonharristunes.com


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