James Spiegel will join the Hillsdale faculty after he was fired from Taylor University for refusing to remove a music video from his YouTube channel. 

Starting in January, Spiegel will teach philosophy classes and conduct research as the Arete Professorial Fellow during the next three semesters. The college’s Arete Research Center for Philosophy, Science, and Society hosted the fellowship, currently held by Paul Rezkalla.

“He is a world-class scholar,” said Professor of Philosophy Ian Church, director of the center. “The fact that he was applying for something like this was jaw-dropping.”

Spiegel taught for 27 years at Taylor University — a small, Christian liberal arts college in Upland, Indiana. Spiegel said he was fired after refusing to remove a video of himself playing a song he composed titled “Little Hitler” on his YouTube channel.

“There’s a little Hitler inside of me / There’s a brutal killer inside everyone / The hatred grows inside us naturally,” Spiegel sings in the refrain of the song.

Spiegel said he meant for the song to satirize the sinful nature of man, and that he had performed it at college-sponsored events. 

“I performed the song in multiple contexts at Taylor, including as part of a chapel service,” Spiegel said. “I also played the song for a faculty retreat, and it was warmly accepted then.

After a faculty member anonymously complained to the administration, the provost asked Spiegel to take the song off his YouTube page.

“As the story goes, I declined,” Spiegel said. “Then, I was terminated.”

Church said he was impressed by Spiegel’s goodwill toward Taylor after his termination. 

“If I was in his position, I’d be sorely tempted to be extremely angry and antagonistic to Taylor University,” Church said. “But Jim seems to be profoundly caring and forgiving and loving. He’s shown genuine Christian character, amidst this hardship. A lot of people can talk a big game, but when it comes down to enduring hardship in that way, not everybody is going to rise to that challenge. It’s good to see that he has.”

Spiegel took a new job in May 2021, almost a year after his termination from Taylor, as the principal at Lighthouse Christian Academy, also located in Upland, Indiana. When he joins the Hillsdale faculty next semester, he will be teaching classes, including Western Philosophical Tradition, as well as conducting research alongside Church on a project exploring the “Experimental Philosophy of Religion.”

Church said he is excited to have Spiegel’s help with this project.

“I think Dr. Spiegel is someone who perfectly fits the mission and vision of Hillsdale College, while also deeply appreciating the great academic freedom we have here,” Church said. “He’s not just a refugee — he’s a refugee that actually is fitting with Hillsdale.”

Associate Professor of Philosophy Blake McAllister said Spiegel will fit the role well.

“Dr. Spiegel is both a prolific researcher and an award winning teacher — a rare combination,” McAllister said. “This makes him a perfect fit for the position, which requires not only that he contributes to the project but also that he instructs our students with the level of care and excellence expected of a Hillsdale professor.”