By Silvio E. Vazquez
You want to live where Christian values and beliefs are uplifted, to be surrounded by Christian friends, to learn from faculty who are positive mentors and role models, and to be prepared for life in all its complexities.
These expectations are met by colleges and universities rooted in faith. The colleges described in this magazine illustrate the kinds of vibrant communities, academic excellence, and positive outcomes that are available to their students. But there is one additional reason for enrolling at these schools, an even more important one that goes right to the heart of the matter. It is an issue that I personally love to hear about. When a student tells me that he or she wants to attend a Christian college “to wrestle with what I believe and to understand how that belief affects my world-view,” I say to myself, “Yes! This student really gets it!”
Honest intellectual inquiry is extremely important, both in college and throughout all of life. In fact, Socrates—one of the world’s most respected philosophers—described the unexamined life as “not worth living.” If you agree with this premise, the question of whether to attend a Christian college or university shifts focus; it becomes “What kind of campus will provide me with a healthy, caring living/learning environment that actually encourages questioning, one that views inquiry as an essential part of coming to terms with my own Christian beliefs and values?”
There is a great need today for persons of conviction and character who live life in the reflection of the Savior, people who serve selflessly and lead wisely. Nurturing these kinds of individuals—preparing tomorrow’s servant leaders—is the goal shared by those involved in Christian higher education.
In our complex and diverse world we must be prepared to “speak the truth in love” in every arena of life—as individuals, as family members, as citizens, and as professionals in the business world. How we relate to others, why we strive for excellence, what purpose and meaning we find in our profession, where we make a difference, how we respond civilly in uncivil situations: these are all reflective of a holistic life that integrates faith with learning.
When you are thinking about what kind of college you want to attend, it might be helpful to consider what you picture yourself doing on a Christian school campus. Do you want to participate in chapel programs? Attend residence hall Bible study with your dormmates? Volunteer to serve in a soup kitchen? Pray before class? These are all important elements in the lives of Christian students, and they can be found on many different college campuses, whether those institutions are secular or faith-based.
But Christian higher education should be about more than this. Rather than just allowing the academic, community, spiritual, and social parts of your life to coexist, a Christian education teaches you how to combine them. When you are able to make connections between all these different pieces of your life—to truly integrate them—your life takes on a new, soul-satisfying dimension.
The story of one distinguished professor illustrates this concept well. As a child growing up in the church, he was immersed in the world of biblical knowledge, a world he loved. As he progressed through high school he grew to love another world, the world of academic disciplines. When he attended college, these two worlds remained separate, unconnected. The prestigious secular university he enrolled in was not interested in his biblical and theological knowledge, and his church was afraid that too much academic knowledge might contaminate his faith. For years he felt fragmented, unable to synthesize these different worlds.
But at Christian colleges, he witnessed the Christian perspective being discussed alongside other points of view. In these schools, students and faculty were deeply immersed in both the academic and spiritual worlds so that each illuminated and enriched the other. Connections were made in the classroom, in residential programs, in student life—even on the playing field. Individuals who hungered for both academic knowledge and a Christian faith were able to bring those two worlds together. Here the professor was able to make his own life whole.
• We live in a world that was created by God, and that He is love.
• The key to abundant life is a relationship with Jesus Christ.
• A high-quality education must deal with matters of the heart as well as of the mind.
• A college education should provide a solid foundation for living an active, meaningful life that contributes to God’s world.
• Faculty members should serve as academic and spiritual mentors to their students as they strive toward excellence.
• No college experience, if it is to be whole and valuable, can ignore the problems of society or the major issues of the modern world.
Like those who teach, those who attend Christian colleges not only master an academic discipline, they deepen their biblical and theological understanding—and they are able to make rich and fruitful connections between the two. They feel strongly about their faith, think deeply about questions, and they put their thoughts and beliefs into action. They are able to make heartfelt, enduring commitments. They know what they believe and why they believe it. At the same time, they leave room for mystery and are able to create a welcoming space for those who disagree with them. They are not only open to talking with others, they are open to learning from them.
Are you ready to be this kind of person? A role model, a risk taker, a servant? An initiator, a giver, a listener?
Silvio E. Vazquez is Vice President for Enrollment and Marketing at Gordon College, which is located in Wenham, Massachusetts.
2009