“I can learn anything from AI now – why spend four years at a Christian college?”
A high school senior asked me this question recently, his phone displaying ChatGPT’s impressive analysis of his calculus homework. It’s a question that echoes in living rooms across the country as families weigh the value of higher education against the rising tide of artificial intelligence.
But beneath this question lie deeper ones that no AI can adequately address: Who will help our students discern the heart of God in their chosen field? Who will walk alongside them as they wrestle with applying biblical wisdom to their studies, their relationships, and their future? Who will help them see physics not just as equations to solve but as a window into the mathematical beauty of God’s ordered universe?
The answer reveals something surprising: In the age of AI, Christian college education isn’t becoming less valuable – it’s becoming more essential than ever before.
The Wisdom That AI Cannot Download
Type a prompt, receive an answer. Ask for analysis, get a breakdown. Request a formula, watch it solve. The capabilities of AI are truly remarkable, and they are growing more impressive by the day. Yet, in this flood of instant information, the Christian understands an eternal truth: knowledge alone isn’t enough.
Consider the difference between knowing about God and knowing God Himself. One is information; the other is transformation. This same principle applies across every field of study at a Christian college. A business major isn’t just learning marketing strategies; they’re discovering how to create value that honors God and neighbor. A biology student isn’t merely memorizing cellular structures; they’re exploring the intricate designs of a creative God.
‘For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding’ (Proverbs 2:6). This divine promise points to something AI can never replicate: Wisdom. And wisdom is not just downloaded but developed. It is not simply accessed but absorbed through time, reflection, and guided experience.
The Mentorship That Algorithms Cannot Replace
“But can’t I just find great teachers online?” Another common question and a fair one. Yet consider this: when Paul mentored Timothy, he didn’t just send scrolls of information. He invited Timothy to “follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1).
Christian college professors do more than teach subjects – they model lives shaped by biblical wisdom in their disciplines. When a literature professor shows students how to read texts through a Christian worldview, or when a chemistry professor demonstrates how scientific research can glorify God, they’re doing something no algorithm can match: they’re modeling what it looks like to integrate faith and learning in real-time.
These mentoring relationships extend beyond office hours and classroom discussions. They happen over coffee, during research projects, through campus ministry, and in countless small moments where students see how seasoned believers navigate academic excellence and faithful discipleship.
The Formation That Technology Cannot Simulate
Imagine trying to learn swimming from the world’s most sophisticated AI program. No matter how detailed the instructions or how advanced the visualization, nothing can replace the experience of being in the water. Now imagine trying to learn to be an Olympic swimmer from AI. In the hands of a coach, AI may help identify weaknesses, but it cannot be the coach. Skillset and intellectual formation work similarly in that they require immersion in a living, breathing community with live mentors.
At Christian colleges, students are immersed in an environment where faith and learning intertwine naturally. Your roommate might challenge your theological assumptions. Your study group might pause to pray before tackling a challenging project. Your professor might help you see how your research paper connects to God’s kingdom purposes.
Proverbs 27:17 reminds us, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” This sharpening happens through the daily friction of living, studying, and growing together in a Christ-centered academic community.
Forming Faithful Leaders for an AI World
The irony is striking: as AI becomes more capable of handling information, the distinctives of Christian higher education become more valuable, not less. Tomorrow’s leaders will need more than technical or creative skills – they’ll need wisdom to use those skills ethically, mentors to guide their development, and communities to shape their character.
Christian colleges aren’t just preparing students for their first job; they’re laying a foundation for a lifetime of faithful service in a rapidly changing world. They’re forming graduates who can not only work in the age of AI but who can bring biblical wisdom to bear on the ethical challenges AI presents.
The question isn’t whether AI will transform higher education – it will. The question is, who will help shape that transformation with wisdom, discernment, and a commitment to God’s truth?
Choosing Wisdom in an AI Age
As we stand at this technological crossroads, the choice facing Christian students and parents isn’t between embracing or rejecting AI – it’s about recognizing where true wisdom comes from and how it’s best cultivated. The same God who gave Solomon wisdom to navigate his complex age offers wisdom for ours.
The four (hopefully) years of a college student’s life will be foundational. They’ll shape not just what they know but who they become. In an era where information seems limitless but wisdom is rare, Christian colleges offer something precious: a place where faith, learning, and community converge to form leaders who can navigate the challenges of today and the uncertainties of tomorrow.
So, when considering your educational path, don’t just ask, “What can AI teach me?” Ask instead, “Where can I best develop the wisdom, character, and discernment that will guide me for a lifetime?” The answer might not be found in the latest technology but in an educational tradition that has been forming faithful leaders for generations and is now more relevant than ever.
After all, the world doesn’t just need informed Christians. The world needs wise Christians who faithfully serve and lead wherever the Lord takes them. And that’s exactly what Christian higher education is designed to cultivate.
Yes. Such important reminders here of the role we need to play. And to do it well…
Thank you. This is a must-share with those in my program. A reminder of our grand task, especially at one of the very few Christian universities in Canada.