I was blessed to earn my doctorate at a Christian university, and have served for almost two decades in higher education–and most of that journey has been with Christian schools. I must add that my initial work in HEd was with the state school near my home community, and I still have fond memories of those early years. I am grateful for the opportunity afforded me by that institution and the workplace friendships and support.
But it was in a summer course I volunteered to take as a faculty member that I realized I was not truly home, so to speak, as I listened to several lectures that not only questioned my principles of unbiased free thinking, but also forced on all of us in the class a theory that did not align with the full truth. Some of it did—but much was an exaggerated narrative that was insulting and divisive.
Since that experience, and the decision soon after to transition into Christian higher ed, I have observed nuances that set this arm of the Christian movement apart…Not always better, not always right, not always modeling authentic Christianity across the campus and in every management decision—but uniquely called to grow and advance the Gospel.
So, to answer briefly here, what one will find on a typical Christian campus. Let’s dive in.
- A culture of “agree to disagree agreeably” (miles apart from a culture of “you align with my thinking, or you are naïve and undereducated”).
- A commitment to service.
- An embracing of the Scriptures, prayer, and corporate worship.
- An openness to alternative constructs (but not a recruitment).
- A genuine Christ-centered ‘culture of care’ that permeates across the campus community.
- Less loose language and social pressure to conform to the latest trends of the day.
- A celebration of the traditional family unit and the core values students bring from home.
- A commitment to personal health and self-control. Refraining from drinking (or excessive drinking) and the use of other recreational drugs are expectations, examples of growing into maturity and moving beyond the secular definition of college as the “partying years”.
- A respect for other world views and religions, but also an unapologetic acknowledgment of what the Christian movement has done for societies across the world, as well as its personal life-changing impact.
- A focus on following God’s call on our own life, and respecting vocation as one key way we can give back to a society that has been good to us, and to God who has given us such an opportunity to make a difference…Fulfilling work, less selfish work, servant-leadership work.
Certainly, we could go on adding more examples of the typical culture on a Christian campus, and also list negatives where we still too often don’t “get it”. But for today, it is fair to say, and in a moment of thankfulness, we are doing a lot right in the world of Christian higher education. We still have a long way to go, but we also have had and are still having a major influence on the Christian movement (by far the most impactful movement the world has ever known).
This morning, looking out the window of my office on a cold, snowy day, I am reminded that my core values are embraced on my campus: The four F’s of Faith, family, fulfilling work, and future. I am grateful. For me, it just feels like home.
