Chapter Summary: Why College Matters To God

The article “Why College Matters to God” discusses the differences between a Christian college as opposed to a secular university. Rick Ostrander says that the Christian worldview is the biggest difference. The way that we understand the world shapes the way we think and act. Often we are not aware of our worldview unless we are actively trying to think about it. College is a part of life that shapes our worldview, which is why choices about where to go or what to do as it pertains to education is important.

Dr. Arthur Holmes, a Christian philosopher, began his post-secondary education at Wheaton College many years ago. This was just the beginning for Holmes’s time at and impact on Wheaton College. After studying there and obtaining a higher degree at another college, Holmes ended back at Wheaton as a professor. During his lifetime, he also wrote multiple books and articles on Christianity (“Wheaton College”). In his article, Idea of a Christian College, Holmes conveys his vision on a complete understanding of the meaning behind Christian colleges.

In reading Bill Davis’ book, In All Things Christ Preeminent, it is evident that receiving an education at Covenant College will be a unique spiritual and intellectual experience. With Christ present in all areas of the school, the structure of the college and what it as an institution aspires to accomplish varies greatly from that of the high school I attended. Based on the Christ-like goals, student body, and instruction of Covenant College depicted in In All Things Christ Preeminent, receiving an education from Covenant seems vastly different from my secular experience at LaFayette High School.

“On a Christian Mission to the Top” by Laurie Goodstein and David Kirkpatrick deals with the controversial topic of religion, primarily the rise of evangelicals to the top of the social classes and their influence. The essay opens with a description of the differing religious groups in Brown University, originally a Protestant Christian school. After evangelicals surpassed other denominations of Christianity, the societal and political perspectives of America shifted to support Evangelism views. Goodstein and Kirkpatrick examine the attempt to sway colleges to evangelist perspectives. While I wholeheartedly encourage the freedom of religion, I do not support this attempt at mass conversion or the refusal of accepting of other cultures.

In Why College Matters to God, Ostrander begins by stating that all aspects of life at a Christian college are united under the same worldview. To strengthen this argument Ostrander defines what a worldview is and the connection it has to education. After establishing this connection, he explains secular colleges multiple worldviews and shows the benefits of one common worldview.

More people than ever before are attending college due to the endless opportunities that it provides. Louis Menand, a college professor and the author of “Live and Learn: Why We Have College,” explains the meaning of college through three theories that have been developed. Theory 1 supports the idea of the sorting-out process that separates the highly intelligent from the less intelligent. Menand’s second theory explains that college provides opportunities for developmental growth, personal growth, and teaches individuals about the world around us. These are valuable lessons that will not be learned anywhere else. Theory three supports the idea of people attending college to specialize in a specific vocation. I

7. Christian college education equips us to play a role in redeeming God’s creation to the way it was supposed to be. By studying the word of God and applying it to every aspect of our lives we are working hard to bring ourselves back to what God intended us to be. Ostrander points out that part of our task as cultural beings is to redeem

In Freeman Hrabowski’s piece, “Colleges Prepare People for Life,” he mentions the differing opinions between going to college and choosing another path. Many people find college too expensive, and once a student graduates, he or she will face enormous debt and potentially risk still being unprepared for the working world. Hrabowski acknowledges this, and also notices that many students who do attend college occasionally make the wrong decision in terms of choosing a school and major. But while the stakes are high, he argues that college not only provides financial stability, but also allows students to become more virtuous citizens in the long run. He does this by providing information to backup his claims, using a passionate tone to explain his beliefs, and paralleling college attendance with good intentions.

In reading Bill Davis’ book, In All Things Christ Preeminent, it is evident that receiving an education at Covenant College will be a unique spiritual and intellectual experience. With Christ present in all areas of the school, the structure of the college and what it as an institution aspires to accomplish varies greatly from that of the high school I attended. Based on the Christ-like goals, instruction, and student body of Covenant College depicted in In All Things Christ Preeminent, receiving an education from Covenant seems vastly different from my secular experience at LaFayette High School.

Education plus God equals success. While this statement is true, the job of incorporating the truth about God into everything taught is becoming increasingly more difficult. Schultz charted public education’s view of reality, truth and value throughout the history of the United States to show how an unbiblical worldview has increasingly taken hold of society, the educational system and

“Colleges Prepare People for Life” by Freeman Hrabowski, is an informative essay about how college is a crucial step for the preparation of a successful future job opportunity as well as future life. Hrabowski is the current president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and has been in that role since 1992. “In 2012, President Obama named him chair of President’s Advisory Commission on Education excellence of African Americans” (Hrabowski, 2013, p. 259). This quote goes to show the amount of knowledge and respect Hrabowski has earned throughout his life by proving himself and his ideas to others. Although college is a crucial step for the preparation of a successful future job opportunity as well as one’s overall wellbeing of life; some might disagree that college is the key to success. From this essay, messages within the text will be made known by analyzing the real meaning behind Hbrabowski’s words. As well as reasoning, as to why a college education is essential to one’s overall quality of life.

In Stanley Hauerwas’s article titled “Go with God” he presents a letter to students who are going off to attend college. It’s a guide that proposes certain expectations and helpful information for students heading off on this new endeavor. He makes a point that going to college means much more than a diploma and hopes of high paying job. “To worship God and live faithfully are necessary conditions if you are to survive college. But as a Christian you are called to do more than survive” (Hauerwas). The advice in the letter reinforce its main theme: to be a student is a calling. This challenges the reader to think beyond the normal expectations of why we go off to college.

The first fifty years of the 20th century proved to be hard on Cedarville. The college’s trustees tried several times to revitalize the college before realizing Cedarville was not sustainable any longer. The trustees had to choose between finding a college to merge with and closing down entirely. While Cedarville’s trustees were facing this decision, the trustees at Baptist Bible Institute in Cleveland were looking for a

At a Christian university, you have the ability to learn the ways of a business while still ensuring ethics is the center of one's values. One gets the ability to learn in a small environment about faith, while not being pressured into having a belief, but still receiving the moral compass that is part of having a faith. Learning at a Christian university gives you the opportunity to go make a difference in the workplaces by taking the values and management insights of Scripture and using what you have learned to make an ethically healthy work

Christian Tradition course exposed me to the Christian Tradition based on Biblical and church history. The course taught me the differences and similarities of Christian Tradition from other major world religions. I learned about the significance of God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and the Trinity based on the teachings of the Bible. The course also briefly covered 2,000 years of church history but with emphasis on the impact of the Council of Nicea, Council of Chalcedon, and John and Charles Wesley on Christianity. The professor emphasized the importance of the reformation that sparked a revolution in the church.