Christian College Thought Paper
Thoughts on a Christian College
Thoughts on a Christian College
In today’s extremely competitive, job-scarce economy, having a college degree is now a steadfast requirement when applying to even entry-level professional jobs. Choosing a college has always been a challenging task for high school seniors, but it is now fraught with stress and anxiety for nearly every adult who seeks to further their education. Questions abound: what school offers the exact program I desire? What school is in the best location, or has the best campus? What school feels ‘right’? Many people turn to a Christian college to fulfill their ‘checklist’ of a perfect college. However, a Christian liberal arts education is often misunderstood or underrated. What is the benefit of a school that offers this type of education? Why attend a Christian liberal-arts college? Why does a Christian college even exist? In Arthur F. Holmes’ book, “The Idea of a Christian College”, these questions – and more – are examined and answered. The four main themes I took from Holmes’ book are as follows: there is a distinct niche and purpose for a Christian liberal arts education; faith and learning are integrated and is thus a unique aspect to a Christian college; academic freedom is an integral part of a Christian education; and, the purpose of an education is more than to simply become trained or knowledgeable in one specific subject. So, why does a Christian liberal arts college exist? Well, let us start with simply the purpose of a liberal arts education. The broad goal of a liberal arts education includes empowering individuals to deal with complexity, diversity, and change, and to enable them to be citizens of the world with a sense of social responsibility. Essentially, a liberal arts education aims to provide students with intellectual and practical skills (such as the ability to communicate, analyze, and problem-solve) that are transferable and can be used in real-world situations. These
Thoughts on a Christian College
In today’s extremely competitive, job-scarce economy, having a college degree is now a steadfast requirement when applying to even entry-level professional jobs. Choosing a college has always been a challenging task for high school seniors, but it is now fraught with stress and anxiety for nearly every adult who seeks to further their education. Questions abound: what school offers the exact program I desire? What school is in the best location, or has the best campus? What school feels ‘right’? Many people turn to a Christian college to fulfill their ‘checklist’ of a perfect college. However, a Christian liberal arts education is often misunderstood or underrated. What is the benefit of a school that offers this type of education? Why attend a Christian liberal-arts college? Why does a Christian college even exist? In Arthur F. Holmes’ book, “The Idea of a Christian College”, these questions – and more – are examined and answered. The four main themes I took from Holmes’ book are as follows: there is a distinct niche and purpose for a Christian liberal arts education; faith and learning are integrated and is thus a unique aspect to a Christian college; academic freedom is an integral part of a Christian education; and, the purpose of an education is more than to simply become trained or knowledgeable in one specific subject. So, why does a Christian liberal arts college exist? Well, let us start with simply the purpose of a liberal arts education. The broad goal of a liberal arts education includes empowering individuals to deal with complexity, diversity, and change, and to enable them to be citizens of the world with a sense of social responsibility. Essentially, a liberal arts education aims to provide students with intellectual and practical skills (such as the ability to communicate, analyze, and problem-solve) that are transferable and can be used in real-world situations. These
References: Holmes, A. F. (1987). The idea of a christian college. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. Luxon, Thomas H., ed. The Milton Reading Room, http://www.dartmouth.edu/~milton, accessed February 2012.