Christian History Magazine on Christianity and Higher Education

The latest issue of Christian History Magazine is devoted to the topic of ‘Hallowed Halls: The Christian Story of the University’.

Here’s the issue blurb:

‘How have Christians pioneered, molded, and interacted with higher education throughout the ages? This issue of Christian History surveys the Christian story of the university, following schools of particular historical interest. Beginning with the development of the first institutions in the Middle Ages – precursors to our own modern universities – and their vision for a classical education centered around theology, we trace what happened to that vision after the Enlightenment when a new kind of university arose. Finally we consider how these visions made their way to America, where today wholly secular universities, explicitly Christian schools, and historically church-related colleges all dot the landscape.’

The whole magazine is available as a 12.6 MB pdf here.

Theos Report on University Chaplaincy during the COVID–19 Pandemic

A new report from Theos has been published, looking at the role and contribution of university chaplains and faith advisors who have been on the frontline of the pandemic:

Simon Perfect, Relationships, Presence and Hope: University Chaplaincy during the COVID-19 Pandemic (London: Theos, 2021).

Here are some paragraphs from the Theos website:

‘Throughout the pandemic, chaplains and faith advisors have been supporting the isolated, comforting the bereaved, and providing pastoral and spiritual care to anyone who needs it.

‘In universities, chaplains have faced a massive health crisis among students. In November 2020, a survey of 4,193 students conducted for the National Union of Students found that 52% said their mental health was worse than it was before the pandemic, but only 29% of those people had sought any help.

‘This report captures the experience of higher education chaplaincy during the pandemic, drawing on interviews with 16 chaplains from universities across the UK. It explores the unique contributions of chaplains during this time, the challenges they have faced, and what lessons can be learned by chaplains and employers.’

A pdf of the full report is available here, and an executive summary is available here.

Word and World 7 (July 2019)

‘What is a university for?’ is the theme of the latest issue of Word and World, published by IFES. The issue contains the below pieces, and is available as a pdf here.

Esther Phua

We Become Dreamers: Snapshots from the Life of a University Student

Esther Phua, a recent philosophy graduate from Singapore, offers snapshots from life as a university student. She tells about times to ask questions, to discover, to make friends, to grow up, to relate to family, and to grow in faith. She also tells about times to deal with shame, suicide, and difficult family relationships. Recognizing the fears that students face, she says that universities are places to try out ideas about changing the world, places to dream, thanks to the Word that became flesh.

Brian A. Williams

To Wonder, Learn, and Love: Christian Humanism in the Modern University

Brian A. Williams, theologian and dean of an honours college in the United States, looks to the tradition of Christian humanism to frame what universities are for, a tradition that has taught him to value every art and science as a gift from God made available to students to develop their full humanity. He writes that this kind of education starts with wonder and amazement. It goes on to learn, not using of knowledge for selfish aims but learning as a grateful and humble response to the gift of knowledge. Such learning equips university members to love their near and distant neighbours. Knowing ultimately leads us to praise God, Williams writes.

Santa J. Ono

The Humility of What We Do Not Know: My Story of Serving as a President and a Scientist in a Secular University

Santa J. Ono, president of a university in Canada and a medical scientist, thinks that the best universities are places where people from different backgrounds come together for open dialogue about questions, exploring mysteries, developing new ideas, and shaping people who can create a better world. He relates his story of coming to Christian faith as a student, a faith that he says disposes him to serve people of any or no faith as a leader of an educational institution.

Jeremiah Amai Veino Duomai

Universities as Watchdogs: Democracy and Critiquing the Powers That Be

Jeremiah Amai Veino Duomai, a philosopher from India, responds to the shrinking space allowed in Indian universities for evaluating and criticizing government policies. He argues that free thought in universities is not only important for the health of a democracy. It is also an important way to speak out against what the Scriptures call “the powers that be,” fighting a temptation to worship political leaders or deify nations.

Ross H. McKenzie

Towards a Christian Vision for the Modern Secular University: A Theological Contribution to Competing Visions of the University

Ross H. McKenzie, a physicist from Australia, says that in a time of crisis about the purpose of universities, Christian theology has a contribution to make. The approach of turning universities into businesses and letting them be guided by free market forces predominates today, he says. And while some Christians hold to a vision for educational institutions as sectarian, he advances a Christian theological vision for the modern secular and multicultural university. McKenzie believes that the categories of creation, fall, redemption, and renewal can both explain and shape what counts as good activity in the university.

Theos Report on Faith and Belief in Universities

A new report from Theos has just been published:

Simon Perfect, Ben Ryan and Kristin Aune, Faith and Belief on Campus: Division and Cohesion. Exploring student faith and belief societies (London: Theos, 2019).

Here are some paragraphs from the Theos website:

‘Universities are a symbolic battleground in today’s debates about our shared values. They are accused on the one hand of restricting freedom of speech, and on the other of being hotbeds of extremism. Polling conducted by YouGov for Theos in January 2019 found that over half (52%) of British adults think freedom of speech is under threat in UK universities, and a sizable minority (29%) think “Islamic extremism” is common in them. As the places where our future leaders develop their values, how universities accommodate debate and diversity is a critically important issue for the health of our society.

‘This report considers these difficult matters through the eyes of students who attend faith and belief societies on campus. It finds that tensions and controversies over religion or belief issues do sometimes arise on campus, but these are exceptions to the norm of peaceful campus relations between different groups.

‘Faith and belief societies play hugely important roles on campus in building community, supporting students pastorally and spiritually, and driving social action. However, they often face challenges which limit the contribution they can make to campus life, including their capacity to build bridges across different groups. While they are strong sources of “bonding social capital”, building bonds among their own members, they are less effective at being sources of “bridging social capital” between groups. They need better resources and support from universities and students’ unions in order to meet their potential of being key sources of cohesion on campus.’

A summary of the report and its recommendations can be found here.

A pdf of the full report is available here.

Julian Rivers on Christian Service in the Secular University

The latest Cambridge Paper from the Jubilee Centre is available online, this one by Julian Rivers:

Julian Rivers, ‘The Exile of the Mind: Christian Service in the Secular University’, Cambridge Papers 24, 1 (March 2015).

Here is the summary:

‘British higher education is increasingly secular in outlook. This paper identifies three aspects of that secularity: specialisation, instrumentalisation and globalisation. As Christians, we can respond by observing the intellectual, moral and theological inadequacy of the university life this generates. But we are also called to take practical beneficial steps to address its weaknesses as well. We can prevent slippage into hostile forms of secularism by promoting Christianity as an object and framework of study, as well as resisting petty forms of oppression. We can improve the quality of our common life by promoting intellectual virtue, scholarly community and the pursuit of public goods. This may not always sit comfortably with current criteria of scholarly “success”, but by promoting such qualities, we can hope to make even the modern secular academy serviceable to Christ.’