Christian Higher Education

In 1985, Abilene Christian University was rocked by a controversy over the alleged teaching of evolution by two biology professors. The two-year conflict was an existential crisis for the university, which relied on students and donations from many of the rural Texas Churches of Christ most opposed to evolutionary theory.

A review of hundreds of letters, internal memos and other materials – as well as interviews with students, faculty, administrators and board members from the era – allows historians for the first time to assess the accuracy both of the allegations themselves and of the university’s blanket denial of them.

The curriculum is the bridge from the mission and philosophy of the college to the learning experiences of the students. The Christian educator is committed to a philosophy of curriculum that will bring all of life under the Lordship of Christ and enable the student to think, love, and live Christianly. The project is no less ambitious than the organization of biblical truth into a construct that encompasses and interfaces all the aspects of human knowledge and living. The Penn View Bible Institute Systematic Theology II course is offered as one means to build such a system into students' lives, with theology as the integrating force.

What exists or what is real? What can humans know? What is of value? Ontology, epistemology, and axiology form the anchor points for human meaning. From these three distinct yet overlapping domains, arise two further questions: 1) What is the goal of human maturity—the model of a fully developed human? 2) How do educators draw students toward these ends?  Anthropology and andragogy build upon the first three to formulate one’s philosophy of education.

Research indicates that a crucial factor to student persistence is the quality of student relationship with at least one person in the university community, often the academic advisor.  Even though retention and persistence rates are consistently lower for online and post-traditional (or adult) students, compared to traditional (or on-campus) students, distance education continues to grow. This paper reviews research and one university’s journey to build capacity without sacrificing quality of distance student services. Considering academic advisor evaluation survey results, online learning management and student information system quantitative data, along with distance degree student qualitative data, this paper shares mix methods action research findings as well as appreciative and proactive advising practices that impact retention, persistence and degree completion for globally distributed and post-traditional online learners.

Paradigm: The paper develops a metaphor from the river of Ezekiel 47 to describe the four stages of spiritual movements proposed by Gustavo Gutiérrez and Walter Principe culminating in "the healing of nations."

Thesis: If the Vineyard aspires to become a spiritual movement capable of transforming not just churches but societies and cultures, they must consider founding a distinctively Vineyard college in the liberal arts tradition. Such a college is the Vineyard’s best hope for forming a multi-generation community of sufficient spiritual and intellectual depth to “heal nations” by fulfilling their mission of “proclaiming and practicing the full message and reality of the kingdom of God.”

Support: The paper briefly sketches three possible arguments in defense of this thesis: 1) an argument from scripture, 2) an argument from history, and 3) an argument from Vineyard distinctives.

(Invited Workshop Presentation)

The University of Shanghai (滬江大學) was founded in 1906 as a co-operative effort between the Southern Baptist Convention [SBC] and the American Baptist Missionary Union [ABMU]. Herman C. E. Liu (劉湛恩) was appointed its first Chinese president in 1928 and had been highly esteemed in both Christian and Chinese educational circles. Although this article focuses on the history of the University of Shanghai during the period of 1928-1938, it firstly gives a brief account of the early history of the university, as well as the nationwide Anti-Christian Movement (1922-27), which resulted in the transition of the university leadership from foreign to Chinese. This article then examines how the university, under Liu’s leadership from 1928 to 1938, attempted to achieve the goal of ‘more Christian, more Chinese, and more efficient.’ It aims to explore the complexity of the interaction between a Christian institute and Chinese society, particularly in the face of fierce nationalist tensions. The history of the University of Shanghai reflects the trend of the evolution of a Christian establishment from its denominational (Baptist) background to a more general and diverse character, and from western to Chinese. This article argues that it was a natural step during the course of the growth of the ‘selfhood’ of Christianity in early twentieth-century China; meanwhile, however, it reveals an obliged response to a politically hostile environment. In addition, this paper argues that, while making itself more indigenous and relevant to Chinese society, the university was quite exceptional by keeping and emphasising its Christian essence. This owed much to Herman Liu’s own vision and practice in Christian education in China, which reflects a contextual understanding of the Christian message and its social application.

This essay investigates why Kierkegaard hates professors (particularly of the assistant variety) and asks what might be done to address his worries. I look especially at the issues of job security (particularly the chasing of it) and the academy's distaste for ambiguity. As I consider these topics I interweave gratuitous personal reflections on my own assistant professor-ish experience.

Originally presented at Grove City College, this paper explores the frames of reference that constitute historically Truth, Goodness, and Beauty; we then examine the eclipse of these cosmic values in our secular age and the adverse effects such an eclipse has wrought on the church’s witness to transcendent values; and then look at how the renaissance of classical Christian education represents nothing less than an effectual recovery of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty in our own time.

Current research on culture and distance education suggests that cultural variables influence student success online. When online courses are writing-based, they may provide easy information dissemination; however, the low-context medium may restrict the learning experience and class dynamic due to the lack of nonverbal communication. Students who come from a high-context culture may find low-context, online cultures to lack cues they would normally expect when meeting face-to-face. Judging that text-based online communication is low-context, this study explores the impact lowcontext communication makes in the learning environment of students from high-context cultures by investigating Hall's definitions of contexting and Hofstede's (1980) dimensions of culture in view of online learning. The article concludes by offering suggestions for how to better serve high-context cultures in low-context online courses in Christian institutions of higher education. Downloaded by [Brackett Library, Harding University], [Tim Westbrook] at 11:29 11 July 2014 282 T. P. WESTBROOK

In general, there is a major emphasis on formal education in Kenya which negates application.  Christian education should influence moral value systems for transformed character and behavior leading to Christlikeness.  The students and teachers should interact in informal settings and should develop mutual respect. 

Christian educators should depend on the Holy Spirit for empowerment and illumination for appropriate human instruction.  The instructor should guide the students into a better understanding of the truth.  The teacher should propagate a Judeo- Christian worldview through proper interpretation of Scripture, evangelical theology, and inductive Bible study.

Course designers and program administrators face daily challenges of finding balance between new technology and educational principles conducive to online learning environments. This study investigates the implications of Dewey's understanding of the " learning situation " through a phenomenological inquiry into the experiences of students' participating in an online course at a faith-based liberal arts university. The salient themes of flexibility, travel, and communication emerged from the study. Ecology of learning and community of inquiry are treated in order to explore theoretical bridges between Dewey and distance education. A conceptual diagram of Dewey's learning situation is provided to assist online course designers in creating assignments that account for various levels of self-directed student reflection and online social interaction. The article concludes by recommending practical ways to infuse student experiences as part of student learning outcomes.

This study seeks to contribute to the ongoing discussion concerning the interplay of faith and reason advocating that both faith and reason are requisite to the development of the Christian mind. This dissertation consists of the following six elements: 1) it identifies the enduring tension that exists concerning issues pertaining to faith and reason; 2) it includes a review of the literature surrounding contemporary issues related to the Christian mind; 3) in contains a survey of historical perspectives on faith and reason down through the centuries of the Christian church; 4) it offers an evaluation of the relationship between faith and reason in the Christian life, as it is presented in the biblical text; 5) it provides data analysis from an original quantitative study of 895 participants of various faith persuasions, which evidence significant findings concerning contemporary perspectives on faith and reason; and 6) it concludes that the faith/reason dichotomy, however prevalent today, is unwarranted in the case of biblical Christianity. The main contribution of this study is in the development and deployment of an original quantitative study on the relation between faith and reason which included 895 participants from a variety of faith backgrounds, including over 600 self-identified Christians and over 200 self-identified atheists and/or agnostics.

In this essay, I muse upon aporia’s value as a pedagogical technique in the philosophy classroom using as a guide examples of aporia that are found in Plato’s Socratic dialogues. The word aporia, translated as “without passage” or “without a way,” is used metaphorically to describe the unsettling state of confusion many find themselves in after engaging in philosophical discourse. Following a brief introduction in which I situate aporia as a pedagogy amicable to experiential learning, I examine various ways in which aporia appears in certain Platonic dialogues, which enables us to draw out some paradigmatic features of aporia. I then discuss how I apply aporia as a pedagogical technique in the contemporary philosophy classroom, taking up three specific concerns in detail: aporetic discomfort, right use, and potential misuse.

저자 서문: 저는 신학대학과 신학대학원에서 학부생들과 대학원생들에게 조직신학 과목들을 가르치고 있습니다. 동시에 저는 교회 새가족반과 교리 성장반에서 성도들을 대상으로 기독교의 기본 교리들을 가르치고 있습니다. 그러다보니 제가 가르치는 대상의 색깔도 참으로 다양합니다. 학교에서는 신학을 처음 접하는 20대 초반 대학생에서부터 학자의 길을 준비하시는 나이 지긋한 박사과정 대학원생들까지, 교회에서는 일평생 처음 교회에 나오신 새 가족부터 수 십 년간 신앙생활을 해 오셨던 권사님‧장로님까지 실로 다양한 분들에게 신학과 교리를 가르치고 있는 셈입니다.
  이 책은 학교에서나 교회에서나 기독교 기본 교리를 가르칠 때마다 주로 받았던 ‘질문’들을 선별해 신학적으로 명료하게 답변하는 형식을 취합니다. 제가 깨달은 것 중 하나는 신학의 성숙도에 따라 질문의 수준이 약간씩 차이가 있긴 하지만 그럼에도 불구하고 대부분의 사람들은 각 주제에 맞춰 비슷비슷한 의문점들을 갖고 있다는 점입니다. 이 책에 등장하는 질문들은 제가 현장에서 신학과 교리를 가르치면서 실제적으로 직‧간접적으로 받은 질문들이기 때문에 현장성이 가득 녹아 들어가 있는 질문으로 볼 수 있습니다.
  각 질문들에 대한 저의 답변은 순수하게 저만의 고유한 답변이라기보다는 개혁신학(改革神學, Reformed Theology)의 전통 위에서 신앙의 선배들이 대답해 왔던 것들을 제 시각 하에서 재정리 한 것에 더 가깝다고 볼 수 있습니다. 개혁신학이란 16세기 유럽에서 발흥한 신학 전통으로 다시 한 번 ‘성경이 말하는 바로 돌아가자’라는 태도와 자세를 가지고 하나님의 뜻과 주권을 겸비하게 인정하는 특징을 가진 신학 전통입니다.
  이 책의 구성은 크게 7개의 장으로 이루어집니다. 7개의 장으로 구성한 이유는 전통적으로 조직신학을 7개의 각론 즉 성경론(서론), 신론, 인간론, 기독론, 구원론, 교회론, 종말론으로 나눴기 때문입니다. 7개의 각론들은 또 다시 7개의 세부 질문과 대답으로 나누어 한 교리적 주제에 대해 최대한 종합적으로 설명하려고 노력했습니다. 그러므로 이 책은 총 49개의 주요 교리적 질문들에 대한 답변이라고 볼 수 있습니다.
  각 장들의 세부 구성은 ‘신학이 있는 답변,’ ‘깨달음이 있는 성경 구절,’ 그리고 ‘적용이 있는 묵상’ 등으로 크게 3부분으로 나뉩니다. 신학이 있는 답변 부분은 던져진 질문에 대해 가능하면 선명하고 명료하게 교리적 핵심을 짚는 부분으로 신자들이라면 반드시 알아야 하는 기본적인 신학 개념들을 소개하고 설명하는데 방점을 찍은 부분입니다. 깨달음이 있는 성경 구절 부분은 앞에서 설명한 신학적 개념들을 관련 성경 구절들을 통해서 다시 한 번 재 확증하여 복된 깨달음으로의 물꼬를 트는 것에 방점을 찍는 부분입니다. 적용이 있는 묵상 부분은 특정 질문에 대한 신학적‧성경적 고찰을 근거로 각 개개인의 삶 속에서 특정 교리를 어떻게 적용할 수 있을지에 대한 가늠자를 제공하는 것에 방점을 찍은 부분입니다.
  이 책은 지역 교회에서 새가족부 교육 교재로, 각종 소그룹 모임 교재로, 가정에서는 가정 예배 참고 도서로, 혹은 신학교에서는 조직신학 개론 참고서로 활용될 수 있는 성격을 지닙니다. 물론 혼자 읽으면서 기독교의 기본 교리를 다시금 재정립하는 귀한 기회로 삼아도 좋습니다. 이 책을 읽다보면 분명히 더 많은 신학적 질문들이 쏟아져 나오게 될 것입니다. 그 때는 이 책과 더불어 조직신학 필수 교본들을 상보적으로 읽어 가시며 신학의 뿌리를 든든히 하는 기회로 삼으시길 바랍니다. 하지만 그 어떤 책보다 더 중요한 책은 성경책입니다. 모든 신학과 교리는 성경 말씀에 비추어 궁극적으로 평가 받아야하기 때문입니다.
  이 책에서 인용된 모든 성경 구절들은 개역개정역이며, 성경 이름은 줄여서 표기 했고, 인용된 신앙고백서‧교리문답 문구의 한글 번역은 모두 다 제 번역임을 밝힙니다. 핵심적인 신학 단어들은 가능하면 한자어와 영어로 혼용 표기해 의미적 용례를 드러내길 힘썼습니다.
  이 책을 통해 아리송했던 신학적 개념들이 더 선명해지길 바라며, ‘여호와를 힘써 아는 것’(호 6:3)의 물꼬가 은혜 가운데 힘차게 터지길 진심으로 갈구합니다. 사실 책 전반에 걸친 일련의 질문들에 대한 대답은 제가 했지만, 그 대답들이 제 대답으로 그치는 것이 아니라 진리의 영이신 성령 하나님께서 주시는 대답이 되길 위해 이 책을 읽으실 독자들 개개인에게 역사하실 성령의 조명하심을 간절히 기대하며 사모합니다. 성령의 조명하심이 없는 진리에 대한 탐구는 무의미합니다. 성령의 조명하심을 간절히 기대하며 이 책을 믿음으로 집어 들어야 하는 필연적인 이유가 바로 여기에 있습니다.

The paper elucidates poverty to be one of the challenges of the age. It highlights the efforts of various governments in Nigeria towards poverty eradication which seems not to have worked out well enough. The writer calls on churches to see poverty alleviation as part of their mission of evangelisation and be proactively involved in it. Salvation is holistic in the sense that it does not only concern the redemption of the spirit and soul but it also involves the enhancement of the physical status of an individual. The causes, effects and level of poverty in Nigeria are presented. The rationale for churches response to poverty is stated as well. The paper itemizes some possibilities through the corridors of Christian education which churches could adopt in the alleviation of poverty. Specifically, the emphasis of Christian education strategies for the church’s involvement in poverty alleviation in the paper is illustrated with three practical and spectacular  models/ patterns of ministry gained from an educational tour by the writer of the paper having visited sites of  some individual church members who are ministering to the poor in their community. The paper concludes with some recommendations.

The interest in wonder has been a welcome trend in theological education. Curiously, though, it has happened without much reference to the Bible's own witness on schooling. This essay seeks to address the gap, therefore, by looking at a key text in the study of Israelite education: the book of Proverbs. It does so is by locating wonder within Proverbs' vision of education. Since metaphors are central to this vision, the study especially considers the ones that are foundational. What it finds, though, is that the usual suspects—the 'way' and the father/son relationship—do not provide a truly governing metaphor for education. Instead, such a metaphor may be found in the idea of the 'house' and 'house-building'. Viewed through this lens, wonder takes on new significance. It becomes the animating spark that connects the two 'houses' of education: the 'house' of the father and the 'house' of God. If humans are to 'build' their homes like God built the cosmos, they must imitate Woman Wisdom; and the ideal portrait of Woman Wisdom, in Proverbs 8, characterises her chief attribute as wonder (vv 29-31). The governing ethos of wisdom education, therefore, is divine hospitality: God has made the world as our 'playhouse' and he invites us to learn through wonderment.

ABSTRACT
The Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU) is the most successful higher education organization to emerge from the modern American evangelical movement. Especially within the context of the United States, higher education has been a key element of neoevangelicalism
since the 1940s. Rather than choosing between biblical
truth and cultural outreach, post–World War II neo-evangelicals called the church toward a thoughtful approach to address the needs of the world. The early movement was focused not only on
evangelistic ministry efforts, but also on education as a primary means for shaping the culture. As modern evangelicalism took shape in the 1950s, the movement struggled to find a consistent moral
voice. From early challenges related to the civil rights movement to current debates over poverty and immigration, evangelicals have engaged with cultural issues, but with a wide variety of strategies
and viewpoints. Political issues have brought evangelicals into public life, and some leaders have used elections as the primary means for promoting moral concerns. Consequently, the public may often view
U.S. evangelicals as activists concerned with political voting rather than as sincere followers of Christ who are committed to social ethics. Yet, the Christian college represents a significant platform for
sustaining evangelical thought in public life. Evangelicalism has suffered a fracturing in the last decade or so, and the term now carries a negative connotation in some circles. Many colleges in the CCCU
are searching for a new way to describe their evangelical identity. The historical meaning of the term evangelical focused on gospel proclamation and social reform. A return to this emphasis, as well as an alignment with the international focus of evangelical movement, can provide a more accurate and consistent legacy for evangelical
institutions.

South Africa has emerged from a long period of racial oppression
and polarisation. The need for social transformation
in areas such as HIV, poverty, oppression, economy, morality
and gender poses serious challenges to Christian Education
for the church in South Africa. The aim of this article is to
propose the model of Transformation-centered Christian
Education (TCE) in educating the church to make a contribution
in responding to the challenges faced by the country. The
paper has three sections. The first one is a general introduction
of the TCE approach. This is followed by the discussion
of the nature of TCE. The last part is a discussion of the
method of TCE. It addresses some of the key issues concerning
curriculum development for a Transformation-centered
Christian Education Approach. The paper draws insights
from the experiences in the TCE courses at the School of Religion
and Theology (SORAT) at the University of KwaZulu-
Natal in Pietermaritzburg.

In this article Benjamin D. Wayman examines two representative approaches to education in late antiquity—one by the pagan emperor Julian, the other by the Christian bishop Basil—and brings these approaches to bear on Christian higher education today. Engaging the work
of Arthur Holmes, Wayman suggests that contemporary Christian liberal arts institutions exemplify Basil’s view of a proper education and the best of the Christian tradition in that they presume both the unity of God’s truth and that there is a requisite character for the discovery of such truth. Wayman argues that Christians who are suspicious of the Christian liberal arts tradition fall short of the courageous approach to education modeled by Basil as that which is most becoming of Christian living and learning. Fear of a broad education indicates the loss of confidence in the church and home in the religious formation of Christian youth. This article issues a challenge for the church to recover its determinative role in the training and education of young Christians. It thus calls for the recovery of an educating
church that insists upon the courageous and critical pursuit of God’s truth, wherever it may be found. Benjamin D. Wayman is assistant professor of theology at Greenville College.

In the Winter 2009 edition of the Journal for Biblical Higher Education, Gregory Linton proposed a method by which “core competencies” could be established and integrated into bible college curriculum. Linton suggested that bible college curriculum is often fragmented, lacking an overarching structure to guide students from lower-level to higher-level competencies. Linton’s
prescription was that bible colleges should define and assess competencies to ensure that educational objectives are met. Linton’s article is affirmed as a positive step forward in the promotion of student assessment and institutional effectiveness. This article is intended to be complementary to Linton insofar as the author can provide a general educational theory and practical examples of methodological approaches to competency-based education in theological and ministerial training. Using the Australian Vocational Education and Training (VET) model, a case study will be formulated that describes several field-based
methods employed using this approach in an international context. Finally, a brief evaluation wil be offeredl of the model from the perspective of educational methodology and theory.

The cartographer’s task is to trace the outlines of a specified region, to create a wider perspective unavailable from a single vantage point. The historian’s task is to bring context to the cartographer’s landscape, to situate it in a wider account of its evolution over time and its relationship to similar landscapes. This monograph can be understood as a work of historical cartography. It seeks to map the terrain of Christian higher education in the United States, and when possible, to contextualize this sector by offering historical trend data and peer group comparisons.

Theological Education by Extension in Malawi Grassroots theological education should be viewed as an intrinsic part of theological education. It is part of a threefold model of theological engagement: grassroots, ministerial, and academic. All three types of learning operate on the same continuum, yet each has a distinct purpose, distinct content, and a distinct audience. Refocusing on grassroots theological education will help the Church overcome some of the fragmentation of theological education, especially the grassroots/ministerial divide. It will to help to integrate the three areas of theological education so that they inform and challenge each other. It will allow churches and their leaders to provide theologically sound answers to the actual questions of the grassroots Church.

Christian spirituality formation/discipleship practices nurturing disciplines as intentional social behaviours; such pursued behaviours are individual and corporate praxis. One’s Christian spirituality is historically normative Christian development, with observable and measurable functional spiritual discipline behaviors. Christian spirituality/discipleship is a social behavior in the sense of being conducted and informed by personal interaction with both the radical other (God), has commonality with persons and communities of biblical narrative and historical Christianity, and a functional sitz im leben, or the sphere of a Christian person’s contemporary experience.
The origins of Christian spirituality/discipleship behaviors while rooted in First Testament practices and text, expand in the Gospels through clear modeling by John the Baptist and Jesus; the power of the latter’s teaching by example, principles, commandment, and revelation depict personal and corporate spirituality-lifestyle, with its observable/measurable discipline behavior(s). In the Epistles, Christian spirituality as an observable social behavior, relates as a normative and intentional development of Christlikeness or engagement in; “the process of being conformed to the image of Christ for the sake of others” (Mulholland, 2010). Yes, but how? 
By engaging within the trans-historical behaviors of personal and corporate Christian spiritual growth/nurture that relate to biblically described maturation expectations and known biblical norm(s) of nurture. In this paper the expression biblical norm(s) focus on the intentional behavioral practice of four elements of the biblical narrative’s devotional spirituality: (1) Bible reading, (2) prayer, (3) meditation/rumination, and (4) active responsiveness and their pursuit through an application of Intentionality Theories and dynamics.

Colleges and universities are increasingly relying on philanthropic contributions to allow them to continue to provide high-quality education. Christian higher education is no different. African Americans give a larger percentage of their disposable income to nonprofits than any other racial group; this giving is primarily directed to the Black church. Limited literature addresses Black giving to higher education, and even less focuses on fundraising for church-affiliated Black colleges and universities. As part of a larger case study of the United Negro College Fund's (UNCF) National Pre-Alumni Council (NPAC), this research examined how African Americans in the millennial generation think about and choose to act philanthropically and the role that Black colleges and the African American church play in the cultivation of these behaviors. The findings in this article draw upon a case study dataset of interviews with 21 students and four NPAC advisors from 13 UNCF institutions, representing one third of the member colleges. More specifically, this article focuses on the document analysis and interviews of four students from Tougaloo College. This work is supported by and advances our understanding of the theoretical literature surrounding philanthropy, fund-raising, prosocial behavior, and the involvement of religion, specifically the Black church, on giving within African American communities. Beyond adding to the scholarly discourse, this paper offers recommendations for practice to increase prosocial behaviors of college students at religiously affiliated institutions.

Christian educators recognize the value of biblical wisdom. Indeed, one of the foremost objectives of a Christian liberal arts education is that all members of the learning community would pursue and attain wisdom. While wisdom is important as an end goal of Christian liberal arts education, this article proposes that wisdom can also serve as its model, allowing the subject to structure the method. Specifically, six key traits that characterize biblical wisdom should also characterize Christian liberal education. Like wisdom, Christian liberal education should be foundationally theological, integrated, accessible, practical, transformative, and foster lifelong learning. Building on scholarship from both biblical studies and educational theory, this article discerns a link that needs to be recognized and proposes a model of viewing Christian liberal arts education that flows organically from its primary subject.

An introduction to the history and ideals of Liberal Arts education, with an explanation of Benedictine College's core requirements deliver that education. Written for incoming students in Benedictine's "First Year Experience" course. (August, 2018)

Jesus was a Jewish rabbi with practices rooted in the traditions and practices of Second Temple Judaism. His educational process was mentoring associated with the rabbinic method of His day. His educational praxis was effective in the holistic development of adult leaders for His Kingdom community and mission. I argue that His methodology is in integrally linked to His outcomes, and is relevant today for the development of adult leaders in the Christian ethos. Using a grounded theory approach, my dissertation proposes a core construct of the identity, capacity, and destiny as a view of human holism, and through which we can understand the rabbinic mentoring process of Jesus and its effect on the person being mentored. Applying the Jesus way of mentoring to the holistic core construct highlights the role of the Kingdom community in the formative process of individuals. As a result of the research and analysis, I present seven transferable core principles which can be utilized in the contemporary application of the Jesus way, with these I include observations on the implications for higher education to embrace the Jesus model, as well as, insights for possible further research in areas highlighted in this work.

The Ratio studiorum of 1599 is foundational to the Jesuit order; furthermore, this plan of studies expresses something integral to and essential for both Ignatian and Jesuit spiritualities, despite the fact that the actual extent of the document's relevance has been largely hidden, missed, or deliberately ignored for the last fifty years. The essays of this volume provide an essential basis for informed discussions about Jesuit education today. Even secular educational planning can profit tremendously from these meditations on this classic of western educational history. This book is available for purchase online at http://jesuitsources.bc.edu/in-the-school-of-ignatius-studious-zeal-and-devoted-learning/ .

Data for libraries:

In the School of Ignatius: Studious Zeal and Devoted Learning
Claude Pavur, S.J.
Chestnut Hill, MA: Institute of Jesuit Sources, Boston College, 2019

Imprint [not a series] : IJS Studies: Research on Jesuit and the Society of Jesus
jesuitsources.bc.edu

ISBN 978-1-947617-02-5
Pages: ix+174
Price: $25

Two appendices: 1. A Timeline for Jesuit Education (137-62) and 2. Jesuit Colleges Operating at the Time of Ignatius's Death (163).
Index 165-74.

In this chapter, I hope to bring pedagogical models from the past to bear on our present situation in higher education. This is something of a bold exercise in retrieval, one that acknowledges the extent of the historical and contextual boundaries we might need to cross to achieve these ends. I recognize the inherent limitations of the early Christian sources since they for the most part focus on Christian educators teaching Christians to be Christians. This volume, on the other hand, is more expansive in its scope, addressing itself to academics teaching within any area of higher education and in any type of institution. I suggest that this ancient Christian cultural-religious typos (model) might be transferable to our culture intact, and might, for the sake of our students, inspire us to imitate this pedagogical tradition, wherever, whatever, and whomever we might teach. I will show that the tradition itself was a chain of inspired imitation, a chain that can extend from the first four centuries of the Christian era up to our own time.
The catechetical paradigm to which I refer was not only a biblical model of education, but was also thoroughly at home in the Eastern Orthodox Church, and constantly practiced therein. One might begin by considering Saint John Chrysostom, who became the patriarch of Constantinople in 398.2 He was an educator who embodied the practice of calling his people to the imitation of the saints: among these, Saint Paul was first and foremost. Saint John held up Saint Paul as a model; Saint Paul pointed to the humility of Jesus, and Jesus averred that he only did the will of his Father who sent him. One teacher refers to another, who refers to another, in a chain of reference and reverence extending back to the Creator, and forward into the future until the eschaton. This is a deeply founded experience within the Orthodox Christian Church, one that still characterizes the Orthodox mindset. It is a world- view standing in sharp contrast to the one predominant in contemporary culture, which lionizes the originality of research and ideas, rather than stressing the debt we owe those from whom we have inherited so much.

How does Christian higher education relate to spiritual formation? In this study I will present a broader picture of spirituality of Christian higher education and then layout a spirituality of classroom. I contend that Christian higher education must aim to educate the whole person, and as such, interactions in the classroom is an integral part of this educational-spiritual formation. A classroom must be seen as a space where teacher and students can find God, participate in the divine life, and give space for the others to grow in all dimensions of life. A classroom, therefore, is a space for contemplating the divine presence. To elaborate this topic, I shall, firstly, adumbrate the correlation between spirituality and education. Secondly, as a philosophical grounding of the Christian higher education, I shall discuss the Roman Catholic intellectual tradition and especially the Ignatian tradition which has been contributing to significant developments in the history of higher education. Thirdly, I shall sketch a contextual spirituality of classroom which is inspired by Christian theological tradition, especially that of trinitarian theology.

This article unfolds the problems created by accreditation in higher education from both a strategic and Christian perspective, especially as it relates to organization and innovation.
After identifying accreditation as essentially educational colonization/hegemony, I review original data that was collected from regional accreditors as well as accreditor standards in light of basic institutional goals. Among other conclusions, I suggest that the late-modern office of college "president" should be abolished, organizational chart be flattened, and accrediting standards reflect (at the very least) more internal coherence.

The bodily ascension of our Lord Jesus is one of the great and glorious doctrines of the Christian church. Yet it is arguably the most neglected doctrine among evangelicals and Protestants today. It is certainly one of our least understood and least appreciated doctrines. This presentation stresses the ascension's “centrality” quite literally, not merely metaphorically. The ascension—not the cross, not the resurrection, not Pentecost—is at the center of the Bible, Christian soteriology, and Christian ecclesiology. The ascension is the Archimedean point of history, because it is at the heart, the center of our redemption, to which everything in the Scripture points, around which the entire story of the redemption of all things pivots, and from which everything touching Christian education unfolds. To neglect or to minimize the ascension, then, will inevitably have serious negative consequences. Without a proper grasp of the ascension, the Bible itself is at risk of being misinterpreted, our theologies misguided, the mission of the church misunderstood, and our educational task misdirected. This presentation offers a glimpse of the importance of the ascension for the Christian life and challenges the church and the academy to re-center the Gospel and our pursuits in Christian education on the ascension.

This prospectus proposes a two-year bachelor's program that will serve as an integrative formational (not technically pre-professional) college course of studies. The immediate reference is to Jesuit schools, but the basic idea can be adapted to other domains. The proposal can help to solve the problems of fragmentation, hyper-electivism, hyper-specialization, politicization, and "soullessness" in college education today. Attached are long and short rationales for prospective students. Published at Academia.edu on July 15, 2021; latest changes, November 11, 2021.

Now available in the paperback collection at https://www.amazon.com/Saving-Culture-Souls-Grace/dp/B0DN1MDK86/

The growth of higher education in the United States involves a fascinating history of relationships, movements, and achievements. The liberal arts form of higher education traces its history back to the days of Ancient Greece. Christian liberal arts enjoys a hallowed thread within this history.

In this essay, I give a brief overview of the history of Christian liberal arts and then discuss five key goals to which those within this educational world should strive. My essay concludes with three challenges facing Christian liberal arts higher educational institutions. The Appendix gives a more detailed summary of early history.