The process of picking a college can be bewildering for students and parents. Marketers highlight many factors that make their school the best choice, including academics, affordability, student activities, and more.
Such factors are worth considering. But Christian families should give serious consideration to the formative role of a deeply Christian education.
Even the term “Christian,” however, can mean almost anything on today’s higher education landscape. Some schools have Christian-sounding names, but the school might be entirely non-religious. Other colleges advertise themselves as distinctively Christian. Maybe they post inoffensive Bible verses on social media. But operationally, they’re more secular than Christian.
So what should you consider when choosing a Christian school?
A faculty that is deeply Christian.
This is arguably the #1 factor in what makes a school authentically Christian. A tour guide may tout a college’s faith commitment, but you should dig deeper. Do the professors sign a robust statement of beliefs? Are they required to teach in accord with it? Are faculty expected to be active members of local, Bible-believing churches? If you can’t get straight answers to such questions, there are good reasons to doubt the consistency of the school’s professed mission.
A curriculum that is deeply Christian.
At public schools and nominal Christian schools, students mostly learn the precepts of secular, progressive orthodoxy on issues related to religion, science, and sexuality. The best Christian schools, ironically, expose students to a broader range of views than secular schools do.
For example, in a secular college’s science course, a student would likely hear only one perspective about evolution and similar topics. In a Christian classroom, a student will learn about both secular and Christian worldviews, with the understanding that Scripture is a Christian’s final arbiter of truth.
Campus life that is deeply Christian.
One of the best ways to discern a school’s Christian commitment is chapel. Is chapel required? Are chapel messages focused on the Word of God, or are they mostly about progressive political and social causes?
You might also ask what local churches students and staff attend, and what opportunities the school offers for overseas missions. A deeply Christian college should launch students into a lifetime of service to Christ’s church, not offer a four-year detour from it.
