College Faith

Welcome to another edition of the College Faith podcast, sponsored by Global Scholars This is the first in a series I’m doing on campus ministries. Over the next six months or so I will be interviewing a leader from each of the major campus ministries, asking them the same questions so that you can have an “apples to apples” comparison of the different ministries’ Missions, emphases, distinctives, approaches, and cultures.

I’m beginning this series by interviewing a leader with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. My guest is Mr. Greg Jao, Executive Vice President--Communications & Mobilization. Greg has over two decades of experience with InterVarsity. He is a former colleague of mine, and I count him as a good friend.

In this podcast we discuss:

How InterVarsity/USA began, and the sustaining values that resulted

The Mission, Purpose, and four Values of InterVarsity

The centrality of small group bible studies in InterVarsity chapters

InterVarsity’s core distinctives: ethnic diversity, commitment to global missions, and discipleship of the mind

Why InterVarsity groups tend to look different regionally and even on the same campus

The challenges this differentiation presents, and how InterVarsity responds

Why InterVarsity has been forced off a number of campuses in recent years

Core elements of InterVarsity’s Statement of Faith, who must affirm it, and why

Whether InterVarsity is on the conservative or progressive end of the theological spectrum

Some of the “heros of the faith” InterVarsity holds up to students

The four things InterVarsity believes students need to flourish during their university years

Why InterVarsity puts such emphasis on developing a diverse community

InterVarsity’s current strengths and weaknesses

InterVarsity’s national strategies to improve on current weaknesses

How InterVarsity helps students develop habits to walk with Christ for a lifetime

Core spiritual disciplines InterVarsity encourages students to practice

Why the “life of the mind” is so important to InterVarsity

How students are taught to engage culture with biblical truth

How InterVarsity engages racial and justice issues

How InterVarsity sees the relationships between biblical justice, “social justice,” and the gospel

Why InterVarsity see community as central to their ministry

Resources mentioned during our conversation: 

Greg Jao, Your Mind’s Mission

The Urbana Student Missions Conference

InterVarsity/USA’s Website

InterVarsity/USA’s Statement of Faith

The Emerging Scholars Network

Don Everts and Doug Schaupp, I Once Was Lost: What Postmodern Skeptics Taught Us About Their Path to Jesus

James Chong, Real Life: A Christianity Worth Living Out

J.I. Packer, Knowing God

John White, Daring to Draw Near: People in Prayer

Gary Haugen, Good News About Injustice: A Witness of Courage in a Hurting World

Stan W. Wallace, “How Should Christians Understand Critical Theory?”

A listing of all campus ministries at every university: EveryCampus.com

Welcome to another edition of the College Faith Podcast, sponsored by Global Scholars. My guest today is Roger Hershey, a national traveling speaker and campus ministry consultant with Cru. Roger has ministered to university students for 50 years now, sharing truths and wisdom that has changed the lives of thousands of students. I know this firsthand, because I was one who, now four decades ago, had the privilege of being discipled by Roger while a student at Miami University.  I am thrilled to have Roger on the show and have him share some of his wisdom on this podcast.

In this podcast we discuss:

What led him and Jason Weimer to write The Finishers

Why he believes this generation of students can finish taking the gospel to all people groups

How his time in college deepened his vision to be part of fulfilling the Great Commission of Matt. 28:18-20

His challenge to students to reject a posture of entitlement, and their reaction

The difference between rights and privileges

Breaking free of our “Pea-sized Christianity” and being a “World Christian”

Why God often uses students to begin spiritual revivals

The Christian Chinese “Back to Jerusalem” movement

Defining the “10-40 Window” and why it is important

Why understanding the return of Christ should motivate us to be World Christians

The role students can play in helping fulfill the Great Commission while still in college

The importance of students getting involved in a campus ministry (see https://everycampus.com/ for a list of good campus ministries on your campus)  

The three key elements to use when evaluating which campus ministry to join

The importance of having the correct understanding of calling and of God’s will

Finding one’s “sweet spot”: gifts and strengths, passions, and the needs in the world

Seeing our work as having both intrinsic and instrumental value

The greatest challenges students face in fulfilling their callings

The current confusion between the gospel and social justice, and how this influences students and ministry

The cautionary example of the Student Volunteer Movement

How the gospel and justice do fit together

Why students must understand God’s grace, their identity in Christ, and that God loves them and likes them

Living life with an “eternal perspective”

Living in light of the Holy Spirit’s leading

The centrality of God’s Word and “thinking Christianly”

The importance of knowing Christ is the only way to God

The three things to look for in a mentor (someone to disciple you) 

Resources mentioned during our conversation:

Roger Hershey and Jason Weimer, The Finishers

The Campus Ministry branch of CRU

Robert Coleman, The Master Plan of Evangelism

The U.S. Center for World Missions (Now Frontier Ventures)

Greg H. Parsons, Ralph D. Winter: Early Life and Core Missiology

Global Scholars

David Bryant, In the Gap: What it Means to be a World Christian

The Jesus Film Project

Wycliffe Bible Translators

J.P. Moreland, Kingdom Triangle: Recover the Christian Mind, Renovate the Soul, Restore the Spirit’s Power

Kevin DeYoung, Just Do Something: A Liberating Approach to Finding God’s Will

Randy Alcorn, The Treasure Principle: Discovering The Secret of Joyful Giving

Os Guinness, The Call: Finding and Fulfilling the Central Purpose of Your Life

William Lane Craig on the Problem of Evil

Todd Ahren, In This Generation: Looking to the Past to Reach the Present

Thaddeus Williams, Confronting Injustice Without Compromising Truth: 12 Questions Christians Should Ask About Social Justice

Eric Metaxas, Amazing Grace: William Wiberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery (also a major motion picture)

Rob Bell, Love Wins, and response 

Roger Hershey’s website, containing his message for students trying to discern God’s call

Joshua Project

Joshua Project’s Unreached of the Day App

Jason Mandryk, Operation World: The Definitive Prayer Guide to Every Nation

Welcome to another edition of the College Faith podcast, sponsored by Global Scholars. My guest today is Dr. Perry Glanzer, Professor of Education at Baylor University. In this episode we discuss the ins and outs of being an excellent student, which goes far beyond just earning good grades.  

Perry earned his Ph.D. from the University of Southern California, and is Baylor’s Professor of Educational Foundations, as well as a Resident Scholar with Baylor’s Institute for Studies in Religion. He has authored, co-authored, or edited a number of important books on the integration of biblical truth and academic studies, including Christianity and Scholarship in Higher Education. In addition, he has published over 75 journal articles and book chapters on topics related to moral education, faith-based higher education, and the relationship between faith and scholarship. Perry is also the current Editor-in-Chief of Christian Scholar’s Review.

In this podcast we discuss:

Why it is important for Christian students to focus on excellence, rather than rules  How Christian students will benefit by reading his book Identity in Action: Christian Excellence in All of Life What being a good student involves (beyond just getting good grades)Unique challenges Christian students face in being good students The relationship between pursuing excellence and understanding one’s callingWhat steps a student can take to become excellence (beyond just “following the rules”)Learning how to really read--the three levels of readingHow to think well and biblically about the issues discussed in classes and textbooks--”Christian critical thinking”A Case Study: Christian critical thinking and Critical Race TheoryA Case Study: Christian critical thinking and Economic theory How Christian critical thinking is contrary to modern educational philosophy, and how Christian students can swim against this tide  Ways to find mentors among Christian professors in one’s major Why Christian students should consider joining a Christian professional society  Is the cost of college worth it?Perry’s experience teaching in RussiaThe role of our identity in Christ and his grace in the journey toward excellence 

Resources mentioned during our conversation:

Perry Glanzer, Identity in Action: Christian Excellence in All of LifeMortimer Adler and Charles VanDoren, How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent ReadingRon Blue, Master Your Money: A Step-by-Step Plan for Experiencing Financial Contentment“How To Get Better Grades and Have More Fun,” College Faith Episode #9 with Dr. Philip BishopChristian Scholar’s ReviewChristian professional societies Christian Scholar’s Review Bibliography on integrating faith and academic disciplinesChristian Scholar’s Review Blog on integrating faith and academic disciplines Mike Metzger, Sequencing: Deciphering Your Company’s DNA (“Ought-Is-Can-Will”)Global Scholars Christian Legal SocietyChristian Medical and Dental AssociationsNurses Christian FellowshipAlasdair MacIntyre, After Virtue: A Study in Moral Theory

Welcome to another edition of the College Faith podcast, sponsored by Global Scholars. My guest today is Dr. Michael Kruger, President of Reformed Seminary-Charlotte and author of Surviving Religion 101: Letters to a Christian Student on Keeping the Faith in College. Dr. Kruger wrote this book for his daughter, who is now a student at UNC-Chapel Hill, sharing what he wished he understood as a young believer and a student there thirty years ago, as his faith was challenged by his religion professor. Now an accomplished scholar, he is able to offer much wisdom to his daughter Emma, and so many like her, who face challenges to their faith each day on campus. 

In this podcast we discuss:

Why he wrote this book to his daughter, now studying at a public university

How his book will also help students at Christian colleges and universities, and their parents

The strong bias against the Christian faith in Religion Departments

How studying at a secular university can help students grow in their faith 

How students can identify and engage the biases of their professors and their own 

How to disagree on “hot-button” topics in a respectful and loving way 

How our theological paradigms incline us to respond to objections to the Christian faith differently (such as our response to the Problem of Evil)

The importance of students understanding biblical truth to survive Religion 101 

How our churches can help students prepare to thrive during college

Two “flavors” of Evangelical Christianity that don’t prepare students well for college

Different types of doubt Christians experience, and how to “doubt well”  

What to do if a student feels “Christianity just isn’t working for me.”

The connection between head and heart--between what we believe and what we love

The only way to sustain a robust Christian faith for the long-haul  

Why one unanswered objection shouldn’t derail your faith

Why all believers will benefit from this book (not just college students)

Resources mentioned during our conversation:

Michael J. Kruger, Surviving Religion 101: Letters to a Christian Student on Keeping the Faith in College 

Michael Kruger’s website

James Anderson, What’s Your Worldview?: An Interactive Approach to Life’s Big Questions 

James Anderson, Why Should I Believe Christianity? 

C.S. Lewis’ Free Will defense to the Problem of Evil: Mere Christianity, pp. 47-48, see also Art Lindsley, “The Problem of Evil: C.S. Lewis Speaks to Life’s Most Difficult Questions”

Stan Wallace, "If God Exists, Why is There Pain and Suffering?"

Mark Noll, The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind

Timothy Keller, The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism

Timothy Keller, The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith

In this episode I talk with Dr. Randy Newman about the importance of asking good questions. Whether it be in class, in relationships, or in conversations about our faith, the ability to ask the right questions is often the key to great conversations, learning, and growth. 

Randy is one of the best “question-askers” I know. He has shared some of his wisdom on this topic as it relates to sharing the good news of the gospel with others in his popular book Questioning Evangelism: Engaging People’s Hearts The Way Jesus Did. We begin with the principles he shares in this book and broaden the conversation to the many other types of conversations we often have.

Randy and I have been friends for over 30 years. Though we no longer serve together in the same ministry, we remain close friends. I am always a better person after our conversations, due largely to Randy’s ability to ask me good questions!

Randy currently serves the Senior Fellow for Apologetics and Evangelism at the C.S. Lewis Institute.  

In this podcast we discuss:

What happens when we ask others questionsHow Randy’s Jewish background helped him learn to ask good questionsHow his failures in sharing the gospel lead him to begin asking questionsThe starting assumption that causes us to not ask questions in evangelism  Examples of how his questions led to good conversations with skeptics of the Christian faithTips to help us all get better at asking good questionsThe importance of how we ask questions, in addition to the questions we askThe value of “asking permission” to have a conversation about spiritual mattersHow we can respond well when a non-believer asks us questions about our faithHow Jesus modeled for us how to ask good questions to get to the real issuesWhen we should not answer questions we are asked by non-believersHow students can excel academically by asking their professors good questionsWhy and how to respond with questions when a professor is openly hostile to your faithHow a student’s respect and questions helped an atheistic professor come to faith in ChristAccomplishing more by accomplishing less in conversationsHow asking good questions helps us develop deeper friendships Why asking questions serves others and is a tangible way to show love The importance of asking good questions when on a date, and what to listen for in his or her answersSome questions to ask when searching for a good church, and the right people to ask Questions to ask when choosing a major, and the right people to askHow to have great summers by asking the right questionsErrors to avoid when asking others questionsThe important role of asking God hard questions, and asking others our hard questions about GodExamples in media of those who ask good questions, and those who don’t Randy’s newest book, coming out in September! 

Resources mentioned during our conversation:

Books by Randy:

Questioning Evangelism: Engaging People’s Hearts the Way Jesus Did 

Corner Conversations: Engaging Dialogues About God and Life

Bringing the Gospel Home: Witnessing to Family Members, Close Friends, and Others Who Know You Well

Unlikely Converts: Improbable Stories of Faith and What They Teach Us About Evangelism

Mere Evangelism: 10 Insights from C.S. Lewis to Help You Share Your Faith

Lyle DorsettOrthodoxy by G.K. ChestertonMere Christianity by C.S. LewisThe “On Being” podcast by Christian Tippit

My guest on this episode is Dr. Phil Bishop, emeritus professor of Kinesiology at the University of Alabama, where he taught for 34 years. In 2006 he was appointed the first professorship at Alabama named after Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant. (For more see his “Meet The Prof” page, and his personal page.)

As a Christian professor, Phil most enjoys the opportunity he has to love and care for his students. One of the ways he shows this love is speaking often on how to succeed at college, and at life! His talk, “How To Get Better Grades and Have More Fun,” is full of extremely practical and useful tips, gleaned from over four decades as a student and a professor. 

Not only does Phil provide helpful tips to get better grades, he also weaves in lessons important to succeeding in life and sustaining a vibrant relationship with Christ. 

In our conversation, based on his “Better Grades” seminar, we discuss:

Why he cares so much about students getting better grades 

 How to navigate the distractions of college life 

Skills to maximize learning while in class 

Skills to maximize learning outside of class

How best to retain information you are reading

The one strategy that will increase your GPA a full point or more (and reduce stress)

How best to take advantage of your professor’s office hours 

The importance of doing extra credit work

Proven strategies to prepare well for final exams

The importance of having a specific place to study 

Finding and leveraging your learning style 

One poor strategy that won’t help you succeed in college

The importance of exercise for stress relief 

The importance of prioritizing our walk with Christ during the college years

How to determine your major, and when to start   

The value of internships 

How and why to take classes outside your major that you are interested in

Strategies to identify and offset your academic weaknesses 

Using summer to prepare well for the next academic year

The pros and cons of websites that rate professors 

Resources mentioned during our conversation:

Google Scholar

Dr. Ken Elzinga is the Robert C. Taylor Professor of Economics at University of Virginia. As a professor at UVA for over 50 years now, he has nurtured several generations of students. Christian and non-Christian students alike have benefitted from his gentle, Christlike spirit, his winsome manner, and his extraordinary wisdom. He is the type of professor we all hope and pray our children will have--someone who cares deeply about both their minds and hearts.

Dr. Elzinga has been able to have such an influence on so many students due to his commitment to excellence in his calling as a professor, doing his work as unto the Lord. His honors are too many to mention, but include being the first recipient of the Cavaliers’ Distinguished Professorship at UVA, receiving the Alumni Association’s Distinguished Professor Award, the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Outstanding Faculty Award, and the Thomas Jefferson Award, which is the highest honor UVA awards to a professor.

As an outstanding scholar and teacher, his introductory economics course is the largest class on campus, with over one thousand students taking the class each year. His upper-level Antitrust Policy seminar continually has a waiting list of two years.

Beyond the university, Dr. Elzinga is often asked for his expert opinion on issues of antitrust economics, including testifying before the Supreme Court as an economic expert in three cases. 

In addition to publishing over one hundred academic articles, he has also co-authored four mystery novels (under the pen name Marshall Jevons). These intriguing novels revolve around an economist who solves crimes by using concepts of economics. They are now available in seven languages, and are often used by others teaching economics to illustrate economic theory. 

In this podcast Dr. Elzinga shares his insights, wisdom, warnings, and encouragements to help Christian students flourish during their university years.

In this podcast we discuss: 

How Ken’s faith in Christ influences how he teaches

How he ministers to students outside the classroom

How students can integrate their faith into all of life

The importance of not being ashamed of being a Christian on campus

Why it is so important to immediately find Christian fellowship, and how to do so  

How students can identify Christian professors 

Why students should ask Christian professors to be mentors

How Christian Study Centers can help Christian students

Spiritual disciplines Christian students should practice in order to thrive

Academic disciplines Christian students should practice in order to thrive

Ways Christian students can be used by God in their professor’s lives

Wisdom for life from his field of Economics

The unspoken assumption that often shakes the faith of Christian students

What students must do to counter this unspoken assumption 

Counsel for Christian students considering an academic career

Resources mentioned during our conversation:

Dr. Elzinga’s website  

Dr. Elzinga’s UVA page

Campus Ministries’ websites 

Consortium of Christian Study Centers

InterVarsity Press books on college life

Cru resources on college life

During his many years in ministry to students Steve noticed some thrived spiritually, while others did not. He began studying what the common factors were that caused students to thrive, eventually earning a PhD in the philosophy of learning at Penn State University. 

His research led to his first book, The Fabric of Faithfulness: Weaving Together Belief & Behavior During the University Years, where he discusses the three critical success factors he identified. Now almost three decades later, The Fabric of Faithfulness continues to be widely read and these three principles continue to help countless students flourish as Christians during their university years, and beyond (and for this reason the subtitle was changed in the second edition, which we discuss). 

In our conversation Steve describes how college students (and the rest of us) can apply these principles, and the profound difference this will make in the lives of all who do so. 

In this podcast we discuss:

How Steve got interested in this topic

What he discovered from his research

The difference between professing belief and allowing it to shape our lives

Why it is necessary to take our faith seriously enough to let it shape our lives 

Why it is hard in all ages and cultures to take faith in Christ seriously 

Unique ways our current culture makes it hard to take faith in Christ seriously 

Ways universities generally teach views of life, history, and reality that make it hard to take faith in Christ seriously 

Similar and different challenges students will face at secular and Christian universities

The importance of discerning the perspective on life and the world being taught at any given university

The three things students must do to take their faith seriously and allow it to shape their lives (during college and beyond):

develop a robust Christian worldview

find a mentor 

find Christian community

The importance of knowing how to discern truth in a pluralizing, secularizing world

The need, reasons, and goals of a mentoring relationship, and how to find a mentor 

 Why it is critically important to find a community of other believers on campus and after graduation  

How to find a healthy Christian community on campus

Unhealthy features of some campus ministries on some campuses

Reducing faith to being purely private, disconnected from university conversations

A wrong theology of vocation promoted

 How these principles apply to growing in faith after college as well

The importance of living well in the “here and now,” imperfect as it is   

Resources mentioned during our conversation:

The Fabric of Faithfulness: Weaving Together Belief and Behavior by Steven Garber

Visions of Vocation: Common Grace for the Common Good by Steven Garber

The Seamless Life: A Tapestry of of Love and Learning, Worship and Work by Steven Garber

Choosing a college or university is one of the most important decisions we make in life. It is also one of the most challenging decisions we will ever face. With so many options available and issues to consider, the process can seem overwhelming. In this podcast, I discuss many of the issues to consider with Dr. David Wunder, Dean of Faculty Development and Research Initiatives at Calvin University.

Dr. Wunder became serious about his faith as a sophomore in high school and headed off to college eager to grow both intellectually and spiritually. He chose to attend a small public university for his Bachelor of Science degree (Missouri University of Science and Technology). From there he attended large public universities for his Master of Science degree (University of Iowa) and his Ph.D. (University of Minnesota). In all three universities, he found ways to flourish in his faith and excel academically.

He has now been on the faculty at Calvin University, a Christian university since 2004 (for more see his Calvin University Faculty Profile.). Here in this Christian college context, he has also seen many students flourish. 

In our conversation, Dr. Wunder shares his insights concerning the pros and cons of both secular and Christian college education, and how to thrive in both contexts. He also provides a wealth of information about what to consider when choosing a college, sure to be helpful to all prospective college students and their parents as they wrestle with this momentous decision.

In this podcast we discuss: 

The benefits of attending a Christian college or university

The challenges of attending a Christian college or university

How to evaluate a college or university during a campus visit

How to thrive as a Christian at a secular university

How to find a healthy Christian fellowship on campus

The challenges of attending a secular college or university

Other ways Christian students can thrive in a secular context

How to discern which college or university is best for you/your son or daughter  

Further thoughts on how to maximize a campus visit

How to find information about graduation and placement percentages

How to avoid unnecessary stress in the selection process

The two ways to think about how to choose a college 

Resources mentioned during our conversation:

Universities with Christian Study Centers

Council for Christian Colleges and Universities

College Confidential

Christian students are called, as are all Christians, to be “in the world but not of it." Yet doing so is much easier said than done, and sometimes much harder on university campuses. To help students in this, John Stonestreet and I discuss his and Brett Kunkle’s recent book, A Practical Guide to Culture: Helping the Next Generation Navigate Today’s World.

John holds a master of arts in Christian thought from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (IL) where he graduated with honors. He currently serves as president of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview. John is a sought-after author and speaker on areas of faith and culture, theology, worldview, education and apologetics. He is the daily voice of BreakPoint, the nationally syndicated commentary on the culture founded by the late Chuck Colson. He is also the voice of the Point, a daily one-minute feature on worldview, apologetics and cultural issues.

Prior to his current role, John worked in various capacities with Summit Ministries including Executive Director, overseeing the various aspects of the ministry to accomplish its mission of cultivating rising generations to resolutely champion a Biblical worldview. Prior to working with Summit and The Colson Center, John was on the teaching faculty of Bryan College where he helped to develop a Christian worldview sequence for the core curriculum, as well as several non-traditional educational opportunities. He also directed the Bryan College Worldview Team, an innovative educational initiative designed to teach students to analyze worldviews using the lens of popular media and culture.

In addition to A Practical Guide to Culture: Helping the Next Generation Navigate Today’s World, John has also authored Restoring All Things: God's Audacious Plan to Change the World through Ordinary People (with Warren Cole Smith), Same-Sex Marriage: A Thoughtful Approach to God's Design for Marriage (with Sean McDowell), and Making Sense of Your World: A Biblical Worldview (with W. Gary Phillips and William E. Brown). John and his wife Sarah, have three daughters and live in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

In this podcast we discuss: 

How to define “culture” and why we must understand culture

How Christians should engage in and respond to culture

How Christian students can celebrate the good on campus

Why “Christian” is a great noun, but a horrible adjective

The fallacy of chasing cultural relevance

How higher education has become dehumanizing

How students can flourish in this dehumanizing environment

The two questions all students must learn to ask

Practical ways students can discover their calling

The unseen influence of cultural undercurrents

How to overcome cultural influences and become virtuous people

Why so many millennials are drawn to Socialism

Resources mentioned during our conversation:

A Practical Guide to Culture: Helping the Next Generation Navigate Today’s World, by John Stonestreet and Brett Kunkle

A Student’s Guide to Culture, by John Stonestreet and Brett Kunkle

The Aims of Education, by T.S. Eliot

The Fabric of Faithfulness: Weaving Together Belief and Behavior, by Steven Garber 

“Men Without Chests” in The Abolition of Man, by C.S. Lewis

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, by C.S. Lewis

What it Means to Be Human: The Case for the Body in Public Bioethics, by O. Carter Sneed

You Are What You Love: The Spiritual Power of Habit, by James K. A. Smith

Desiring the Kingdom: Worship, Worldview, and Cultural Formation, by James K. A. Smith

Imagining the Kingdom: How Worship Works, by James. K. A. Smith  

The Colson Fellows Program

Live Not By Lies: A Manual for Christian Dissidents, by Rod Dreher

Breakpoint - A Program of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview