Christian Higher Education and the Great Commission

Teaching as Formation

Abstract

At the beginning of the third decade of the twenty-first century, Christian higher education is at an inflection point. The influence of Christian educational institutions in matters of culture, academia, and morality has waned. Over the past hundred years, this steady decline has only accelerated in recent decades as an increasingly secular, pluralistic society has brought tremendous pressure on Christian institutions. Many colleges choose to reject their historic confessional heritage and adopt cultural, philosophical, and ethical norms of the surrounding cultures. Alongside these cultural pressures is the persistent erosion in financial support from denominational and philanthropic agencies, forcing Christian colleges and universities to struggle to provide a financially viable academic experience.