Cedarville Magazine, Spring 2014

I thank God for all Christian universities, and I pray for their success. Yet, the landscape of Christian higher education across America is not an even playing field. As anyone surveying universities is most likely aware, choosing what school to attend is a critical decision. Higher education, or any type of education for that matter, is a high-stakes game. Regardless of where young men or women go for their undergraduate training, they are entering an institution that exists to influence the way they think and, consequently, places students on a particular trajectory at a time when they are making significant life choices. I encourage prospective students and parents to ask several questions of the Christian institutions they are considering. First, does the school have a clear doctrinal statement? If so, do all professors sign it as part of their contract that they completely concur with the doctrinal statement and will teach geology, history, biology, and sociology in a manner consistent with the school’s doctrinal statement? Second, what steps does the university take to encourage spiritual growth, and is chapel a key component of its strategy?Third, does the university provide a truly Christian educationwith a biblical worldviewpresent in every classroom, with theology serving as the foundation of the student’s learning experience? I believe these questions will reveal whether an institution truly desires to be a Christian institution or merely uses the label “Christian” as a marketing technique to recruit students. Many good institutions answer the questions above in acceptable ways. At Cedarville, we call these items the Cedarville distinctives. In the pages of this magazine, we attempt to show you a glimpse of what we do and why we do it. We don’t shy away from our ultimate mission of combi ni ng academic excellence with a passion for the Gospel. We accomplish the spiritual side of this mission in several ways. First, all faculty and staff sign our doctrinal statement. It is important to do more than have a doctrinal statement that guides the institution. You must have professors and staff members that concur completely with the statement and teach according to it. A true biblical education will not include advocating evolution in science classes, postmodernism in by Thomas White Distinctly 2 | Cedarville Magazine