Holmes, Arthur F. The Idea of a Christian College. Revised edition. My essay is based on the book “The Idea of a Christian College” by Arthur F. Holmes, the revised edition. I want to state the benefits of attending a Christian college. A Christian liberal arts education is often misunderstood and underrated. In today's competitive economy, having a degree is required for applying to an entry level job. In this paper, I would like to provide examples for readers to see the benefits and advantages of receiving your degree from a Christian liberal arts college. Many people attend college for education but attending a Christian college you receive a Christian education. I believe that your perspective on life changes and every decision …show more content…
In my opinion, this type of education will allow us to gain the necessary tools in order to become successful in today’s world; I believe that each of us has a purpose in life. In this day and age our faith should allow us to grow and to know Jesus Christ, to understand his message on earth, his devotion and belief in his ministry. His story allows us to know who he was and teaches us to model our lives and behaviors according to the will of God. Having an education that goes hand in hand with faith and the understanding of God will in truth allow us to know God, and what our purpose of life is. In Roman 12:4-5, each one of us has been given a special gift and called to a specific purpose. By joining with other believers, we can utilize this gift that will bring a meaning to our life through Christ. These are the four concepts of importance in his book; creation, the human process, truth, and the cultural mandate. The concept of creation impacts all realms of nature and to human history and culture. He further states that we are creatures of two worlds, the natural and the spiritual, the secular and the sacred, the world and the church. Everything in nature and in history plays its parts in carrying out God's purpose. To neglect the kind of education that helps us understand and appreciate God's world betrays either shallow thinking or fearful …show more content…
The values in which an education gives should go beyond the value of money earned. In this book, The Idea of a Christian College, it has helped introduce students and teachers to the conversation about faith and learning in Christian colleges. As well as the new changes and challenges that schools are faced with. The bible states, “While our presentable parts need no special treatment, but god has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. It also continues by saying, “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it. If one part is honored every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ and each one of you is a part of it.” (Corinthian 12:24-2) Personally, the life we live or education we receive should be for what it is intended for. I feel it has allowed me to know the connection between faith and education, this freedom has allowed me to have a personal connection to the education that I am receiving. By looking at these four concepts and how it affects the values on education and liberal learning. “The question to ask about education is not what I can do with it, but rather what is it doing to me as a person”, (Arthur F
It may come as no surprise to some that a quality education has the power to provide, for those who seek it, the opportunity of personal and professional transformation. It can be said that a society which encourages higher education is more likely to yield a population of individuals who are civic minded and purposeful as opposed to a society which does not. In an article entitled “What Can College Mean? – Lessons from the Bard Prison Institute, author Ellen Condiffe Lagemann supports the importance of a liberal arts education but also presents the case that quality education in the United States is not available to all.
In "Becoming a Real Person", Davis Brooks weighs on the notion of the purpose of college. He claims that there are three ways that college aims to lead us. The cognitive objective teaches us knowledge and how to correctly use it, the moral role helps us build a unique individual self, and the commercial role leads us toward a future career. These three roles play a part in improving an individual's future prospects. While I agree on the importance these roles take, Brooks undermines the significance of moral education in higher education.
In “Two Years Are Better than Four”, Liz Addison argues against Rick Perlstein’s article “What’s the Matter With College?”. While Perlstein questions the value of college as it currently is, Addison argues that the “community college system is America’s hidden public service gem”(Addison 257). By way of that, she defends the value of college. Unsurprisingly, as with most situations, the truth is somewhere in between ends of a spectrum created by these two articles. While I agree with Addison’s idea of community college being an accessible starting point for everyone, she fails to appropriately represent the unique culture often found in these types of colleges. Also, I think that she also fails to look at the overall purpose of attending school and then neglects to acknowledge the benefits of a four year university.
A well-rounded education is very important and much supported. Two supporters are John Henry Newman and Paulo Freire. John Henry Newman was a professor at Oxford University and an Anglican minister that converted to Roman Catholicism and became a Pope. He delivered several lectures in Dublin, Ireland, about the importance of a Catholic education. These early lectures on education were revised and published in The Idea of a University. One of those lectures, “Knowledge Its Own End,” is about two distinct kinds of education (Austin, 53). Newman believed that there was a need for education purely for pleasure and education that is needed to pursue a specific career. Paulo Freire is a Brazilian literature professor and philosopher. Freire
Schultz also stressed the importance of a biblical worldview in the teacher. As the leader in each classroom the students will adapt their teacher’s beliefs, values and finally actions. If they are taught by a teacher who holds a dualistic view of dividing the sacred and the secular, or a postmodern or modern worldview, it will adversely affect the ability of that child to develop Christ centered wisdom based upon the Word of God. Schultz, in referring to the education of children, stated “anything that hinders their moral and spiritual development is the epitome of child abuse.” (2006, p. 163). As such, our curriculum, teaching methods, and moral example, must all reflect a biblical worldview that will evangelize and discipline each student to know and love Jesus Christ.
In recent years, many have debated whether or not a college education is a necessary requirement to succeed in the field of a persons’ choice and become an outstanding person in society. On one hand, some say college is very important because one must contribute to society. The essay Three Reasons College Still Matters by Andrew Delbanco shows three main reasons that students should receive their bachelor’s degree. On the other hand, many question the point of wasting millions of dollars on four years or maybe more to fight for highly competitive jobs that one might not get. Louis Menand wrote an article based on education titled Re-Imagining Liberal Education. This article challenges the main thought many americans have after receiving a secondary education. Louis Menand better illustrates the reasons why a student should rethink receiving a post secondary education better than Andrew Delbanco’s three reasons to continue a person’s education.
In this chapter, the author (Holmes) is very specific in what he wants to focus; he mentions four concepts, which are creation, human person, truth and the cultural mandate.
How imperative is it that one pursues a traditional college experience? Although it might appear that Charles Murray and Liz Addison are in agreement that the traditional college experience is not necessary for everyone, Addison provides a more convincing argument that higher education is necessary in some form. This is seen through Addison’s arguments that college is essential to growing up, that education is proportional to the life one lives, and that community college reinvents the traditional college experience. Not only does Addison have her own opinions about college, but Murray does as well.
“College education is only a mere rite of passage these days and a capstone to adolescent party time” (Henry). This is one of the things William A. Henry had to say about College Education, especially community colleges. William A. Henry was a critic, columnist and an author. In his career he received several prizes including the Pulitzer Prize as a drama critic for Time Magazine. He also wrote several books including his final and controversial book In Defense of Elitism which he talks about the tension America always had between elitism and egalitarianism. In those terms he sheds some light on education. Stanley Fish who published an article Colleges Caught In a Vise stating that colleges are offering an inferior product, in other words- an education that isn’t worth anything. Stanley Fish is a literary theorist, scholar, author, and was a professor in several Universities but now a Professor of Law at Cardozo Law School and a dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Illinois. What these two authors had to say about college raises a question whether community colleges should exist anymore. William A. Henry even states that community colleges should be closed and the number of high school graduates that go on to college should be reduced by about fifty percent. I agree with William A. Henry that the number of community colleges should be reduced down in our education system because first: a community college certificate has no value and oversupply of college graduates is affecting the economy. Second, community college tuition and expenses are climbing and in result continuing to offer cheaper education. I will analyze what community colleges are currently doing wrong, why they should be closed, and r...
My philosophy of higher education is that thus far we have realized that the gift of sharing knowledge is one of the keys to success in our society. We have learned from so many great philosophers, scientist, and researchers that have fueled our knowledge in a vast variety subjects. The importance of passing on this knowledge and improving our society has shown to be important in human survival and our growth in the years to come. As the years pass and technology is getting more advanced, the need for higher education is steadily rising. In the past years, a bachelor’s degree was viewed as one of the greatest accomplishments of that time. Now in today’s standards, only having a bachelors degree will not suffice. Thus proving that higher education is the pillars for growth in humanity. Similar to my philosophy, I believe my Christian experience relates to my views of higher education. For instance, as Christians, we have learned that the keys to success is reading and learning from the Bible. Just as we have learned from past philosophers, the Bible provides Christians with knowledge to continue to walk in the path that God has paved for us to go to heaven. In addition, talking and communicating with God helps us in times of need. He is our teacher and supervisor providing us useful knowledge to succeed. From that guidance, it is our job to pass that knowledge to other Christians to grow in our faith. In both higher education and Christianity, our job is to pass our knowledge and faith to others to maintain and improve human survival for years to come. Moreover, in today’s society, there is a growing need for Christ centered learning. I believe that CBU offers that and more. By combining my Christian experience and philosophy of ...
Since I can remember I have always heard that knowledge is power. No wonder my parents went far and beyond to ensure I had the opportunity to attend Saint Mary’s. My parents believe knowledge is powerful when obtained through a Catholic education. Thus, I understand the intent of Saint Mary’s University in developing God’s gift of knowledge with a mind of my own. The Saint Mary’s University liberal education will affect the growth of my own mind and soul which will allow my never-ending pursuit of knowledge.
Having a college education is very beneficial for a person’s future. The degree itself is not the most beneficial aspect of a person’s success in the future nor is the type or rank of school attended will be most beneficial. The education received throughout the years in college will be the most beneficial reward in a student’s life. The education a person receives from a college experience is not only the textbook education or the education provided by the professors but also the real-life experiences. The real-life experience benefits are what will truly matter in the future. A few specific benefits from a college education are the life experiences, the commitment to someone/something other than yourself, the skills achieved such as time management and organization, and also the self-sufficiency a person profits. College is also a great time to find yourself through the chaos of balancing life and maintaining passing grades. “Another one of the many benefits of a college education is meeting others from distant places with diverse backgrounds.” (McGuire) In high school, students do not have the wide range of people from different backgrounds. In college, students are introduced to everything new to life and along with that comes other students from different areas of life. Going to college and having the
The idea of “academic freedom” in American higher education is a fairly new concept. Before a recent change in educational practices, religious ideals were deeply rooted in higher education curriculum. By the late-twentieth century, however, the idea of academic freedom became more prevalent across the higher education community. As a result, the influence of religion played a lesser role in the development of curriculum across colleges and universities as professors seized their newly granted academic freedom. With the advent of the modern liberal movement in the United States, the atmosphere in colleges and universities has become increasingly oppressive of Christianity in the name of “academic freedom”. This issue was effectively characterized in William Buckley’s God and Man at Yale: The Superstitions of “Academic Freedom”.
...athan D. "The Real Value of a College Degree." Web log post. Patrol: A Review of Religion and the Modern World. N.p., 23 Feb. 2012. Web. 21 Nov. 2013.
The closer I get to my high school graduation, the more I desire to continue my education in a Christian environment. I have gone to a Christian school for my whole life, and I am grateful for my experience because I am constantly surrounded by peers and teachers who love the Lord. A Christian school environment has fostered personal spiritual growth. Nonetheless, my spiritual life is not finished growing, which is why I am determined to attend a Christian college. The reason I desire to further continue my academic journey in a Christian environment is to enable myself to grow in my relationship with Christ. Additionally, I also desire to surround myself with peers, mentors, and faculty who have the same beliefs as myself. The opportunity