Last week, I asked readers to tell me why college students are losing their faith at an alarming rate. Your thoughtful answers came pouring in, via Facebook comment, e-mail, Facebook message, and even cell phone (I was just one tweet and one text away from covering the modern communications spectrum). A few answers stood out in my mind, but a common theme emerged: Students receive a poor religious education as children that leaves them ill-equipped to handle a university mindset that dramatically over-values empiricism.
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What’s the cure? There is no single, simple answer. Christian parents and pastors have to undertake the immense task of providing a good religious education. At the same time, however, the university community must remain a “marketplace of ideas,” where religious students have a place at the table and the ability to engage their professors and fellow students. And there has to be strong, intellectually serious Christian presence on campus — with enduring institutions like InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, Reformed University Fellowship, and Chi Alpha (that’s not an exhaustive list, obviously) providing religious students with a strong community and a source of continuing Biblical teaching.
From my point of view, we do not prepare students enough for a life of discipleship. I am sometimes approached by people who encourage me to teach the youth on a certain topic that they believe will prepare them most for an onslaught of secularism once they get to college. (Side note: Thom and Sam Rainer present evidence in Essential Church? that a high percentage of church-going high school students drop out of church once they attend a Christian college than those who attend a non-Christian college.) I prefer to take a step back and wonder how we can prepare a student for a life of committed, informed, and passionate discipleship. This is a very important discussion that we need to continue to have.
