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Irreligious Studies Challenge Christians

World Magazine has a distressing article this month on the buzz saw that many young Christians run into during their first course on religion in college. Reportedly, many collegians are "shocked and awed" by Bible-criticizing religious studies professors, such as the University of Texas Professor Michael White, whose "Rise of Christianity" class is used to question and undermine the historicity of the Gospels. In what appears to be a challenge to churches, the article states,

One reason college Christians are stupefied when they enter a challenging classroom like Mr. White's in Austin is that churches have dropped the ball. High-school kids are unprepared and even unaware of the debates they might walk into on a college campus, says Daniel Doriani, pastor and recent New Testament professor at Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis.

"Youth groups are bent on evangelism and fun, which is good," he says. "But a large number of youth workers haven't gone to seminary. They wouldn't know how to address" key questions of New Testament historicity. Mr. Doriani says churches around universities are aware of these problems and address them as best they can. But many students, he says, are involved only in para-church organizations like Campus Crusade or InterVarsity, never making a connection with a local church.

What action does the article call churches to? The first is to purposely equip young people, prior to college, with the knowledge and ability to combat liberal theology (Eph. 4:11-12, 2 Tim. 3:16). While there is no lack of counterfeit philosophies, college aged Christians will not be able to recognize them if they don't know the real thing. The second is to follow youth to college by helping them find a local church that can support them when they are challenged by an experienced "theologian" who takes aim at the Gospel.

Posted by tim at September 26, 2004 5:29 AM

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