In a recent speech at Baylor University, a well-respected professor of economics, Dr. Kenneth Elzinga, elaborated on the distinction of Christian higher education as opposed to being a Christian in higher education. His statements apply equally well to any Christian educational institution, and at Joshua Expeditions we have come to see just how important are the dedicated teachers who serve so graciously at Christian schools. Following are some of the key points made by Dr. Elzinga. We echo these sentiments and believe that Christian educators are among the greatest resources that students can have in their educational careers.

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paraphrased and excerpted from “Different To Make A Difference” by Dr. Kenneth Elzinga, Robert C. Taylor Professor of Economics at the University of Virginia (read the complete text at www.baylormag.com)

Christians working in secular institutions can often be viewed in two ways: one instructor sees his faith as largely irrelevant to his job, while the other sees her job as a calling under the lordship of Jesus. Although the former may be heavily involved in a local church, he will not be identified at his school as a Christian. It is not a dark secret kept from students and colleagues but rather an aspect of identity that does not play a part in his profession. His faith is disconnected from his work. On the other hand, there are secular educators who, in accord with 1 Peter 3:15, are always ready to give a defense of the hope that is within them. But they do so, as the Apostle Peter also makes clear, with gentleness and reverence. You will not find them praying before class. You will not find them proclaiming the gospel in the classroom. You will not find them teaching their courses from a Christian perspective. While they are Christians within an educational environment, their institutions are not those of Christian education. They may be quite visible as Christians at their secular schools, but they operate under the constraint that they’ve been hired to teach a particular discipline or subject matter, not to evangelize or engage in gospel proclamation.

What’s the difference between being a Christian in education and being a school that is actually doing, or producing, or being Christian education? In short, the classrooms and laboratories and seminar rooms of Christian education are places where faculty and students are free to explore topics that may be off-limits to Christian faculty at secular institutions. Or, more likely, such themes are simply irrelevant to academic discourse within the secular environment. The difference between Christians in education and Christian education is not minor or cosmetic. Christian education should be radically different. It should be defined by differences in teaching, differences in credentialing, and differences in mentoring. The faculty is pivotal in each of these.

Christian education does not start with Christian students. Christian education should be dominated by a faculty who are followers of Jesus, meaning, the majority of faculty at an institution of Christian education should be Christians. The designation or description makes no sense if that is not the case. Students are transients. They come and go. If prospective students who are academically qualified want to be part of Christian education, they should be welcome. Non-Christian students should be welcome to live and learn in the environment of Christian education. They should be welcome to test the faith. Just as Jesus did not throw out Doubting Thomas, Christian education should be an environment that welcomes Doubting Thomases as students. But, ultimately, Christian education is defined by a core of faculty who believe that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, that every thought is to be made captive to him, and they, the faculty, are not ashamed of the gospel.

In most areas of education, “a servant” is not much of a credential, yet it should be in Christian education. Educators should consider how the Apostle Paul presented his own credentials, right at the front of his epistles: “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus” (Romans 1:1); “Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:1); “Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ” (Titus 1:1). Students in Christian education need to know that the faculty value the character and moral compass of their students, that teachers admire godliness, that the faculty’s deepest satisfaction comes from seeing students become what God wants them to be: people for whom Jesus is preeminent.

Christian education exists because there once was a Galilean who made disciples, and his disciples called him “rabbi,” or teacher. Therein lies the principle by which teachers today are to invite students to be their disciples — that is, to mentor them. Jesus taught his followers the law and the prophets, but he also lived among them. And he even washed their feet. Christian educators are asked to think what it means to be a foot washer. Many students would not want their feet washed, and many do not want to be disciplined. But in Christian education, there should be students who learn more than the material in the textbook and the lecture because they’re at an institution that values — devotes resources to — the making and forming of disciples. Christian education should be characterized by educators who mentor students; not just teach them chemistry and biology and Spanish, but model out for them how to walk with Jesus. Not because these faculty members have mastered how to do this, but simply because they’ve been pilgrims longer because they have more experience with the consequences of sin and redemption.

When Jesus tells us that he is the way, the truth, and the life, he honors truth. Christian education honors the pursuit of truth in the natural sciences, the social sciences, the humanities, the applied sciences, the professions and the arts. The pursuit of Christian education elevates students and professors, as well, by giving them the lofty status of being in God’s image. Secular universities can tell their students nothing more than that they’re talented, that they’re the best and the brightest.

The new president of Notre Dame, Rev. John Jenkins, stated well the importance of
being different in an educational environment: “Combining religious faith and academic excellence is not widely emulated or even admired among the opinion makers in education. Yet in this age especially, we must have the courage to be who we are. If we are afraid to be different from the world, how can we make a difference in the world?”

Christian education should not necessarily be safe. Christian education should have an edge to it. Just as it was dangerous to hang around with Jesus and even riskier to follow him, Christian education should seek to stand out. May you continue until the Lord Jesus returns.