The academic environment at university can be very hostile to Christianity. You may find this reflected in the kinds of areas chosen for study, in the reading material you are directed towards as you prepare for essays and tutorials, or in the approach taken by some of your lecturers towards controversial issues. As Christians called to love God with all our mind[1], how can we stand firm in our faith whilst engaging with our chosen subject?
Here are 5 suggested survival strategies:
- Fill your mind with truth and beauty in relation to your subject area. If it is science, explore the complexity and beauty of the natural world God has made (Psalm 19:1-6). If it is art, music or literature, spend time appreciating works which promote what is honourable, pure, and lovely ( 4:8). The more you develop a taste for the true and beautiful, the less attractive falsehoods and ugliness will become (and the more easily you will spot them). This is important regarding issues around sex and relationships; often many ideas that are impure and unlovely are presented in the context of academic study.
- Choose good mentors. It is helpful to link up with an older Christian who has studied your subject (or a related one) at university themselves. Such a person can make you aware of issues that are likely to be challenging to your faith and can suggest how to deal with these in a Christlike way. Your parents, your pastor or someone else within your church network might be able to put you in touch with such a person.
- Anticipate likely battlegrounds. Think about the secular philosophies that are promoted within your chosen subject and read books that will help you know how to critique these from a Christian perspective. For those studying science, evolutionary theory is a major issue. For those studying arts and humanities, there are challenges around feminism, gender ideology and critical theory. All these philosophies present a direct challenge to the Biblical teaching about God’s creation design. Some suggestions for further reading follow at the end of this article. Also, look carefully at the course specification to identify lectures, seminars and texts that are likely to be particularly challenging; prayerfully seek God’s help in knowing how to approach these.
- Know when and how to speak up. Sometimes it is possible to put forward a Christian point of view within the context of a tutorial where open discussion is encouraged. At other times the format does not give an opportunity for student participation, or you sense that your contribution would be unwelcome. In those situations, you might be able to email a lecturer/tutor afterwards or to go and see them during their office hours. This is particularly important in situations where God and/or the Christian faith is mocked or misrepresented. However you choose to respond, it is important to do so with gentleness and respect ( 4:6).
- Know when to take avoiding action. As Christians, we should never be afraid of engaging with secular ideas, but there are times when the way those ideas are presented is potentially very damaging to our faith. This is particularly true of some visual material within media and cultural studies courses. If you know in advance that content is going to be openly blasphemous or contains extreme sex and/or violence, there is a strong case for considering not attending the lecture or seminar which deals with it. An expression of concern via an email or course feedback form would also be appropriate.
Being at university can be one of the most testing times in a person’s life, but God is able to keep his children within it and use it to help them grow.
Further Reading
Arts & Humanities
How Christianity Transformed the World – S. James (Christian Focus Publications, 2021)
The Lies we are Told, the Truth we Must Hold – S. James (Christian Focus Publications, 2022)
Strange New World: How Thinkers and Activists Redefined Identity and Sparked the Sexual Revolution – Carl R. Truman (Crossway, 2022; Study Guide also available)
Science
Hallmarks of Design – S. Burgess (Day One Publications, 2008)
He Made the Stars Also – S. Burgess (Day One Publications, 2012)
