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Looking for god in the university: examining trends in Christian higher education

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Abstract

Amid the many recent treatments of the global growth of both Christianity and higher education, little to no attention has been given to distinctly Christian higher education. The survey reported in this essay uses an understanding of Christian education developed from analytical work by Robert Benne to examine the number and nature of colleges and universities that retain and nurture a distinct Christian identity. The results indicate that Christian higher education continues to expand throughout the world, challenging the assumed linear trend toward secularization. This paper focuses upon the results of our survey in countries beyond Canada and the United States where most of the recent growth is occurring. We found a total 579 institutions outside of these areas. When we analyzed the origins, denomination, size, funding, and areas of study of these institutions we found some unique patterns that shed light upon the group as a whole and how they relate to larger trends within higher education.

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Notes

  1. See for example the institutions found listed as Colleges and Universities of the Anglican Communion (http://www.cuac.org/53810_53925_ENG_HTM.htm?menupage=61263) and the International Federation of Catholic Universities (http://www.fiuc.org/cms/index.php?page=homeENG).

  2. The .5 in both instances refers to the one rare institution in England, Liverpool Hope University that is an Anglican-Catholic joint partnership.

  3. Historically, one can also observe what appears to be a similar relationship between privatization and new Christian institutions. During the 1960s, as privatization emerged and flourished in Asia and Latin America, it was also the most productive time for the creation of Christian higher education institutions in both regions (Altbach 2005; Levy 1986).

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Baylor University, One Bear Place 97314, Waco, TX, 76798, USA

    Perry L. Glanzer

  2. Calvin College, 407 Hekman Library, Grand Rapids, MI, 49546, USA

    Joel A. Carpenter

  3. International Association for the Promotion of Christian Higher Education (IAPCHE), 498 4th Avenue NE, Sioux Center, IA, 51250, USA

    Nick Lantinga

Authors
  1. Perry L. Glanzer
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  2. Joel A. Carpenter
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  3. Nick Lantinga
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Perry L. Glanzer.

Appendices

Appendix 1

Questions from E-mail/Phone Survey.

  1. 1.

    Can you please tell us if we have the correct date of origin for your university? If this area is blank please fill in the year.

  2. 2.

    Can you confirm the size of your institution?

  3. 3.

    Can you confirm the major languages of instruction at your institution?

  4. 4.

    Can you please tell us if the list of majors or faculty we have for your university is correct?

  5. 5.

    Can you confirm if your religious affiliation is correctly listed? If one is not listed please list your affiliation.

  6. 6.

    Can you confirm that your mission statement is correct? If one is not listed please list your mission statement.

  7. 7.

    Please describe how the Christian identity of your university influences its perspectives and practices.

  8. 8.

    In what ways do you expect the faculty members of your institution to participate in its Christian mission?

  9. 9.

    Do you have required areas of study for all students? If so, what are they? (e.g., in theology, sciences, humanities, mathematics, or foreign languages)

  10. 10.

    With what other Christian higher education institutions do you collaborate or consult?

Appendix 2

See Table 4.

Table 4 Africa
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Appendix 3

See Table 5.

Table 5 Asia—Middle East
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Appendix 4

See Table 6.

Table 6 Asia-Northeast
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Appendix 5

See Table 7.

Table 7 Asia—Southeast
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Appendix 6

See Table 8.

Table 8 Asia–South
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Appendix 7

See Table 9.

Table 9 Europe
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Appendix 8

See Table 10.

Table 10 Christian colleges and universities around the Word by Country: Latin America
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Appendix 9

See Table 11.

Table 11 Oceania
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Glanzer, P.L., Carpenter, J.A. & Lantinga, N. Looking for god in the university: examining trends in Christian higher education. High Educ 61, 721–755 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-010-9359-x

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