3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Defining Christian Education, March 25, 2008
This review is from: Renewing Minds: Serving Church and Society through Christian Higher Education (Paperback)
What distinguishes a truly Christian education from what a student might receive from a secular university or college, or one that is merely "church-related"? Renewing Minds by David S. Dockery is an attempt at defining Christian higher education. Dockery is a noted scholar and President of Union University (TN), a liberal arts college which is fast becoming one of the premier Christian universities in America.
As defined by Dockery, Christian education is all about instilling in students a Christian world and life view that prepares them "to think Christianly, to think critically, to think imaginatively," thus "preparing them for leadership and preparing them for life" (26-27). The goal is not to brainwash or program students in a particular doctrinal or theological point of view. The one who has a Christian liberal arts education need not fear the challenges of secular scholarship. Rather, the educated Christian is able to appreciate the culture in which be or she lives while being "able to bring truth to bear on the prevailing zeitgeist of that culture" (111). Armed with a Christian worldview firmly rooted in biblical revelation, the Christian is able to challenge "the presuppositions of our contemporary culture, both secular and Christian [emphasis added], which in their current forms seems to be pragmatic, disjointed, and unconnected" (113).
Christian higher education must take place in a university setting that "is not a church" but "a faith-informed, faith-affirming, and grace-filled community. . ."(141). It is a community of believers seeking truth within an atmosphere of academic freedom operating within the limits set by the historic orthodox faith. It is an academic community in which the faculty are active scholars and teachers, and where the students are pursuing an intellectual understanding of their faith and not merely pursuing the skills and knowledge necessary for employment.
Whether you are a parent seeking a Christian college or university for a child, or simply one who desires a better understanding of what Christian higher education really is, Renewing Minds is must reading.
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Sterling Vision of Christian Education, November 22, 2007
This review is from: Renewing Minds: Serving Church and Society through Christian Higher Education (Paperback)
David Dockery is the president of my alma mater, Union University in Jackson, Tennessee. Therefore, I have always taken great interest in keeping up with what Dockery says and does in the realm of Christian higher education. B&H publishing has done us all a favor by pulling together his ideas into a unified book with the theme - "Serving Church and Society through Christian Higher Education".
Dockery's heart beats with the passion of a pastor, theologian, academic, and administrator. He sees the Christian university as a place in society where both mind and heart can renewed along biblical and gospel lines. It is difficult work in our day, but it is a necessary work.
Dockery writes, "I believe that the integration of faith and learning is the essence of authentic Christian higher education and should be wholeheartedly implemented across the campus and across the curriculum."
And how is this accomplished? Dockery says, "We need more than just new ideas and enhanced programs, we need distinctively Christian thinking, the king of touch-minded thinking that results in culture-engaging living. ...This perspective involves the whole of our human personality. Our minds are to be renewed, our emotions purified, our conscience kept clear, and our will surrendered to God's will. Applying the Great Commandment entails all that we know of ourselves being committed to all that we know of God."
A number of the chapters in this book simply sparkled with insight. Pastors will especially note the overlap of Dockery's vision of Christian community in the university with what we also hope to find within the local church. For example, Dockery writes a chapter on "Establishing a Grace-Filled Academic Community" that could and should be applied to the local church as well, with an emphasis on unity, shared life, worship, and service. Within chapter six is a section titled, "Building Blocks for Building a Community with Renewed Message", a message with such urgency and clarity that I did in fact bring it home to our church for a renewed sense of Christian community.
Such is the case for much of this excellent book. You may not have a vocational calling to higher education. However, as a pastor or Christian parent, it is your responsibility to consider carefully the type of institution you send your students to for university education.
Dockery writes, "I would suggest that the starting point of loving God with our minds, thinking Christianly, points us to a unity of knowledge, a seamless whole, because all true knowledge flows from the one Creator to His one creation." Dockery's vision is compelling and sound, and I heartily recommend this book.
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3.0 out of 5 stars
Not much about higher education, December 6, 2011
I gave this book 3 stars not because I think it was bad, but because it didn't really have much to do with higher education. I am a big believer in Christian higher education and the integration of faith and learning, however, if you were to take this book and replace "Christian higher education" with a phrase like "the Christian community" or the "Church family" no one would notice the difference.
I do believe in much of what he said but that's because I follow Christ. I didn't expect him to spend chapters on what Christians believe and how they differ from other religions, I was hoping for an intelligent argument and exploration of Christian higher education and how it differs from other higher education. And the argument, higher education used to be all Christian higher education is not a good argument.
Once again, not a bad book but just not what I expected based on the description and title.
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