irishgal7490

Have you looked at Patrick Henry College in VA?
Its a very small, VERY Christian school in the DC area with a strong emphasis on academic rigor. Also, if any of your students are involved in conservative politics, Patrick Henry students got 7% of the White House internships last year. The school was profiled in a book called "God's Harvard" recently.

Joejitsu

Well, what can I say about Patrick Henry College ?

Firstly, the reason why it got 7% of the White House internships last year is because of its strong ties with the Republican Party and the Bush administration,and its high emphasis on debate and moot court. The school is known for the religious affirmations that all students and faculty must agree to and continually uphold.

Please be aware that Patrick Henry has experienced internal controversy when, in March 2006, one-third of the full-time faculty left the school claiming that they felt the school limited their academic freedom. In addition, the school was one of the targets of the 2007 Soulforce Equality Ride for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered people, and garnered national news coverage by its refusal to allow the organization on its property.

Other than that, yes it is the first college in America founded specifically for Christian home-schooled students, and is known for its evangelical Christian focus.

Note that All students sign a Statement of Faith before they arrive, affirming belief in what the college considers core Christian doctrines. For example, students are asked to acknowledge "Satan exists as a personal, malevolent being who acts as tempter and accuser, for whom Hell, the place of eternal punishment, was prepared, where all who die outside of Christ shall be confined in conscious torment for eternity", and that "Christ's death provides substitutionary atonement for our sins." The college has non-denominational Christian beliefs.

If you don't mind that, it's a fine school with rigorous academics as well.

Joejitsu

Shrinkrap,

In regards to your question :

"more observations about Pepperdine and Church of Christ would be nice."

Here's what I personally have observed.

These distinctive traits usually define today's Churches of Christ:

* The refusal to hold to any formalized creeds or statements of faith, in preference for the Bible itself ( in contrast say with more traditional denominations like Anglicans, Methodists and Presbyterians which are CREEDAL ).

* Autonomous, congregational church organization without denominational oversight.

* Local governance by a plurality of male elders in cooperation with a preacher

* The teaching that both repentance and believer's baptism (by immersion) are necessary in order to receive forgiveness of sins

* The weekly observance of Communion, referred to as the Lord's Supper

* The practice of a cappella (non-instrumental) worship, usually as a matter of strict doctrine but sometimes as a simple matter of preference.

Members do not typically consider themselves to be members of a denomination, but prefer to simply be known as "Christians" (in contrast to, for example, a Catholic Christian, a Presbyterian Christian, a Baptist Christian, etc.), with no other religious title needed or preferred. Thus, they believe a collective group of Christians should be referred to as a Church of Christ.


Notice that because there is NO CENTRAL PLACE OR CONVENTION like the Vatican or the Southern Baptist Convention that defines the system of belief, it follows each person is free to interprete the Bible the way he/she see's fit.

The result is of course MIXED. Some Churches of Christ are liberal ( to a point where even fundamentals of the faith are now questioned ) and some are conservative.

Now as to Pepperdine, the school was founded in the 1930's by George Peppderdine, dedicated to a greater goal—that of building in the student a Christ-like life, a love for the church, and a passion for the souls of mankind.

The general student populace are unabashedly Christian and the administrators are Christian. Faculty and staff support the University's mission of academic excellence and Christian values.

Princeton Review ranked Pepperdine on the list of colleges with "Dorms Like Palaces" in 2004 and 2007 and #1 under "Most Beautiful Campus" in 2006 and 2007 ( the campus almost got affected by the recent California wildfire that hit Malibu). But the scenery is gorgeous from the campus, overlooking the Ocean. The location can't be beat.

Pepperdine also appeared on other Princeton Review lists including "Students Pray on a Regular Basis," and "High Quality of Life."

Because of its Christian affiliation, many contend that the student body breeds a religious and politically conservative atmosphere ( but this is exactly what the Op I think is looking for ).

So, if students are looking to have casual sex, drink, alternative lifestyles, etc. THIS SCHOOL IS NOT THE PLACE TO GO TO.

The school also produces a lot of Peace Corps volunteers ( tops in the country). Its law school is rated among the top 100 law schools in the country by U.S. News and World Reports ( Dean of Law School -- Kenneth Starr, the prosecutor of Bill Clinton at the Monica Lewinsky Scandal ).

BusinessWeek also ranks it as having one of the world's Top 25 Executive MBA programs. So, if you want a school with a great Business School, this is it.

The school ain't cheap though, so unless you get good aid or a scholarship, be prepared to get into debt. Recent estimate of tuition, board and lodgings is close to $47,000 a year. Roughly 70% of the students get some form of aid.

Shrinkrap

Thank you!. That statement of faith thing at Patrick Henry worries me. Do you know off hand what other schools have something like that? And alos, where does what I consider a "good" science education fit in, specifically things like evolution ( me and dad are physicians and I think D might be a little conflicted. My son "accuses" us of being "evolutionists")?

Joejitsu

Regarding your question :

"Do you know off hand what other schools have something like that?"

I think most evangelical schools subscribe to some statement of faith, if not explicitly, then implicitly.

After all "I BELIEVE IN GOD, AND JESUS IS HIS SON" is a creed acknowledged by the majority of Christians ( and that would be hundreds of millions of people in this country).

For instance, Baylor University, a big university with 12,000 students would implicitly subscribe to the statement of faith of the Southern Baptist Convention. Brigham Young University ( an even bigger school ) would subscribe to the creed of the Later Day Saints ( AKA the Mormon Church ).

I am not personally worried about adhering to some creed. After all, WE ALL DO ADHERE TO SOME CREED whether formal or informal.

"I don't believe in hell" is a creed isn't it ? even if negatively stated.

Shrinkrap

OK, but this kind of language is what I find particularly unsettling

" where all who die outside of Christ shall be confined in conscious torment for eternity",

My D just completed some major "Creed" project; I'll ask for a look at it.This whole thing makes me reflect on my Catholic education. I know I repeated the "Apostles Creed" but never really thought@what I was saying.

hope4freeride

Pepperdine (Malibu) is Church of Christ as is Lipscomb Unviersity (Nashville). They tend to be fairly cliquey and borderline cultish at times and extremely conservative. Lipscomb is an unbelievably hideous campus and has no redeeming qualities as far as beauty is concerned.
Baylor U is great,no alcohol is permitted on campus and the overall environment is very wholesome. My niece will be a freshman in 2008 and she can't wait to go!
Wheaton is also fairly conservative and I have never heard anything great about its campus.
BYU-you really need to be Mormon to have any friends there and I would never consider it a "Christian" college, it is a Mormon college,period.
Davidson is small, very good academics, and it is not really a church affiliated school anymore.
Sewanee has Episcopalian ties but the main focus after hours is drinking-my sister went there years ago,she left.

limnath

Thanks for all your input and advice.

They were all very helpful.

I am also encouraged by reading articles like these ( which I'd like to share with all readers of this thread ):

Rising Tide of Applications Lifts Fortunes of Christian Colleges

Track87

Well, Fordham in New Yoirk deserves a mention, it is a Jesuit university that emphasizes developing the morality and ethics of a student, along with their intellect. It was named the hottest Catholic University in the U.S by Newsweek and USN&WR ranks it 67th in the Nation among the first tier of top schools on the National Universities list, Religious studies are part of the required core curiculum...

quote:

[Hottest Catholic School
Fordham University, New York, N.Y.

Amanda Fiscina was one of only 300 national semifinalists in the Intel Science Talent Search. That virtually wrote her ticket to an Ivy League school. So why did she pick Fordham?

Although she's Roman Catholic, Fiscina had gone to public schools on Long Island, and wasn't thinking about a Catholic college until she attended a Fordham information session. She was impressed not just by the academics, but the school's commitment "to prepare us as people with strong morals, values and ethical behavioral standards." With 7,700 undergrads, Fordham has mostly small classes, never more than 25 students in Fiscina's first year.]

quote:

[Fordham University
Mission Statement

The Mission of the University:

Fordham University, the Jesuit University of New York, is committed to the discovery of Wisdom and the transmission of Learning, through research and through undergraduate, graduate and professional education of the highest quality. Guided by its Catholic and Jesuit traditions, Fordham fosters the intellectual, moral and religious development of its students and prepares them for leadership in a global society.]

Religious Traditions

Mission

25 Hottest Universities | Newsweek Kaplan College Guide | Newsweek.com

USNews.com: America's Best Colleges 2008: Fordham University: At a glance

phear_me

Most of the suggestions on this board are absolutely ridiculous.

90% of the schools mentioned in this thread are hardly Christian University's. Many universities have affiliations with certain denominations left over decades or even centuries ago, but these same universities are teaching naturalism, postmodern thought and pluralism in their philosophy, science and theology courses.

Most of the people on this board are just posting the one or two colleges they are familiar with and actually have no real knowledge of the university. This is obvious by how many of these "Suggested Christian Universities" are anything but Christian.

There are TWO choices for an orthodox evangelical education that will be respected by the secular world. ONLY TWO CHOICES:

1. Wheaton College in Illinois
2. Biola University


That. Is. It.

The rest of the colleges that fit the appropriate commitment to Christian Scholarship are not developed enough or are too new to be considered a top choice.

I strongly urge you to e-mail me as I can assure you that there are very few posters on college confidential that can offer you an INFORMED opinion as I have done quite a bit of study on this given my desire to donate to the appropriate Christian Institutions of Higher Education.

Note: I am still doing research into Grove City College - this MAY be a third viable alternative but clearly lacks the reputation of either Biola or Wheaton

phear_me

Here are some colleges mentioned in this thread that, while having some loose affiliation with some sort of Christian grouping at one time or another, have absolutely no commitment to Christian Scholarship.

1. Davidson (No commitment to Christian Scholarship)
2. Pepperdine (Of the bunch - the closest to being legit - I would consider them VERY sympathetic to the Christian cause but uncommitted when push comes to shove)
3. Fordham (Catholic and Secular)
4. Brigham Young (Mormon!)
5. Georgetown (Well, it was at least FOUNDED by Catholics - clearly secular now)
6. Baylor (Fired a faculty member for teaching creationism!)
7. Liberty (The "TBN" college - need I say more?)

Other Issues

1. Patrick Henry College has serious issues and suffers from dubious accreditation.

exploringoptions

Houghton College in Houghton, New York. http://www.isi.org/college_guide/sam...c/houghton.pdf

fencersmother

Hillsdale College in Michigan is a small LAC dedicated to Judeo-Christian principles. Not affiliated with any church, I think it is 50/40/10 protestant/catholic/orthodox. Almost all students at Hillsdale are religious.

Grove City is an excellent school (cheap too!), with solid Christian values.

Franciscan U of Steubenville is an excellent Catholic college - vehemently catholic. My kids attend this school part time and love it. Mass 3/day standing 15 deep in the back of the church, confession daily, prayer before every class. If you are Catholic, or considering the Catholic Church, it's a great school. Good school too, for those athiests whose parents make them attend (we know one girl who fits this bill). And, while the Novos Ordo mass is said on campus, Tridentine is within walking distance (and there's a shuttle), plus every conceivable Catholic rite (Byzantine, Coptic, etc) is in Steubenville or across the Ohio River in Weirton, WV. Lots of priests and nuns in full habit on campus. Total costs... maybe $24K

Joejitsu

Phear-me

While I agree with you that Biola and Wheaton are excellent Christian schools, I disagree with your assessment that other Christian schools in the country are too new or not developed enough to even consider. Is Grove City College for example ( mentioned by many posters in this thread), founded in 1876, too new compared to Biola ? It had over 50 years head-start as a college. Their average SAT entrance scores are HIGHER than Biola's. You ought to look at their website to see the Christian commitment of their administration as well as their student bodies. And that's just one example.

HENCE I WOULD AVOID OVER-GENERALIZING. I believe my post (see post #30 ) above was well thought out with authoritative links to back them up.

I PERSONALLY have had the chance to travel all over the country and have seen the programs of NUMEROUS Christian Colleges ( both Catholic and Protestant ) that are excellent.

To limit your choice to only two colleges ( no matter how excellent ), one in the mid-west and the other way down Southwest is to NARROW your horizon, not broaden it.

fencersmother

phear me: I think you are underestimating Grove City College. It has been around since the mid-1800's and is VERY well respected in the East. In fact, I would venture to say that Wheaton's reputation is somewhat jaded and in the mid-Atlantic states, Biola isn't exactly a household name.

Grove City College is also a politically conservative campus, having won a battle against the federal government. I believe they do not accept federal monies of any kind though they will still take your state grant (Hillsdale College accepts neither, but is so very well endowed, their fin aid is fantastic without it.).