What is the Best Christian College/University in the USA?

College Search & Selection
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<p>Phear me, you sir, are an idiot...If you read the poster's original inquiry, he never stated he wanted "an orthodox evangelical education", he stated he "wanted to go to a Christian Colleges/Universities where religious values are emphasized/taught without sacrificing academic rigour."</p>

<p>What HE said he was looking for , is absolutely fulfilled by a school like Fordham..now maybe a school that ONLY emphazies strict and orthodox EVANGELICAL study, and teaches little in the way of tolerance, is YOUR idea of the only legitimate choice for a Christian education but few here would have so narrow and limited view of the world, as you seem to display.</p>

<p>You seem to be under the impression that any school that isn't orthodox and evangelical is automatically 100% secular, which is patently absurd. </p>

<p>If a school requires the study of Religion, which Fordham does, and emphazises the Christian values of sacrifice for your community, aiding all those in need and the study of ethics and morality in all areas of study, then it is EXACTLY the kind of school this young man seems interested in... </p>

<p>I have visted Fordham many times, I applied there and was accepted and I have friends there...</p>

<p>Here are the facts:</p>

<p>[At Fordham, students seek to tap the full potential of mind and heart while leading a life beyond self. </p>

<p>Each semester more than 600 Fordham undergraduates follow the Jesuit philosophy of homines pro aliis, men and women for others, by contributing their time and talent in service to the community: tutoring the disadvantaged; feeding and clothing the homeless; planning outings for an orphanage; and spending vacation periods in distant corners of the world, from New Mexico to Calcutta, as part of Fordham's Global Outreach Program.</p>

<p>On both the undergraduate and the graduate level, a Fordham education embraces rigorous scholarship and adherence to ethical values. </p>

<p>The School of Law, internationally known for emphasizing ethics, also has several active pro bono programs. Students in the Graduate School of Business Administration make time in their busy schedules to assist non-profit organizations with business planning. The Graduate Schools of Education and Social Service both incorporate field work in the New York City area into their curriculum. </p>

<p>The Graduate School of Religion and Religious Education is committed to preparing students of all denominations to confront contemporary problems of church communities, while helping to chart future directions through research.</p>

<p>Fordham University had its beginnings more than 160 years ago, when Archbishop John Hughes founded St. John the Baptist College at Rose Hill, and it has benefited over the years from the services of hundreds of members of the Society of Jesus, a religious order of men, many of whom have devoted their lives to higher education.</p>

<p>Fordham has found that its Catholic and Jesuit origins and traditions continue to provide valuable marks of distinctiveness and a source of strength. As a consequence, these traditions, religious ideas, perspectives and values hold an important place in the University. </p>

<p>Students of all faiths and of no faith are given encouragement and opportunity to join in seminars and discussions of religious issues and to participate in religious observances. University staff members are ready to assist students in the quest for their own religious commitment. These opportunities are not imposed on anyone; their use depends on the interest, good will and initiative of the students.</p>

<p>A loving and respectful openness to people of all faiths is an integral part of Fordham’s character. The very nature of religious belief requires free, uncohersed consent, just as the nature of a university requires a respect for evidence, investigation, reason, and enlightened assent.</p>

<p>Fordham University
Mission Statement
The Mission of the University:</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>As a Catholic University:</p>

<p>Fordham affirms the complementary roles of faith and reason in the pursuit of wisdom and learning. The University encourages the growth of a life of faith consonant with moral and intellectual development.</p>

<p>Fordham encourages faculty to discuss and promote an understanding of the ethical dimension of what is being studied and what is being taught.</p>

<p>Fordham gives special attention to the study of the living tradition of Catholicism, and it provides a place where religious traditions may interact with each other and with contemporary cultures.</p>

<p>Fordham welcomes students, faculty and staff of all religious traditions and of no religious tradition as valued members of this community of study and dialogue.</p>

<p>As a Jesuit University:</p>

<p>Fordham draws its inspiration from the dual heritage of Christian Humanism and Ignatian Spirituality, and consequently sees all disciplines as potential paths to God.</p>

<p>Fordham recognizes the dignity and uniqueness of each person. A Fordham education at all levels is student-centered, and attentive to the development of the whole person. Such an education is based on close collaboration among students, faculty and staff.</p>

<p>Fordham is committed to research and education that assist in the alleviation of poverty, the promotion of justice, the protection of human rights and respect for the environment.</p>

<p>Jesuit education is cosmopolitan education. Therefore, education at Fordham is international in its scope and in its aspirations. The world-wide network of Jesuit universities offers Fordham faculty and students distinctive opportunities for exchange and collaboration.</p>

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<p>"Fordham draws its inspiration from the dual heritage of Christian Humanism and Ignatian Spirituality, and consequently sees all disciplines as potential paths to God."</p>

<p>This is why Fordham is eliminated from the discussion. The pluralism described herein is, viewed as right or wrong, utterly inconsistent with ORTHODOX Christian spirituality. Fordham, as is true with all the major Jesuit schools, may be superficially religious but both the student population and faculty remain indistinguishable from any secular institution in this country. </p>

<p>This is like saying Notre Dame, the capstone of the Catholic schools (and I do recognize the distinction held by some -rightly or wrongly- between Jesuits and Roman Catholicism) "teaches education from a theological perspective" which is absurd. I have orthodox Christian friends in the graduate philosophy program, and with the exception of Alvin Plantinga the faculty there is riddled by postmodern and humanist philosophy's utterly incompatible with the very creed the school still pretends to uphold.</p>

<p>Saying Fordham is a religious school is like saying the grad school I now attend, USC, is still religious because it was founded by methodists. All the random quotes from Fordham's website isn't going to make it something it isn't. So focus on what it is: A stellar academic institution founded in the Jesuit tradition but currently rooted in the modern secular world.</p>

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<p>Fordham may be appropriate for the OP, I don't know. But I do know that when I hear people ask for a "Christian college", they are generally asking for one in which Christianity plays a major, if not defining, role. They would generally knock out any school that courts non-Christians, and has a large enough non-Christian student body to, for example, support a Hillel, as Fordham does.</p>

<p>Here's a different quote, from Fordham's Office of Campus Ministry:

[quote]
Fordham, precisely because it is a university in the Catholic and Jesuit traditions, abides by the principles of religious freedom. These protect the rights of individuals and groups to practice their own faith without fear of censure. The same principles protect individuals against any behavior by others that would openly or subtly coerce them through aggressive prosyletization. No one, Catholic or not, will be allowed to engage in such behavior at Fordham. We owe this much to our students — to safeguard their legitimate freedom.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>This alone would remove Fordham, and in fact most other Jesuit institutions, from the rubric of "Christian colleges", at least as I understand the term used in college selection.</p>

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<p>I don't know of any Secular school that requires religious study in it's core curriculum or has so many preists in it's faculty and administration, so you're assertion that it is indistinguishable from any other secular institution is false...</p>

<p>Secondly, I don't know of any school in this area (where the poster lives) that stresses ethics and morality in addition to the regular subject material, this is conjunction with the opportunities for deeper religious participation through the school's system DO separate Fordham from purely non-religious Secular schools, at least in the Northeast...</p>

<p>Your problem is you are defining a Christian school as a purely FUNDEMENTALIST and ORTHODOX institution where religious study is PRIMARY and above everything else. The poster still hasn't made it clear that this is what he wants.</p>

<p>He did request a school that would be respected by the outside world, Wheaton for example doesn't exactly stand out as a beacon of wisdom and enlightenment with it's disdain for teaching moden evolutionary biology or for it's ban on Roman Catholic speakers at chapel services or the hiring of Roman Catholic Faculty. </p>

<p>You think this kind of school is widely respected? Maybe in the Bible Belt South but to more reasonable people, Wheaton sounds like some radical fundementalist "God Factory", that produces mini- Jerry Falwells,lol...</p>

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<p>"Wheaton for example doesn't exactly stand out as a beacon of wisdom and enlightenment with it's disdain for teaching moden evolutionary biology "</p>

<p>Okay, this was another concern for me, as this was a concern in my D's High School. They did eventually agree to teach it and we let her stay, but I think the "disdain" might still be reflected. Any insights on "modern evolutionalry biology" at the other schools being described ( especially Santa Clara, which I assume will be fine, and Pepperdine) ?</p>

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<p>I think calling "Best Christian College" an oxymoron is kind of an attack, don't you? I'm always surprised when somebody makes a dig like that, gets called on it, and then says "you know nothing about me."<br>
As to schools like Fordham, I think it's been mentioned before, maybe in another thread, that the term "Christian College" is a sort of general shorthand for "Protestant more-or-less evangelical college with a clear religious focus and probably fairly conservative lifestyle rules." So when somebody asks about a "Christian College," they don't mean a Catholic college, although they don't intend to insult Catholic colleges, either.</p>

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<p>Macro-evolution has just enough fossil evidence to fit on the desk that I am sitting at right now. Certainly no Christian University worth it's weight is going to deny micro-evolution (i.e. we have St. Bernards and Bulldogs and both are the same species) but the scientific "evidence" for macro-evolution is few and far between. It is only a valid theory if one starts from the philosophical premise of naturalism, i.e. there is no God. If one allows for the idea that the universe is an open system and there may, just MAY be a God then one winds up with very different conclusions a la teleological rationalism.</p>

<p>Evolution is naturalism's (the A PRIORI assumption that there is no God) answer for the creation of life. Naturalists, by fiat alone, says there must be no God and so this supposed "objective" system of science works "by faith" before any test or experiment is ever conducted. </p>

<p>Philosophically, the ramifications of a determined naturalistic world lead to conclusions that no sane person is going to accept. Ludicrous things like, "torturing small babies for fun isn't right or wrong - it's just a predetermined action by a nonculpable agent of movement". Evolution necessarily leads to the death of morality, social culpability and meaning and yet there is something inside each of us that insists life actually matters. </p>

<p>There are huge problems: Irreducible Complexity, Heteroscedactity, Hox Genes, Biogenesis, Kalam Cosmological, Set Theory etc. etc. </p>

<p>I don't want this to degrade into an intelligent design vs. evolution debate but I'm not going to let someone who probably hasn't done any real study on the subject fire off an attack on a university because it starts with the a different a prior assumptive fiat as though any a priori notion could ever be "scientific."</p>

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<p>RE: Respect from the outside world...</p>

<p>I'm not sure what people have in mind when they use this phrase as it applies to Christian Schools (or religious schools for that matter, be they Protestant, Catholic, Evangelical or whatnot ).</p>

<p>The test is this -- WILL YOUR DEGREE BE RECOGNIZED AFTER YOU GRADUATE ?</p>

<p>Clearly the answer is YES.</p>

<p>Wheaton's graduates routinely get hired as soon as they graduate regardless of whether they believe in Darwinism or not ( as an example ).</p>

<p>Grove City College's Career Recruitment Fair drew a record 250 companies last year and more are signing up this year. 91% of their graduates find good employment within 6 months of graduation and their alumni who become top managers in large companies are many. Also one fourth of their graduates go on to top graduate schools (100% of their Pre-Med and Pre-Law grads go on to medical school and law school ).</p>

<p>Brigham Young's grads are the backbone of the high tech industry in Provo, Utah and neigboring states.</p>

<p>Baylor's grads are hired by every industry sector in the country and their medical school grads go on to become sone of the best doctors in the nation.</p>

<p>Fordham and Houghton business grads routinely get hired immediately after graduation by investment firms in Wall Street.</p>

<p>Same holds true for graduates of Peppderdine, Calvin, etc.</p>

<p>So, Where does the respect come from ? I would argue that holding certain moral values HELP the credibility of a person (as opposed to partying your way through college). It says a lot about the person's grounding and work ethic. Plus, rigorous academics that don't teach BS courses helps as well.</p>

<p>RESPECT from the outside world IS REALLY A NON-ISSUE for Christian Schools. Otherwise, no one would want to spend good money to send their kids there. The fact that these schools continue to grow and thrive is testament to that.</p>

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<p>IMHO, Fordham is a little mixed in terms of its Christian Commitment ( and by that, I mean its commitment to STRICT ADHERENCE to the teachings of the Vatican ).</p>

<p>There are some professors who question Papal Encyclicals and raise doubts in their student's minds regarding Christian ( even Catholic )doctrine.</p>

<p>However, there also are many professors who aren't the liberal kind. The student just has to pick and choose the professors.</p>

<p>Same is true for that other Catholic College -- Boston College.</p>

<p>The school has excellent professors like the great philosopy professor -- Peter Kreeft, who is a stalwart against moral relativism and defends the doctrine of the Catholic Church. On the other hand, you have a lot of professors who challenge the Catholic Church's teaching and question their relevance to modern times.</p>

<p>These schools aren't disciplined or controlled by the Vatican at all ( which in effect is mostly powerless to discipline the flock worldwide ). Hence, the student has to "know" in advance what he's getting into when he enrolls in a course.</p>

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<p>"who probably hasn't done any real study on the subject fire off an attack on a university because it starts with the a different a prior assumptive fiat as though any a priori notion could ever be "scientific."</p>

<p>Would that be me? Did I fire an attack? I've learned a lot from you Phear_me, including from that last post. I've done SOME study on the subject, trying to keep up with my kids in terms of what they are learning at their Christian School, which really took me by surprise because I didn't anticipate it ( I went to a Catholic school and was under the impression I was a "Christian" until my kids schooled me...it was unsettling coming from my 5th grader that I thought I had raised...I ended up starting to question that, but it seems to worked for them so they stay and I pay ), and it seemed so different ( for lack of a better word) to me, especially because they seemed so hostile when I tried to discuss it with them. I may have taken you the wrong way, but that's the way I feel right now, and I want my D in an environment where she can share ideas without getting hostile.</p>

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<p>Shrinkrap:</p>

<p>Technically, your daughter is correct. An evangelical Christian and an Orthodox Catholic are going to, in the strictest sense, have seriously incompatible beliefs. These center around the following:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Acceptance of (By Roman Catholics) and Rejection of (by Protestants) apocryphal literature. This is why the RC bible has more books. </p></li>
<li><p>The (Protestant) belief that salvation is achieved only by grace through faith (emphasis Ephesians 2) against the (Roman Catholic) believe that works and faith and co-equal in salvation (James)</p></li>
<li><p>The (Roman Catholic) belief in Paupal succession and the (Protestant) belief that Jesus is the head of the earthly church. </p></li>
<li><p>The (Roman Catholic) belief that Muslims share a path to salvation (Catechism 841 - no one ever believes this but it's there) and the (Protestant) rejection of this belief.</p></li>
<li><p>The (Roman Catholic) belief that Mary and Ancestors can serve as intercessors between man and Christ against the (Protestant) belief that prayer to any but God is blasphemous</p></li>
<li><p>The (Roman Catholic) belief that priests can forgive sins against the (Protestant) belief that only God can forgive sins</p></li>
<li><p>The (Roman Catholic) belief that baptism is necessary for salvation against the (Predominantly Protestant) belief that salvation is only attained by grace through faith. </p></li>
<li><p>The (Protestant) belief in solo scriptura - only the original biblical text is infallible - against the (Roman Catholic) belief that when the Pope / ecumenical councils speaks on matters of the church and religion they are infallible. </p></li>
</ol>

<p>I am not trying to make this an argument about who is RIGHT or WRONG but rather am attempting to elucidate how Catholic and Protestant theology have some extremely divergent core beliefs. This may be why your daughter has said some of the things that she has said. The lay person "thinks" they know what they are talking about in matters of morality and religion much to the frustration of serious theologians and philosophers. And for some reason people are more inclined to listen to "cousin eddy" rather than doing the research for themselves. I am not saying that this is YOU, rather I am simply saying that 90% of the 'facts' out there are ridiculously inaccurate. The idea that "Christians" and "Catholics" or to avoid offending some "Protestants" and "Catholics" believe just about the same thing is erroneous. The problem is that most people don't know enough to see and understand just how different they are. </p>

<p>I hope that helps you understand what your daughter has been learning. I really am trying to help. </p>

<p>= )</p>

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<p>Thanks again. BTW, what I began to question ( ...I ended up starting to question that, ) was who had raised my kids, not whether I was who I THOUGHT I was, a Christian, "Christian", or whatever. Anyway, THIS time I want to know what ( kind of education) I'm paying for...</p>

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<p>Phear me, my father, an evolutionary biologist, who taught at USC is spinning in his grave. </p>

<p>an MBA does not a scientist make.</p>

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<p>Truth a scientist does not make. </p>

<p>If you want to make an attempt at refuting some of these arguments go ahead, but be forewarned that the MBA is not my only degree. </p>

<p>= )</p>

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<p>Another great option that doesn't participate in all the Christian squabbling is George Fox University. It was considered the top christian college on the West Coast by Forbes Magazine. It's located in the Willamette Valley, which is also referred to as Little Napa because of it's green hills strewn with vineyards.</p>

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<p>The best Christan Colleges are:</p>

<p>Pepperdine
Wheaton (IL)
Calvin
Grove City</p>

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<p>wheaton college is an embarrassment. go there if you want to be around entitled rich white kids who have never been outside of their bubble in the suburbs.</p>

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<p>I hear Evangel is awesome.</p>

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<p>Well, "best" is a devivative of "good" and ultimately both are functions of beauty dependent upon the beholder's eye. Some guys like fat girls, others skinny, some prefer brains, others prefer none apparent ...</p>

<p>Getting specific about the attributes one considers essential to beauty enables beginning to identify a response that makes sense for he/she who asks it. Generically, there is no answer.</p>

<p>But we can agree there are some debatable points in this thread, for sure. A few I'd offer up ...</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Including Davidson, a fantastic national LAC undoubtedly deemed a top 10 in that category, among the "Best Christian colleges..." Not sure, but I'd guess the DC leaders might consider that a real body slam.</p></li>
<li><p>Suggesting GCC is perhaps "the most selective." Undoubtedly, GCC's single major asset is its student body, and they are chosen from among a long list of applicants. But they tend to be highly regional, lilly white, and about as diverse as a bushel of bananas. Faculty as a group are pretty ho-hum, and generally extraordinarily poorly paid. These 2 factors reflect each other. Student-fac ratios are improving and astronomical. Library resources tend toward mediocre. For these reasons and many more, beyond students with very decent SAT scores, grades and contractual commitment to Christian doctrine, GCC measures up, not, imo. 2 great assets ...smart white kids who come from highly traditional Christian homes. And virtually all are there as a function of state-school type tuition ...which leads us back to the points noted above. GCC is not even a member of the CCC, unless it's joined in the last 20 minutes or so. There is a great outlet mall about 5 miles outta town tho ...which ironically, sadly has served to effectively kill the little boro of GC, which at one time was a cute little college type town. </p></li>
<li><p>BYU is a fine college ...if one is Mormon. Most Christian observers would say definitely #1 among Mormon schools. But not a Christian college unless one concurs that the Bible and Book of Mormon merit equal attention.</p></li>
<li><p>Most international observers, if asked the question, would no doubt list Wheaton as the Christian cadillac. For many reasons. Still, as we see here, others wouldn't go there on a scholarship...or at least they proclaim such. Perhaps in truth they did not because they didn't get one? Who knows. </p></li>
<li><p>Bob Jones? For sure a bulwark bastion of Christian fundamentalism. Top shelf? Only if one went there or attends one of those snake handling temples just outside the BJU moat. Still, if rules like no card-playin or tobacca-chewin count, it might be at the very top of that list of Christian colleges defined as such. As an academic bastion ...perhaps only if one plans to be the preacher at that temple noted earlier.</p></li>
<li><p>Jesuit colleges and U's. Undoubtedly they've abandoned virtually all of their traditionally Christian roots, traditions, values, etc. Remember twas the Jesuits that enable Bobby Kennedy to instantly be transformed from a Mass. pro-lifer to a NY abortion abiding senatorial candidate. They have become politically expedient. Still, in the secular world, many would agree that a Georgetown is a player in elitist education. I seriously doubt Bill Clinton went there because of his desire to nurture a deep and abiding faith. Probably more so because they had some foxy coeds ...</p></li>
</ol>

<p>More seriously, do we get the point? Each of these could be #1 or at least top 10 ...depending upon how we're keeping score. But it would be very difficult ranking them collectively in any way shape or form.</p>

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<p>I could be wrong but isn't Duke Methodist?</p>