The Areopagus Update Newsletter for March-April 2012
In Romans 8:28 the apostle Paul writes, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” This principle applies not only to our personal lives but to the whole realm of human existence. For example, with the increasing secularization of higher education over the past fifty years, residual Christian influences have been marginalized if not purged altogether from campus life. But at some universities this is opening up opportunities for innovative new ministries such as Christian study centers that offer students (and even some faculty) not only a place of spiritual refuge but also the kind of vibrant intellectual stimulation that is often missing in the typical university environment.
Most colleges and universities are essentially closed shops in which only secular liberal and radical left-wing ideas and values are tolerated. As for traditional orthodox Christianity, it is regarded as so antiquated and politically incorrect as to be unworthy of serious consideration. So ironically, the one place where Christians can express themselves freely and engage in open dialogue and debate with believers and nonbelievers alike is in the one venue that honors true intellectual diversity and academic freedom: a Christian study center.