The good news of Jesus Christ for the world and the response of faith:[28] the good news (i.e. the gospel) of Jesus Christ was the primary aspect of his preaching and was a message to be passed on to the whole world.
The ongoing development of character among staff and students:[29] faith is invalid without a life that matches it.
Love, reverence, worship, prayer and praise towards God as revealed in Jesus Christ:[30] blessing, reverential worship, prayer and praise are to be given to God in all times, places and circumstances. This is not necessarily easy to achieve in the context of student culture.
Development of individuals to reach their highest potential:[31] the Parable of the Talents shows that individuals should invest what they have in terms of their abilities, opportunities and responsibilities rather than bury them.
Love and humility towards all humanity, with special care for the poor and vulnerable:[32] Christians should be 'ready for every good deed' and should show consideration for all people.
Hope of the return of Jesus Christ:[33] this is the central Christian hope.
Justice, righteousness and holiness:[34] 'righteousness exalts a nation' and, by the same principle, righteousness exalts an organisation.
It seems preferable, though not essential, that the governors of a new Christian university are drawn from within an established Christian organisation, thus promoting unity and cohesion in the development of such a demanding project. In order to maintain and take forward the Christian vision of such a university, it seems essential that the Board members, senior managers, senior staff responsible for recruiting others and some other key staff (e.g. the head of theology) are and remain committed Christians. It is anticipated that not all staff and students will be Christians but will need to be at least supportive of the vision and values of the university.
It has already been suggested that a Christian university could specialise in the arts and humanities. This would avoid the problems of trying to attract large-scale funding for equipment and scientific research. However practical that course of action may be, the Dutch philosopher Dooyeweerd[35] (1894-1977) has argued that science is an aspect of human vocation given by God in creation. A non-Christian view that makes absolute what is in fact relative ends up destroying that aspect of creation and taking the strength out of life and experience as a whole. To avoid the study of science in a Christian university, therefore, could be seen as detrimental to both science and the world.
Further work on the concept of a Christian university entails detailed study of models and examples worldwide and then working out what is practicable and transferable. Some wariness is needed when attempting to take educational ideas across national borders. Walford[36] has demonstrated some of the pitfalls awaiting those who attempt this, showing the risks of taking partially understood educational practice from one country and trying to apply it in the context of another. Ongoing discussions about a Christian university can lead to partnerships with other Christian organisations and individuals who embrace the vision. Substantial discussions are also needed with sympathetic politicians and government officials, to a point where they too become supporters of the project going forward.
An interesting alternative to a Christian university is the concept of a Christian pre-university course for gap-year Christian students before they start a degree programme in a state-funded university. De Evangelische Hogeschool[37] (The Evangelical High School) in Amersfoort, Holland, is a Reformed high school which provides a course which pre-university students can attend for one or two years. Wider application of this concept could help Christian students to carry greater influence into universities worldwide.
Lastly, it needs to be emphasised that Christian universities are just one expression of Christian higher education, besides the many possibilities for Christian service within other areas of higher education. Even in unsympathetic university environments, Christian staff and students can form groups for fellowship. Academic co-operation between Christians can take place without there being any overarching Christian ethos in the institution (e.g. a humanities community). Michael Schluter has done a considerable amount of work on the concept of a relational university, more details of which are accessible on the Cambridge Papers website. Such a university would be based on the ethical values of the Judaeo-Christian tradition rather than on a set of doctrinal beliefs. It would thus be more inclusive than a Christian university. There would be no need to avoid government funding, and it would be considerably less demanding on Christian resources.
Conclusions
This paper has presented the case for and against Christian universities. It is anticipated that Christians in different societies and even within the same society will come to legitimate but different conclusions about their appropriateness. My own conclusion is that Christian universities have their place in higher education and that a country with a well-established Christian community would be enriched by the presence of at least two or three Christian universities. Recognising that there are differing views about the merits of Christian universities, Christians can at least be in agreement about the importance of Christ in the academy, while responding in legitimately different ways to the many challenging possibilities for following him there.
