Posted on 08/12/2014 7:15:59 AM PDT by Academiadotorg
Religious colleges and universities, often derided by academic elites, got a surprising shout-out recently from an Ivy League insider. harvard hoodie
“Elite schools like to boast that they teach their students how to think, but all they mean is that they train them in the analytic and rhetorical skills that are necessary for success in business and the professions,” William Deresiewicz wrote in the July 21, 2014 issue of The New Republic. “Everything is technocratic—the development of expertise—and everything is ultimately justified in technocratic terms.”
“Religious colleges—even obscure, regional schools that no one has ever heard of on the coasts—often do a much better job in that respect. What an indictment of the Ivy League and its peers: that colleges four levels down on the academic totem pole, enrolling students whose SAT scores are hundreds of points lower than theirs, deliver a better education, in the highest sense of the word.” Deresiewicz taught English at Yale for an entire decade, from 1998 to 2008.
According to the Christian Universities Online’s newest college rankings, there are actually 50 top Christian universities and colleges in the U.S. The top five on the list are the following:
College of the Ozarks
The author, Michael Templeton, wrote: “Charging no tuition, that’s right, ZERO, will catch just about any shopping student or parent’s attention. College of the Ozarks (CO) is able to offer this unique opportunity because of its student work program and generous donations. CO is not called “Hard Work U” for nothing! The student work program requires full-time students to work 15 hours at their assigned campus work station.”
Gordon College
It is a small liberal arts college in Wenham, Massachusetts and strives to “keep the torch…burning which works to integrate faith and learning and to train students to think holistically about the problems they will face in their professions.”
Goshen College
Established in 1894, this small liberal arts school in Goshen, Indiana integrates faith and learning. It is known for their Study-Service Term (SST), where “students work and study in another country for three months. This program has students learning the host country’s language, history and culture while participating in service work in a very wide range of occupations
Pepperdine University
Founded in 1937, the school’s 830 acre campus in Malibu, California overlooks the Pacific Ocean and has a commitment to the idea that“all would be done to the glory of God.
Baylor University
As Templeton wrote, “One of the first educational institutions west of the Mississippi River and the oldest continuously operating university in Texas, Baylor University (BU) has a tremendous history and reputation in academics, campus life and athletics. As rich and treasured as their history is, BU does not rely upon the past to earn it the no.5 position in our ranking. BU was ranked 75th out of 262 national universities in the 2014 “Best Colleges” ranking of the U.S. News & World Report.”
The criteria and the report itself were described by the author as a presentation attempting to “present a ranking of Christian colleges and universities taking into consideration a variety of quantitative values. We first began with regionally accredited schools that were also either accredited by TRACS or a member/affiliate of CCCU.” Templeton went on to say:
“Focusing on these accredited schools, the ranking was compiled considering which offered the highest degree of personal attention (student-to-faculty ratio), selectivity (acceptance rate), financial assistance (% receiving financial aid), and student satisfaction (retention and graduation rates). These factors were all given equal weight.
At the end of the day, we agree even using these quantitative and objective factors, there is always going to be a level of subjectivity when building a list entitled “the best.” We recognize there are many ways to rank schools, and this list represents only one way. With all ofthat disclaimer, we still believe this list serves as a good and useful starting point for students searching for a high quality Christian education.”
When mac daddy reads this in the news paper, where he gets all his important news, he’ll sic all different agencies of his sock puppet administration on them to try to ruin these evil christain terrorists.
J.I. Packard who wrote “Knowing God?” If so, what a privilege. Best book (written by man) I ever read. Never have a copy because I always give it away.
I did audit a class under Merrill C. Tenney. Holy man and so humble.
His name is Dr. Robert G. Packard. He joined the faculty at Baylor in 1952.
My dad took his class in the 70s and I took it in the fall of 1996.
He was so far out of our league that the average grade was in the 50s.
But he was a magnanimous man who understood the big picture. He graded on a curve.
I thought I was going to fail but he kept reassuring me.
In the end I got a B.
In hindsight I would have taken that course just for no credit just to hear him speak.
It was a true privilege.
I remember when I looked at Baylor in the late 80s, that Grey Poupon mustard wasn’t allowed on campus because it was made with white wine.
That was a lot more restrictive than looked good to me coming out of high school.
I was just wondering if there is a way to find out who are the best theologians and where they teach.
How many of these have hosted the “Vagina Monologues” and hired Hillary to speak?
You wouldn’t count Notre Dame or that place Sandra Fluke came from as real Catholic Colleges would you?
Perhaps those are the only Catholic colleges you have heard of. Happily there are hundreds more, some of them suitable even for the sort of Christians who who’re in denial about the truth that Catholics were defending and spreading and dying for the Christian faith a thousand years before the “reformers” were heard of.
Re: “. . . when Grey Poupon wasn’t allowed on campus . . .”
I call BS on that one. However, even if true, you’re talking about Bible Belt culture, not Chrisitianity - unless you found a passage in the NT where Jesus says stay away from Grey Poupon.
I’ve never heard that Baylor went that far into the Baptist culture unless you mean the 1950s or 60s - not the 80s.
Your example sounds more like some policy from Bob Jones University than Baylor.
Someday some school is going to get the bright idea of bringing in Hillary to read the V Monologues. I hope that she says no.
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