"A
Christian liberal arts education teaches a person to be at home in the
world of the mind and ideas. It helps him respond as an educated person
rather than as a fool."
Guenter E. Salter, Ph.D.
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Religion in Higher Learning:
Distance Education Christian Liberal Arts Colleges
Most who choose a Christian
liberal arts college are not seeking a career in the ministry, but
rather an education that will give them a broader. more spiritual view
of life, regardless of the profession they enter. At the college level,
schools approach Christian learning in a variety of different ways. In
the words of one Christian educator, Ronald Oakerson, Dean of Houghton
College in Houghton, NY, "Christian liberal arts is difficult to define
not only because it's a complex and subtle idea to analyze, but also
because it is best understood as a seamless experience. At a Christian
liberal arts college you will find a pervasive appreciation for
scholarship, creative activity and worship."
Well-Known Names There
are a number of very old Christian colleges distance learning
institutions whose names you may recognize, like Indiana Wesleyan and
Baylor. But according to the Council for Christian Colleges and
Universities (CCCU), a top organization in the field, over 900 schools
of higher learning now call themselves "religiously affiliated."
A good place to start looking
for schools, or checking up on schools that have caught your eye on the
internet, is the list of affiliates on CCCU's website (www.cccu.com).
Be aware, however, that many fine schools are not on the CCCU list.
Because of the rapid growth of interest in distance education christian
liberal arts colleges, you will find small community colleges, private
four-year institutions and even major state universities that have
recently increased their religious course offerings. (You'll also find
some that have gone in the opposite direction, leaving their religious
affiliation behind. I personally attended Union College, a school which
long ago broke it's ties to Union Theological Seminary to become a
secular school.)
Full Range of Offerings Nowadays you can find
everything from history to science courses taught from a religious or
partly religious perspective. You should assess distance education
Christian liberal arts colleges in the same way you would rate a
non-religious school. Focus on how well-developed their online teaching
department is, how well-respected they are by potential employers in
your area of interest, and how successful their alumni have been in the
business world and in the community.
Find out more about accredited Christian colleges.
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