This special issue of Christian Higher Education: An International Journal of Research, Theory, and Practice marks a new beginning for the journal, which is now under the leadership of Dr. P. Jesse Rine, Executive Director of the Center for Academic Faithfulness & Flourishing. As upcoming issues of the journal feature articles accepted by previous coeditors Dr. Karen A. Longman and Dr. Laurie A. Schreiner of Azusa Pacific University, this period of transition affords an opportunity to consider anew the purposes of the journal and boldly articulate a vision for its service to the field at large.
As the leading academic outlet devoted to the empirical study of Christian higher education, the journal endeavors to provide a forum for rigorous discourse and analysis in support of intentionally Christ-centered postsecondary institutions. To achieve this purpose, Christian Higher Education will remain interdisciplinary, interdenominational, and international in character. First, the journal will proactively solicit and enthusiastically promote a diverse range of academic disciplines and perspectives in order to foster innovative approaches to current challenges and opportunities. Second, the journal will maintain an ecumenical ethos that welcomes examinations of educational principles and/or practices within the context of any Christian denomination, religious order, or nondenominational group. Third, the journal will serve and support Christian higher education worldwide by publishing studies of postsecondary institutions operating within and across various national contexts.
Three important distinctives will define the kinds of content most relevant to the journal’s readership. The first is an underlying assumption that Christian colleges, universities, and seminaries are legitimate institutional types that require neither prior justification for their faith-based missions nor external validation for their mission-driven practices. The second is a conviction that Christian higher education develops students in unique and valuable ways that enrich society as a whole and is therefore worth preserving. The third is a recognition that the needs of Christian institutions of higher education will differ according to their particularities, such that efforts to support their persistence will often require bespoke approaches.
Of particular interest are submissions that embody these distinctives by addressing one of three priority areas in support of institutional self-determination. The journal seeks research into the conceptual frameworks, empirical models, and practical strategies that can (1) empower Christian colleges, universities, and seminaries to strengthen and more effectively achieve their unique institutional missions; (2) position Christian colleges, universities, and seminaries to faithfully flourish within their current political, economic, and cultural contexts; and (3) guide Christian colleges, universities, and seminaries in the prudent and proper engagement of the external environment.
Christian Higher Education publishes three kinds of peer-reviewed manuscripts. Original Research extends the academic literature by presenting empirical studies of phenomena within Christian higher education and making recommendations for theory and practice. Analytical Essays provide thought leadership by advancing a conceptual thesis related to the foundations, purposes, or future of Christian higher education. Faith Integration Articles examine how Christian faith affects pedagogy and practice across the disciplines. Each submitted manuscript is evaluated according to its alignment with the journal’s aims and scope, scholarly rigor, elegance and clarity of writing, and significance of contribution to the field. The journal also commissions Book Reviews that critically interact with recent research and make applications to Christian higher education.
In the end, we seek to cultivate a relevant and robust academic literature that honors, strengthens, and supports Christian higher education around the globe. To those who appreciate this storied and distinctive approach to postsecondary education and care about its enduring persistence, we invite you to join our intellectual project.
Editor-in-Chief
Center for Academic Faithfulness & Flourishing
Greenville, SC, USA
[email protected]