This issue of Christian Higher Education: An International Journal of Research, Theory, and Practice contains four original articles accepted by the journal’s previous coeditors, Dr. Karen A. Longman and Dr. Laurie A. Schreiner of Azusa Pacific University. Though not solicited as part of a themed issue, the pieces broadly contribute to wider considerations of diversity and marginalization within Christian higher education. Institutional elements examined through this lens include student outcomes, curricular design, and faculty research.
In the lead article, Mayhew et al. present an exemplary case study that reveals student gains in interfaith learning and developmental outcomes despite the absence of formal interfaith practices employed by the institution. According to the authors, the study findings “highlight the need for evangelical colleges to thoughtfully and intentionally create and provide trusting spaces where students can struggle openly and question what they know through what is known by religiously diverse others and ideas.” In a study also focusing on student outcomes, Patterson et al. offer insight into how ideologically diverse friend groups (IDFGs) form among students in the Christian college context. Results of this single-institution qualitative study reveal that IDFGs “have the potential to enhance students’ sense of belonging as they participate in daily activities together, navigate controversial conversations, broaden and strengthen their own beliefs, and ultimately develop their capacity to understand the humanness of ideologies.”
How liberation theology can inform educational practice is the topic examined by Rivera et al., who explore its application to the hermeneutic of divine relationship for use in the preparation of systemically oriented Christian therapists. Drawing upon a set of beliefs regarding how members of the Godhead relate to one another, the authors contend that Christian therapists “must begin to envision what these Trinitarian attributes look like in therapeutic relationships with those who find themselves at the bottom layer of a hierarchical society” in order to “better understand the barriers to establishing reciprocal, equal, and communal relationships with their clients.” To illustrate the pedagogical implications of the hermeneutic of divine relationship, the authors conclude by offering sample instructional activities that could accompany each domain of the proposed framework.
Pahom et al. investigate how the research writing of women faculty at one Christian university was both supported and constrained during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using an autoethnographic method involving four participants, the authors found that “family, mental and physical health, and service and administrative work had a constraining effect on our productivity and perceived productivity,” while “peer accountability and support, deadlines, and scheduled, regular times and places for research” all contributed positively to the research productivity of women faculty during the pandemic. The authors recommend that Christian colleges and universities “strive to develop institutional cultures where everyone is encouraged and equipped to use their unique gifts for the glory of God.”
This issue also includes reviews of two books that consider the pursuit of excellence in higher education institutions. Mason overviews Guthrie’s Dreaming Dreams for Christian Higher Education, an exploration of how the foundations of Christian higher education might inform new endeavors and possibilities, while Vermilya engages Light and Jegla’s Becoming Great Universities: Small Steps for Sustained Excellence, a how-to guide all colleges and universities can follow to improve the student experience. Finally, the issue concludes with a list of recent doctoral dissertations completed on topics related to Christian higher education.
Editor-in-Chief
Center for Academic Faithfulness & Flourishing, Greenville, SC, USA
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Correction Statement
This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.