Many universities were founded on the principles of rigorous scholarship and steadfast Christian faith. Today, however, some of these universities have abandoned their Christian roots. According to
Christianity and the Soul of the University, institutions that retain their Christian identity have a unique opportunity to better themselves through reflective Christian faith that can unify the intellectual life of a university.
The first section of the book surveys fundamental issues that bear on the notion of Christian intellectual community. Topics covered include the Word as ground of community, Christian interdisciplinarity, and the changing face of the global Christian church. The second considers a range of practices integral both to understanding and to realizing the ideal of a Christian academic community. Topics covered include the nature of doubt and delight, the difference between Christian hospitality and secular tolerance, and the importance of moral imagination. An introduction by the editors provocatively interprets the cumulative significance of the chapters and stipulates a fresh view of Christian learning.
Contributors include Richard B. Hays, Jean Bethke Elshtain, John C. Polkinghorne, Joel A. Carpenter, David Lyle Jeffrey, Susan M. Felch, Aurelie A. Hagstrom, Steven R. Harmon, Daniel Russ, Mark L. Sargent, and Daniel H. Williams.
