Why College Matters to God, 3rd Edition

by Rick Ostrander

Perhaps the best available introduction for students to the aims and purposes of a Christian college education … I see this book as a potential replacement for Arthur F. Holmes’s venerable The Idea of a Christian College.
— MICHAEL HAMILTON, Chair, Department of History, Seattle Pacific University

A trusted first-year text at Christian colleges and universities

Why College Matters to God is a brief, easy-to-read introduction to the unique purpose of a Christian college education. It has been widely used by Christian colleges and universities over the past decade because of its unsurpassed ability to be substantive yet accessible. The book draws on the insights of a wide range of Christian philosophers, theologians, historians, and scientists, but communicates key concepts in straightforward language that connects with a general audience. Brief enough to be paired with other texts, Why College Matters to God is an ideal introduction to the why and how of Christian learning for students, faculty, staff, and parents.


The third edition preserves the qualities of the previous editions along with updated illustrations and new material on important topics such as:

• Christian learning and the challenges of technology
• Christian vocation, career preparation, and the liberal arts
• Diversity and civility on campus
• The habits of the highly effective college student

160 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2009

About the author

Rick Ostrander is the provost at Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States.

Reviews

[Rebecca]

I read this book through NetGalley.

I'm going to preface this review with the fact that I am not the intended audience. I am 1) not a Christian and 2) not a student (anymore). However, I've always been interested in religion and in particular with religious institutions so I wanted to read through this book to see what sort of insights this has on why people choose Christian colleges and what sort of mindset they're learning there. I've done my best to keep an open mind and will be reviewing this on how it meets its own goals, not on whether I agree with it.

I thought the author presented a good argument for the purpose of a Christian College: being at a place where every part of the experience fits into a cohesive worldview. I also thought his metaphor using the crossword was helpful in showing that the intent was not merely to go somewhere with an established worldview and take it as your own, but to build it with likeminded people.

I also appreciated how much the author attempted to add nuance and not to give a black and white answer. I was pleasantly surprised that he didn't shy away from pointing out ways the Christian College system has been flawed (for instance, in the methods it taught students to evangelize and in how few non-white people attended). It's clear the author has spent a lot of time thinking about this topic. His thoughtful approach to some contemporary matters (such as George Floyd's death) was appreciated.

I thought there was some clever structuring (for instance, presenting three chapters as creation, the fall and the redemption) but think that a more explicit explanation of how and why the book was structured would have helped, especially given this is a textbook.

I also found there was a lot of common sense and things I've heard before. Again, I'm not Christian and was not raised Christian, and I found that a number of the parts where scripture was being quoted to be things I've heard before. The history section I found glossed over quite a bit (of course, it is meant to just give an overview, but I would have enjoyed more here).

Overall, I think this book may be worthwhile for a freshman in Christian College (the intended audience, in all fairness), but lacks the depth to be much more than that.

[Nathaniel McVay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty simplistic book. Might be a worth-while primer if you're new to the faith and going to a Christian college. Has good points here and there.

[Blaise Batson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Practical understanding of college and how Christianity fits into that.