The Fearless Christian University

by John Hawthorne

Publisher:

Eerdmans

, 2025

Overview

An emboldened vision for Christian higher education

What is Christian higher education, and what makes it distinctive? Sociologist and educator John Hawthorne laments the fact that fear has become a defining characteristic of many Christian universities today: fear of mission drift, public relations crises, demographic change, culture wars, and more. Hawthorne argues that when colleges focus their energies on such concerns, they fail to prepare students for constructive lives in a post-Christian society. Proposing a dramatically different vision, Hawthorne argues that the long-term success of today’s Christian university rests upon its ability to be fearless. He encourages Christian schools to center student questions and experiences, to pursue research that meets real needs in the church and society, and to participate boldly in their cultural contexts.

Hawthorne’s proposal draws on his decades of experience as a scholar and practitioner of Christian higher education, combining insights from administration and teaching roles in five different Christian universities with historical and sociological literature on conservative evangelicals and their institution building. The Fearless Christian University is essential reading for faculty, administrators, trustees, donors, and alumni and offers a clarion call to all who care about the future of Christian higher education.

Key Features

• Encourages Christian schools to center student questions and experiences.
• Pursues research that meets real needs in the church and society.
• Combines insights from administration and teaching roles in different Christian universities.

Product Details

• Title: The Fearless Christian University
• Author: John Hawthorne
• Publisher: Eerdmans
• Print Publication Date: 2025
• Pages: 168
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Reader Edition
• ISBNs: 9780802884565, 0802884563
• Resource ID: LLS:FRLSCRSTNVST
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2024-09-10T18:36:36Z

About John Hawthorne

John Hawthorne is a sociologist who spent nearly four decades in Christian higher education. He served as faculty member and academic administrator over the course of his career, spending time in five different Christian universities. He writes a Substack that often deals with issues in Christian higher education and has been regularly interviewed for Christianity Today, Religion News Service, Sojourners, Inside Higher Ed, and the Associated Press. His publications include A First Step into a Much Larger World: The Christian University and Beyond.