College Faith

Today I’m concluding my four-episode series on campus ministries. My guest is Karl Johnson, the Executive Director of the Consortium of Christian Study Centers, a unique initiative to minister to students on campuses throughout the U.S. In this podcast we discuss: Karl’s struggle to integrate his faith and studies while at Cornell Why and how Karl established a Christian Study Center at Cornell (...

Dr. Mary Poplin was a self-described “radical progressive Marxist”  professor before coming to faith in Christ by meeting Jesus in a dream. Since then she has worked tirelessly to integrate biblical truth and the field of education as a professor of Education at the Claremont Graduate University. She has also authored numerous books on Christianity and higher education. Here we talk about her...

In this episode I continue my series on campus ministries. My guest is Ben Nugent, the National Director of the The Navigator’s campus ministry. As a Navigator staff for 21 years, Ben not only brings the perspective of a senior leader of the ministry to our conversation, but many years in Navigator campus ministry himself. He is the best person I know of to help understand how the Navigators minis...

Welcome to another edition of the College Faith podcast, sponsored by Global Scholars. My guest today is Dr. Sean McDowell, Associate Professor of Christian Apologetics at the Talbot School of Theology, Biola University. Sean recently wrote Chasing Love: Sex, Love, and Relationships in a Confused Culture . Since every college student I’ve ever known wonders about and struggles with everything in t...

This is the second podcast in a series I’m doing on campus ministries. I am interviewing a leader from each, asking them the same questions so that you have an “apples to apples” comparison of the different ministries’ Missions, emphases, distinctives, approaches, and cultures. In this episode I interview a leader with CRU’s campus ministry. He is the first guest I’ve had on the show twice. You fi...

My guest for this episode is Dr. Tim Muehlhoff, professor of Communication at Biola University. His research, writing, speaking, and consulting focuses on how to have healthy and productive conversations with others, from the home to the church to the university to the public square.   Due to his understanding of communication theory, as well as spending many years earning three degrees...

Welcome to another edition of the College Faith podcast, sponsored by Global Scholars This is the first in a series I’m doing on campus ministries. Over the next six months or so I will be interviewing a leader from each of the major campus ministries, asking them the same questions so that you can have an “apples to apples” comparison of the different ministries’ Missions, emphases, distinctives,...

Welcome to another edition of the College Faith Podcast , sponsored by Global Scholars . My guest today is Roger Hershey , a national traveling speaker and campus ministry consultant with Cru. Roger has ministered to university students for 50 years now, sharing truths and wisdom that has changed the lives of thousands of students. I know this firsthand, because I was one who, now four decades ago...

Welcome to another edition of the College Faith podcast, sponsored by Global Scholars. My guest today is Dr. Perry Glanzer , Professor of Education at Baylor University. In this episode we discuss the ins and outs of being an excellent student, which goes far beyond just earning good grades.   Perry earned his Ph. D. from the University of Southern California, and is Baylor’s Professor of Educatio...

Welcome to another edition of the College Faith podcast, sponsored by Global Scholars. My guest today is Dr. Michael Kruger, President of Reformed Seminary-Charlotte and author of Surviving Religion 101: Letters to a Christian Student on Keeping the Faith in College . Dr. Kruger wrote this book for his daughter, who is now a student at UNC-Chapel Hill, sharing what he wished he understood as a you...

In this episode I talk with Dr. Randy Newman about the importance of asking good questions. Whether it be in class, in relationships, or in conversations about our faith, the ability to ask the right questions is often the key to great conversations, learning, and growth.  Randy is one of the best “question-askers” I know. He has shared some of his wisdom on this topic as it relates to sharin...

My guest on this episode is Dr. Phil Bishop, emeritus professor of Kinesiology at the University of Alabama, where he taught for 34 years. In 2006 he was appointed the first professorship at Alabama named after Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant. (For more see his “ Meet The Prof ” page, and his personal page .) As a Christian professor, Phil most enjoys the opportunity he has to love and care for his stude...

Dr. Ken Elzinga is the Robert C. Taylor Professor of Economics at University of Virginia. As a professor at UVA for over 50 years now, he has nurtured several generations of students. Christian and non-Christian students alike have benefitted from his gentle, Christlike spirit, his winsome manner, and his extraordinary wisdom. He is the type of professor we all hope and pray our children will have...

During his many years in ministry to students Steve noticed some thrived spiritually, while others did not. He began studying what the common factors were that caused students to thrive, eventually earning a PhD in the philosophy of learning at Penn State University.  His research led to his first book, The Fabric of Faithfulness: Weaving Together Belief & Behavior During the University Years...

Choosing a college or university is one of the most important decisions we make in life. It is also one of the most challenging decisions we will ever face. With so many options available and issues to consider, the process can seem overwhelming. In this podcast, I discuss many of the issues to consider with Dr. David Wunder, Dean of Faculty Development and Research Initiatives at Calvin Universit...

Christian students are called, as are all Christians, to be “in the world but not of it.” Yet doing so is much easier said than done, and sometimes much harder on university campuses. To help students in this, John Stonestreet and I discuss his and Brett Kunkle’s recent book, A Practical Guide to Culture: Helping the Next Generation Navigate Today’s World. John holds a master of arts in Chri...

We are undergoing a virtual learning revolution, as the COVID pandemic and the prevalence of technology intersect, leading universities to move most or all of their classes online. This presents new challenges, as well as new opportunities, for students. My guest helps us understand the implications of this new reality, and how students can flourish in this digital learning environment.  Pete...

The better we understand higher education, the better we can navigate the university years well and flourish in both heart and mind. My guest today is a historian who understands the forces that caused and continue to shape higher education. He also has a wide range of experience working in higher education, giving him unusual insights into how universities work today, and how students can avoid t...

Christian students at public universities face unique challenges, as well as unique opportunities. Whether a student thrives in this environment depends on many factors, including how they engage this “marketplace of ideas.” Knowing how best to respond when one’s worldview is challenged is an important skill to develop. Dr. Craft is most interested in is preparing stude...

Understanding the importance of loving God with the mind as well as the heart is foundational for flourishing during the university years. My guest in this inaugural show is Dr. J.P. Moreland. We discuss themes in his book Love Your God with All Your Mind: The Role of Reason in the Life of the Soul . Dr. Moreland is Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology, Biola Universi...