Texas Professor Encourages College Students to Form Spiritual Network

By Vivian S. Park

The Author of two books for young Christians in college is advising students on how to hold onto their faith when new school year begins.

The two books “How to Stay Christian in College” (NavPress, 1999) and “Ask Me Anything: Provocative Answers for College Students” (NavPress, 2004) written by University of Texas Professor J. Budziszewski, are valuable resources for young Christians and their parents in preparation for what students face in college. Often, there is a higher possibility for many students to get lost in their walk of faith while in school.

“How to Stay Christian in College” talks about challenges to faith a student is likely to encounter and gives incoming freshman the intellectual grounding and practical advice they'll need to grow as Christians. “Ask Me Anything: Provocative Answers for College Students” offers answers to many of the relationship questions that college students ask.

"We've given them a child's preparation for living out their faith as adults," Budziszewski said, "and so often they're on their own to develop that intellectual grounding -- that adult understanding of the faith -- when they go off to college. And if nobody's helping them, it's hit or miss."

Budziszewski pointed out that once students enter college, the most dangerous mistake many college students make is ending up with the kind of thinking that they can do it “alone” ignoring the need of a support system for their faith.

"Many of them have high expectations for themselves," the professor noted, "but they go off to school in a very individualistic way. They say 'It's just you and me, God,' and they think, 'I can worship by myself, I can study the Bible by myself, pray by myself.' And they don't stay in contact and fellowship with other Christians. That's a disaster."

In order to overcome the inevitable temptations and challenges of college life, Budziszewski said young believers need to join a campus Christian fellowship and a Bible-believing church. He added that building such spiritual network would help Christian college students not only to hold onto their faith in the midst of fierce spiritual battle, but also to grow spiritually.

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