Learning for the Love of God: A Student's Guide to Academic Faithfulness

By Donald Opitz and Derek Melleby

Most Christian college students separate their academic life from church attendance, Bible study, and prayer. Too often discipleship of the mind is overlooked if not ignored altogether. In this lively and enlightening book, two authors who are experienced in college youth ministry show students how to be faithful in their studies, approaching education as their vocation.
This revised edition of the well-received The Outrageous Idea of Academic Faithfulness includes updates throughout, two new substantive appendixes, personal stories from students, a new preface, and a fresh interior design. Chapters conclude with thought-provoking discussion questions.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
• Release date: Feb 18, 2014
• ISBN: 9781441244772

Donald Opitz

Donald Opitz (PhD, Boston University) is college pastor at Messiah College in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. He previously served as professor of sociology and higher education at Geneva College. He is the author of numerous articles and has worked as a pastor.

Book preview

© 2007, 2014 by Donald Opitz and Derek Melleby

Published by Brazos Press

a division of Baker Publishing Group

P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287

www.brazospress.com

Ebook edition created 2014

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

ISBN 978-1-4412-4477-2

Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com

Papers and professors, labs and lectures. Few Christian books for college students even mention the central aspect of college life—academics and course work. This one, though, lays it all out, brings it all together. It is easy to read, fun, funny, and full of robust insight. There is nothing like it in print. Students who desire to truly live out the implications of their faith in the classroom setting will find this book to be an extraordinary help; campus ministers or faithful faculty wanting to assist their young friends in serving Christ in the classroom will want to have a stack of these on hand to pass out. It is on that short list of must-reads, essential for grooming Christian faithfulness in the college years.

—Byron K. Borger, Hearts & Minds Bookstore, Dallastown, Pennsylvania

Opitz and Melleby’s wonderfully outrageous little book will tickle, inspire, challenge, and encourage students to gain a real life—not just grades, degrees, and jobs. Their message is deeply biblical and splendidly relevant for today’s learners and, truth be told, teachers.

—Quentin J. Schultze, Calvin College; author of Here I Am: Now What on Earth Should I Be Doing?

Deep yet easily accessible, this book reminds us why we study. Many students want to play a part in the great Story—redeeming all of life and building the kingdom in a hurting world. Such outrageous vision requires the wisdom and brilliance of the Creator in every field and discipline. The humility of a true scholar yields not only purpose but also curiosity and delight as we rejoice in the glory of God on the far side of every question.

—Kelly Monroe Kullberg, author of Finding God Beyond Harvard: The Quest for Veritas

From their own years as students and teachers, Melleby and Opitz have written a wonderfully imaginative guide for university students who want something more from their studies. Probing yet playful, this book is full of wisdom for those who yearn for their learning to move beyond mere labor to true love.

—Steven Garber, director, The Washington Institute for Faith, Vocation, and Culture; author of The Fabric of Faithfulness

An outstanding book about how Christian students can learn to be faithful to their Lord in their studies. Its biblical moorings, fresh and clear language, and vivid stories give it transformative power. It is pitched at just the right level to reach its target audience. The authors have invested much in writing this insightful book. Those who read it—students and teachers alike—will reap genuine dividends.

—David Naugle, Dallas Baptist University; author of Worldview: The History of a Concept

We need this book! The idea of a Christian worldview has passed into common use, but we seem no closer to living what we supposedly believe. Opitz and Melleby assert—correctly I think—that we won’t ever put legs on a biblical vision for all of life until we begin to learn differently. Other people have asserted the same, but I’ve yet to see anyone else make it so clear how this can be done.

—Daniel Dupee, president, Coalition for Christian Outreach

Filled with rich insights and probing questions, [this book] encourages students, through its accessible chapters and group discussion questions, to connect their faith with their studies, through all the excitement and trials of academic life.

—Gayle Doornbos, Comment

The authors use key examples from Scripture and pop culture to insightfully maintain the ‘outrageous’ idea that students can use their studies to better connect with God. In addition to these practical insights, Donald Opitz and Derek Melleby offer sound ideas on developing a present-future worldview founded in ‘His Story.’ Their language is both humorous and unassuming, painting clear guidelines for the seasoned Christian as well as the unfamiliar seeker. Each chapter ends with interactive questions and suggestions for further reading to continue the journey. A great gift to college-bound senior or those already pursuing their degrees, the authors have presented a solid and relevant guide useful on both the Christian and secular campus.

—Tony Miles, YouthWorker Journal

[This book] is genuinely written for the average beginning college student, rather than leaning to the highly academic and philosophically inclined. The prose is lively, readable, and very accessible, and is punctuated by anecdotes and comments from students. . . . [The book] point[s] students in the direction of connecting their faith and their learning without prescribing many of the intellectual outcomes. . . . The task of being a Christian scholar is not presented solely in terms of developing Christian concepts and positions, but includes a focus on practices that span the devotional and the educational.

—David I. Smith, Journal of Education and Christian Belief

This is an easy-to-read, interesting book encouraging students to take up the challenge of marrying their beliefs in God with the commitments to academics. . . . My favorite question the book asks is, ‘Does God care about academics?,’ and the book builds on that question, seeking to help the reader develop a level of academic study that relies on the truth of God as well as adopting the principles of God.

—Tim Baker, Journal of Student Ministries

Opitz and Melleby have written a book that is long overdue. Here is a plea for students to take their academic pursuits as part of their faithfulness to Christ. . . . The book provides a map of what it means ‘to take every thought captive to Christ’—in their own words, a ‘fitness campaign for the Christian mind.’ It is a book that pastors, youth leaders, and parents should place in the hands of every starting college freshman. . . . The next step is getting them to actually read it. If they do, they will be exposed to a vision of college life beyond their wildest dreams.

—David John Seel, Critique

For our friend and favorite bookseller, Byron Borger, whose love for God and learning exemplifies a life of faithful service to the King.

Contents

Cover i

Title Page iii

Copyright Page iv

Endorsements v

Dedication vi

Preface to New Edition ix

Introduction xi

1. Wide-Eyed 1

Beer and Circus

Grades and Accolades

All for One

2. Babylon U? 10

Daniel and Friends

Faithful under Fire

Panning for Gold

3. Believing Is Seeing 21

A Whirlwind Intro to Worldviews

Like Gestalt

C-F-R-C

The Biblical Comedy

The Re-sighting of Saul/Paul

4. A Story-Framed Life 34

Life in the Shire

Stories in Conflict

Hearing and Telling the Story

5. Fish-Eyed Learning 46

The Disembodied Mind

Thinking Scripturally

Creation

Fall

Redemption

Consummation

6. Four-i-ed Learning 55

Integration

Idolatry

Investment

Imagination

Herbie’s Bible

7. Embodying the Outrageous Idea 71

Connect Up, Connect Out

Dig Deep, Dig Slow

8. Chutes and Ladders 83

Read Twice, Write Thrice

Dream Big, Act Small

Work Hard, Play Hard

Conclusion 99

Appendix I: Deeper 103

Appendix II: Liturgies for Learning 111

Appendix III: Student Responses 119

References 123

Acknowledgments 127

Back Cover 128

Preface to New Edition

This is the book I was telling you about. It helped me to see why all of my classes matter. Even boring biology. You should read it. I overheard this conversation while browsing at a college bookstore. The student was talking to her friend, holding a copy of the first edition of The Outrageous Idea of Academic Faithfulness. She had no idea I had anything to do with the book. I wanted to jump up and down, set off some fireworks, sing the Hallelujah Chorus, give her a big hug, and call my mom. But I just stood there, misty eyed.

We have been overwhelmed by the response to this book, first published in 2007. Our prayer from the beginning was to help students think more deeply about the intersection of faith and learning. We set out to offer guidance, tell stories, and suggest a few practices for bringing these two words together: academics and faithfulness. From our experience working with college students, we knew that many students were craving a faith that made a difference in everyday life. We also noticed that many college students were dissatisfied with the status quo, with going through the motions to get a grade, with learning for the sake of a diploma. But, truth be told, we never imagined that this book would garner such positive feedback. One student wrote this: The book has a casual feel, without being too childish. I dreaded reading it at first but actually think the stuff in it is pretty relevant, and put into words a lot of things I was feeling. It was good to read and know that some of the things I felt were normal! And from another student: I thought this book was instructive in the way it told us to evaluate the reason for our learning. As a busy college student, I can attest to the fact that it is incredibly easy to get lost in the midst of so many responsibilities and lose sight of the true purpose of our studies: to glorify Christ.

May this new edition be used to that end, to motivate you for biology and the rest of your courses, to help you articulate your faith, and to glorify Christ the King!

For Jesus and his kingdom,

Don and Derek

Introduction

This book is the effort of two friends whose friendship was forged in large measure by the shared concerns expressed on these pages. Many voices other than our own are inked here—students, colleagues in campus ministry, and authors we have never even met. Our hope is that these voices will come together for you as an invitation to an adventure. This is an invitation that we received in college—an adventure that we both wish we would have taken up from the start.

This book isn’t a map or a guidebook that can lead you from the beginning of the journey all the way to its end. The subject matter explored here is too rich, too deep, and too personal to be mapped. It is more like a sign staked in your life to point you toward this adventure that we are calling academic faithfulness. It is a collection of stories and suggestions that we have found helpful and that others have reported were helpful to them. Perhaps these testimonies will aid you in your journey of faith.

We hope you won’t have to set out on this journey alone. We have discovered that deep engagement and lasting change come when a journey is taken with others. Some of you may have the opportunity to read this book with a friend or mentor or with a small group or a class, and you will be able to consider together the challenges raised here and to add your own stories to those told.

The title of the first edition of this book was The Outrageous Idea of Academic Faithfulness. We wrote it to invite students into the adventure of uniquely Christian and culturally relevant learning. We believe that all Christians are called to take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). This is the adventure: putting