As a Christian university, we do not only aim to provide quality education to our students, but we also strive to help them grow closer to the Lord. For many of our students, our classes are their first introduction to Christ and the Kingdom of God, and for others we may be giving them the firm foundation that they need to become Christian leaders in their field. To highlight this mission we all undertake, we have compiled ways that some of our professors have been incorporating spiritual formation into their classes.
Dr. Uduak-Abasi Afangideh, Department Chair for the Department of Natural and Physical Sciences:
“As a Biology professor, I am aware of the tension between science and spirituality, I try to acknowledge that tension in my biology classroom while standing strong in my identity as a Christian who is a biologist. Knowing that science students are constantly exposed to a large amount of information, it is important to me to encourage them to ground themselves in the truth that can only be found in God’s word. This need for grounding is what informs spiritual formation practices that center around encouraging students to spend time in the Word on their own and bring a favorite scripture to share at the beginning of each class meeting. Every semester, we prayerfully choose a book of the Bible to read through as a class, either from the Old Testament or the New Testament and students are encouraged to highlight a verse that stands out to them, share it during the first 5 minutes of class, stating why that verse stands out to them. This school year, we chose the Gospel of John and students get bonus points at the end of the semester for sharing a specific number of times during the semester. Some of the things I have enjoyed the most from this experience are listening to their insights as they share a verse that stands out to them, as well as the confidence that I see in them as they boldly share those insights with each other. An informal poll of their experience showed that the majority of them look forward to reading the Bible so they can have something to share in class and this exercise encourages them to spend more time in the Word of God than they would otherwise.”
A student from her class wrote:
“…she earned all of my respect when she started to bring God into our class. With the
Bible sharing before each class and the memory verse for test for extra credit, it
showed me that she had God as a priority in her class.”
They go on to discuss how this practice helped them think critically about Scripture and made them care more about the class.
Dr. Alan Wages, Assistant Professor in the V.P. Black College of Biblical Studies
“In the field of Family Studies, I have begun to incorporate the larger story and themes of the Bible within my material. In BI3311, Marriage and Family Relations, I walk students through the first 3 chapters of Genesis, highlighting themes of the image of God, ruling, multiplying, God’s goodness and order, intimacy in relationships, separation and disconnection because of sin, restoration, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I then connect these themes with the major content areas of the course – singlehood, family of origin, relationship attachment styles, love, dating, marriage, and sexuality.”
Below are some ways he ties in biblical themes with course content:
“At the core of each human is the desire to be fully known and fully accepted. In Genesis 2, Adam and Eve were ‘naked and unashamed.’ They were vulnerable, intimate, trusting, and connected in ministry together. This is the very best that human relationships have to offer. Once sin entered the world, they became ‘naked and ashamed.’ They hid from one another and used blame, suggesting a loss of trust in their relationship and a need to protect from the other…One reason the message of the Gospel is so appealing is because Jesus already knows everything about you and has fully accepted you. We can then be compelled to receive the love of Jesus, which can allow us to be used as image-bearers who rule, multiply, and expand God’s goodness on earth.”
“It is common to hear love songs that communicate the message, ‘you complete me.’ This sounds romantic and appealing, but taken to the extreme such relationships are often formed out of fear, insecurity, low value of self, and illegitimate needs. When sin entered the world, it created a small part of us that always wonders, ‘Am I enough?’ or ‘Am I good enough?'”
He goes on to say:
“In the opening chapter of the Bible, humans are described as image-bearers. They are already made complete as image-bearers. Because of the effects of sin on all of us, we can be deceived into thinking someone or something else defines our value or is responsible for our significance or happiness…The power of the Gospel is that Jesus said, ‘You are enough’ on the cross. And, His righteousness covers you, giving you ultimate significance in the Kingdom. He satisfied that longing within each of us. Thus, the more we reflect and receive the Gospel, the more secure we can become with who we are.”