Faith & Values
Evangelicals
Come to Campus
They’re arriving in record numbers, mbers,
refl ecting a new emphasis on education n education
and a greater effort between Christians Christians
and mainstream American colleges to olleges to
just get along.
By Joan Swirsky For example,For example,
Rebecca LeFevre, Rebecca LeFevre,
E
VANGELICAL CHRISTIANITY IS SURG- a 2004 graduate a 2004 graduate
ing on college campuses like never of New Jersey’sof New Jersey’s
before — even at some of the most Rutgers University,Rutgers University,
left-leaning Ivy League schools, tells Newsmax thattells Newsmax that
researchers report. her Christian faithher Christian faith
A mere decade ago, students and “was challenged in “was challenged in
faculty who openly professed the gos- college, but becamecollege, but became
pel of Jesus Christ appeared to be an stronger.”stronger.”
endangered species on the nation’s LeFevre, a moth-LeFevre, a moth-
campuses. Traditionally, only about er and part-timeer and part-time
15 percent of evangelicals held college executive director forexecutive director for
or graduate degrees. The picture has Habitat for HumanityHabitat for Humanity
changed dramatically. in upstate New York, isin upstate New York, is
“Evangelical students make on the missions com-on the missions com-
up larger and larger portions of mittee of her church mittee of her church
the incoming classes at Harvard, and occasionally preach-and occasionally preach-
Princeton, and Stanford,” points out es on Sunday
mornings.es on Sunday mornings.
D. Michael Lindsay, assistant sociol- “My professors and friends were“My professors and friends were
ogy professor at Rice University and saying ‘A’ and I’d been taught ‘B’ bysaying ‘A’ and I’d been taught ‘B’ by
P.
R
the author of Faith in the Halls of my church and family,” she explains.
PART OF THE FABRIC Life as an avowed
Power: How Evangelicals Joined the “I had competing perspectives. But
Christian at college is getting easier.
American Elite. since I was pursuing a degree in
Furthermore, the number of liberal arts, learning the history of relationship with God grew stronger
students involved with Campus human thought through art, religion, in college.
/© 2008 JUPITERIMAGES CORP.
Crusade for Christ increased 163 and history, it was just logical that “My college years were good for
GES
percent during the past 20 years at my faith would follow the same pro- my spiritual life,” says DeGraw, who
TY IMA
Brown University, by 500 percent cess and I would need to view all my says he’s an evangelical. “Being a col-
at Harvard, and by 700 percent at beliefs in a social and historical con- lege student allowed me a lot of time
Yale, according to journalists Audrey text, as well as what I felt in my heart. to seek God through the Bible and
Barrick and Joseph Alvarez. God became more specifi c and real to prayer. This helped me to grow and
Christians not only are graduating me, and my faith became stronger.” create a strong foundation for what I
/
AP IMAGES/FLICKR/GET
from college in record numbers but Similarly, Bryan DeGraw, a need to do for God through the rest
also are fi nding that campus experi- 2005 graduate of Wayne, N.J.-based of my life.”
ences enhance their faith. William Paterson University, says his From 1976 to 2004, the number
AFF GRAPHIC
S
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44 NEWSMAX / DECEMBER 2008
0044_Faith_Campus Evang.indd 4444_Faith_Campus Evang.indd 44 111/7/08 11:25:41 AM1/7/08 11:25:41 AM
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