Mission-Driven Colleges - by Richard Langer & Scott B Rae (Paperback)

About the Book

In Mission-Driven Colleges: Keeping First Things First in Christian Higher Education, Scott Rae and Rick Langer argue that a successful Christian university goes beyond simply incorporating religious studies. They propose that the entire institution, from its leadership to its curriculum, must be designed to nurture a distinctive Christian worldview.

Book Synopsis

In Mission-Driven Colleges: Keeping First Things First in Christian Higher Education, Scott Rae and Rick Langer argue that a successful Christian university goes beyond simply incorporating religious studies.

They propose that the entire institution, from its leadership to its curriculum, must be designed to nurture a distinctive Christian worldview.

The book delves into four foundational questions:

• What defines a university?
• What sets a Christian university apart?
• What makes your specific university unique within the Christian landscape?
• How can academic disciplines be approached from a Christian perspective?

Through these questions, Rae and Langer demonstrate how to build the structural framework that empowers a Christian university to thrive. They guide educators and administrators in strategizing, planning, and implementing practices that ensure both a deep Christian identity and academic rigor. Mission-Driven Colleges is a vital resource for anyone committed to the success of Christian universities, offering a clear path to realizing their full educational mission.

Review Quotes

"Christian higher education has come to a critical fork in the road, and the decision of which path to follow will determine the (nearly) irreversible direction of Christian educational institutions. Mission-Driven Colleges will exhort and equip academic leaders to embrace and communicate a thorough (rather than a mere) Christian vision for their schools. Authors Scott Rae and Richard Langer are veteran educators and thus reliable guides for this journey. Highly recommended!"
--Gregg R. Allison, Professor of Christian Theology, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

"My longtime colleagues Rick Langer and Scott Rae have biblical integration skills on full display in this book. Some resources in Christian higher ed give generic education advice and slap some Christian language on it. Others are deeply Christian but lacking in a robust practical wisdom of how to apply those convictions. This has neither pitfall. It is rich in practical wisdom and profoundly Christian."
--Barry H. Corey, President, Biola University

"As Scott Rae and Rick Langer so clearly advocate, the unique mission of Christian universities is the flourishing of students, making them fully human by intentionally forming Christ followers who reflect Christlikeness. Rae and Langer contend that vocational calling plays a vital role in these institutions, from the board and president to new staff and professors. This is a must-read for anyone who cares deeply about the unique purposes and practice of Christian higher education at a time of so much swirl around its meaning and value."
--Margaret Diddams, Editor, Christian Scholar's Review

"This mission-focused volume will enable board members, administrators, faculty, staff, students, parents, and donors to grasp the distinctive features of faithful Christ-centered education. Faculty members and administrators interested in the important connections between faith, teaching, learning, and living will want to reflect deeply on the wisdom offered in this significant work by these two thoughtful and seasoned educators. It is a genuine joy to recommend Mission-Driven Colleges, which offers much-needed guidance for the challenges facing Christian education, church, and culture today."
--David S. Dockery, President, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

"Contemporary higher education is frequently filled with rancor and divisiveness over its identity and purpose. Rae and Langer lucidly and persuasively paint an alternative portrait for what Christin universities can and should be, with clear mission rooted in a Christian view of reality with accompanying virtues and values. This is a must read for faculty, administrators and trustees as they seek 'to keep first things first' throughout their institution. A practical, powerful and significant contribution!"
--Dennis Hollinger, President Emeritus & Senior Distinguished Professor of Christian Ethics, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

"Next to the church, I believe Christian higher education is the hope of the world. Why? Because at its best, a truly Christian university shapes students who serve unselfishly out of a love for Jesus Christ at a cost to themselves. The world needs that kind of human being. Today we need more people shaped by a liberal arts curriculum that cultivates devoted hearts, courageous minds, and purposeful souls. Rae and Langer's book instructs people who care about American higher education on how to be the best, most effective version of themselves starting with understanding an institution's 'why.' An essential read for those leading in Christian higher education."
--Shirley V. Hoogstra, President, Council for Christian Colleges and Universities

"Our generation's most pressing questions revolve around identity, belonging, and purpose. How might we profit from asking the same questions of our institutions of Christian higher education? Answers and outcomes vary from one college to another. Not all universities that use 'Christian' as a descriptor reflect the same reasons for being. Not all share the same version and vision of human flourishing. Not all are in tune with their organizational sagas. Not all target learning beyond the immediate (and ever-evolving) job market. Not all are 'keeping first things first' as Christ-centered universities. In Mission-Driven Colleges, Rae and Langer lend important context and wise counsel for anyone with a stake in the perseverance of the Christian college enterprise. Prepare to be enlightened, encouraged, and equipped for lowering an anchor in the whitewater of Christian higher education."
--Steven D. Mason, President, LeTourneau University

"Mission-Driven Colleges is an essential guide for Christian educators committed to balancing the Christian faith and academic excellence. Langer and Rae bring the richness of decades of university teaching and biblical scholarship to addresses current realities within Christian higher education. Critiquing while never critical, they draw on a seminal and diverse set of sources to provide practical examples and generative questions. This leads to invaluable and practical insights in the integration of Christian mission to all aspects of university life. This book is surely a vital and indispensable resource for anyone committed to nurturing both faith and intellect in higher education."
--Rob Rhea, Vice President of Student Life, Trinity Western University

About the Author

Richard Langer (PhD, University of California, Riverside) is professor emeritus at Biola University where he served as the director of the office of faith and learning and professor of biblical studies and theology.

Scott B. Rae (PhD, University of Southern California) is senior advisor to the president for university mission, dean of faculty, and professor of Christian ethics at Biola University.