The Christian College: A History of Protestant Higher Education in America

by William C. Ringenberg

Book Overview

When it first appeared in 1984 The Christian College was the first modern comprehensive history of Protestant higher education in America. Now this second edition updates the history, featuring a new chapter on the developments of the past two decades, a major introduction by Mark Noll, a new preface and epilogue, and a series of instructive appendixes.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0801031451
• ISBN13: 9780801031458
• Release Date: April 2006
• Publisher: Baker Academic
• Length: 316 Pages
• Weight: 1.17 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.4" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Peer Review for The Christian College

Ringenberger, W. C. (2006). The Christian College: A history of Protestant higher education in America (2nd ed.). Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic. Reviewed by Gary C. Shaw, M.S.Ed., Old Dominion University The introduction by Mark A. Noll to The Christian College: A history of Protestant Higher Education in America (Ringenberger, 2006) stands well as a pamphlet in its own right. In sketching the developments of the distinctly Protestant sector of American higher education, Noll brings to light intellectual traditions and the required changes that were made to them over time from Puritan beginnings to modern day. Mutation, modifications, and adaptation were all tactics used to navigate secular forces in bringing the Christian college over the span of time to fruition as we see it today; carefully balanced between free academic inquiry and committed theological loyalty. In discussing the colonial period, the Christian college as demarcated from any other type of higher education institution, be it pubic, private, secular; or diverse in any way, by sex or race, did not exist. Thus Protestant Christianity dominated education in America during this period, and as such may be fairly and equitably described in several other historical works. Two of which give more detail of this era are A History of American Higher Education (Thelin, 2004), and The History of Higher Education (Goodchild & Wechsler, Eds., 1997). This goes as well for the following chapter covering the old-school philosophy of education prior to the Civil War. Specific points of interest concerning the colonial period include the pervading purposes of education, entailing the narrow focus on the Classics and their use in ministerial preparation; sectarian differences and the influences of such major events as the First Great Awakening; the vision and mission of various college presidents and religious leaders; and a view into the daily life of the institutions, student life, and the curriculum. Chapter 2, entitled The Old-Time College, begins with the expansive growth of Christian higher education emphasizing that the supposed Christian base was indeed lacking and thus the expansion was a result of the Second Great Awakening coupled with westward migration. Christian leaders were able to hold on to the reigns of college education even with the advent of state sponsored institutions and the fact that professing Christians were in the waning minority. There was also a waning desire for most to maintain the old order of pursuing the ministry. The social structure of the Christian college however did provide for student-sponsored activities that wrestled with issues of morality through their organizing of religious societies. Another key component of the student social structure was the literary societies which proved most helpful before the days of big-time athletics. Moving beyond the Civil war brought new colleges and new programs described in Chapter 3. Here we enter an