A First Step into a Much Larger World
The Christian University and Beyond
Imprint: Wipf and Stock
How do Christian students approach their years at a Christian college or university? What are the connections between all those hours of study and the Christian life? A First Step into a Much Larger World invites students, parents, and educators into a broad conversation about faith and learning in a postmodern age. Students will explore how to respond to diversity while maintaining community, how to make learning sensible as an expression of faith, and how to move from passive recipients of education to active and engaged co-learners with others. In so doing, they can transform their undergraduate years into a springboard for engaging the culture beyond the university.
John W. Hawthorne (PhD, Purdue University) is professor of sociology at Spring Arbor University in Michigan. He has been active in Christian higher education for over thirty years, serving at five different institutions in both administrative and classroom roles.
"There are few times in life more critical and formative than one's college years, and few people speak to this experience better than John Hawthorne. I wish I had had this book when I was a freshman!"
--Jonathan Merritt, author of Jesus Is Better Than You Imagined
"How can a morally and spiritually serious emerging adult make it through college, and not only survive but thrive? John Hawthorne provides the answer in this wise, insightful book. Drawing on sources ranging from the Bible to The Wizard of Oz to current research in psychology and sociology, Hawthorne has constructed an invaluable guide for students, parents, and college personnel."
--Jeffrey Jensen Arnett, author of (with Elizabeth Fishel) When Will My Grown-Up Kid Grow Up?
"A passionate commitment to the needs of first-year students in Christian higher education, along with the perspective of a lifetime of teaching, give John Hawthorne a message that will be heard and heeded. When we feel present with the professor in his office, classroom, or campus interacting with students whom he knows and loves, this is John Hawthorne at his very best."
--David McKenna, author of Christ-Centered Higher Education
"Young Christians are entering a world dramatically changed from the world of their parents and grandparents. For those entering through the gateway of a Christian college or university, John Hawthorne provides a clear, encouraging, and indispensable guide for making the most of that preparation. Readers will find a lot of good advice and wisdom on these pages--and cause for optimism."
--Tom Krattenmaker, author of The Evangelicals You Don't Know