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Outrageous Idea of Academic Faithfulness, The: A Guide for Students
Most Christian college students separate their academic life from church attendance, Bible study, and prayer. Too often discipleship of the mind is overlooked if not ignored altogether. However, authors Donald Opitz and Derek Melleby issue a clarion call to students to integrate their faith and learning in "The Outrageous Idea of Academic Faithfulness."
Written for a narrative generation, this guide extracts illustrations from the Book of Daniel, "The Lord of the Rings," the experiences of real students, and more. This book is an excellent gift for college-bound seniors in high school. It's an essential text for first-year college students, too. "The Outrageous Idea of Academic Faithfulness" will also benefit professors, pastors, and parents.
Written for a narrative generation, this guide extracts illustrations from the Book of Daniel, "The Lord of the Rings," the experiences of real students, and more. This book is an excellent gift for college-bound seniors in high school. It's an essential text for first-year college students, too. "The Outrageous Idea of Academic Faithfulness" will also benefit professors, pastors, and parents.
144 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2007
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About the author
Donald D. Opitz
3 booksDonald Opitz is professor of sociology and higher education at Geneva College, where he also directs the Geneva Master of Arts in Higher Education Program.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 1, 2018
Books like this fall into a very strange and frustrating category of things that are written for an audience that for all intents and purposes can't actually appreciate it totally, but then gets forgotten and ignored by those going through the experience the book is actually about, so they don't get all the benefits that could be accrued from reading it somewhere in, say, their junior year of college. The content here is really good, offering guidance and many practical steps for developing and practicing a life of faithfulness in college, with the ideal being that the habits and beliefs formed during that stage of life will lead to faithfulness and dedication post-college. More problematic is that truly appreciating this sage advice is something that really can't happen until the student has been in it all at least for a little while. Which is why even though this book is often deployed in freshman orientation classes, it might actually best be saved for a little later in their college career, maybe as a follow-up work in semester two?
One last comment - sometimes the book seems not to know who its audience is, in terms of its actual prose. Dropping some relatively complex theological terms amidst otherwise breezy explanations is sometimes confusing, as is the book's sudden introduction of student interviews in later chapters. None of these detract from the overall message of the book, but they are a little grating in terms of the tone and directedness of the book's otherwise phenomenal message.
One last comment - sometimes the book seems not to know who its audience is, in terms of its actual prose. Dropping some relatively complex theological terms amidst otherwise breezy explanations is sometimes confusing, as is the book's sudden introduction of student interviews in later chapters. None of these detract from the overall message of the book, but they are a little grating in terms of the tone and directedness of the book's otherwise phenomenal message.
December 20, 2019
Truth and guidance for students like me trying to imagine what it looks like to "take every thought captive." Let's pursue faithfulness in academia together and to the glory of God!
March 24, 2017
For past few years, I have been looking for that perfect book; a book I can share with college freshmen, which will help them through that difficult first semester. That book needs to cover the importance of academics, choosing a life path, owning your faith, and everything in between. It needs to provide sound research from experts yet be relevant to a recent high school graduate. It needs to see education as true companion and not an enemy.
This is a very tall order. Perhaps I am dreaming too big and expect too much. So unfortunately The Outrageous Idea of Academic Faithfulness by Donald Opitz and Derek Melleby is not the book I wanted it to be, which is why my review is not glowing.
I don't have any outstanding issues with the book, just a few small things that made the book underwhelming.
First, I did not really understand the book's structure; the was no unifying theme that helped the chapters flow together.
Second, it's hard not to get a feeling of anti-intellectualism, but let me explain before you rip my head off. I do not think the authors believe knowledge is evil or that we should downplay the importance of education. The authors obviously support higher education and the idea that all truth is God's truth. However, the book does seem to imply that anything you learn (especially from a non-Christian source) needs to be vetted by Scripture first. With this attitude, all new information gets classified as evil until Christian community approves it. Now, I know the authors would probably disagree with that statement, but that is how I felt when I read the first half of the book.
Again, I know those are two weak arguments against the book. Once again, perhaps my expectations for the book were so high that I was doomed from the start.
It is a solid book. The authors are respected in the field of Christian higher education. I am just not sure how to use this book.
This is a very tall order. Perhaps I am dreaming too big and expect too much. So unfortunately The Outrageous Idea of Academic Faithfulness by Donald Opitz and Derek Melleby is not the book I wanted it to be, which is why my review is not glowing.
I don't have any outstanding issues with the book, just a few small things that made the book underwhelming.
First, I did not really understand the book's structure; the was no unifying theme that helped the chapters flow together.
Second, it's hard not to get a feeling of anti-intellectualism, but let me explain before you rip my head off. I do not think the authors believe knowledge is evil or that we should downplay the importance of education. The authors obviously support higher education and the idea that all truth is God's truth. However, the book does seem to imply that anything you learn (especially from a non-Christian source) needs to be vetted by Scripture first. With this attitude, all new information gets classified as evil until Christian community approves it. Now, I know the authors would probably disagree with that statement, but that is how I felt when I read the first half of the book.
Again, I know those are two weak arguments against the book. Once again, perhaps my expectations for the book were so high that I was doomed from the start.
It is a solid book. The authors are respected in the field of Christian higher education. I am just not sure how to use this book.
May 17, 2013
I went to this book hoping for a text that would help me reach out to students to explain the idea of academic faithfulness in the concept of a Christian college. It didn't meet my needs because it is really written to a Christian college freshman attending a state or non-religious institution. That being said, for its intended audience I think the author makes an approachable argument for academic faithfulness. A good, quick read.
November 11, 2007
Great book! Although there wasn't too much new information for me Derek and Don do a great job of stating this idea in a new and different way. They give great examples and metaphors. I wish I had this book to read when I was a high school senior...it sets up what life at the university should be so well.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews