Fall 2014
Christian Union: The Magazine
Click on the magazine below to launch a full-screen Flash-based reader (and then hit your 'esc' key to return to this site), or scroll down to read a selection of the feature articles in the magazine.
November 10, 2014
Princeton Professor Exhorts International Students
By Catherine Elvy, Staff WriterMiracles serve as a profound revelation of the love of God, who also actively sustains creation.
The Lord demonstrated immeasurable compassion toward mankind in the greatest miracle of the universe, namely the resurrection of Christ from the dead.
"I believe in the grand miracle," said Robert Prud'homme, a Princeton University professor of chemical and biological engineering, during a recent dinner for International Students, Inc. "There is nothing more miraculous than that."
November 8, 2014
Dartmouth Students Pledge Devotion to Christ
by Eileen Scott, Senior Writer
Dartmouth College, often seen as a poster school for parties and raucous Greek life, recently garnered media attention for sexual assaults, alcohol infractions, and abusive hazing practices.However, there are a few voices crying out in the wilderness, and they are resonating from within a fraternity house.
A handful of Christian young men at Dartmouth have found a home at the Beta Alpha Omega Fraternity and, despite the debauchery associated with Greek life, have assimilated with their faith, morals, and dignity intact. And that, they say, is the result of prayerful preparation and intentional faith.
November 8, 2014
Columbia Pitcher Is a Leader with Christian Union
by Catherine Elvy, Staff Writer
A pitcher on Columbia University's baseball team recently paused to reflect on his faith after he was among 11 players to win All-Ivy League status.Adam Cline, who touts Christian Union's leadership development ministry at Columbia among his favorite collegiate activities, received the honor in May, less than a week after the Lions clinched the Ivy League Championship for the second season in a row.
"I pray before every game," said Cline,
November 8, 2014
Harvard Alumnus Embraces Christian Union's Holistic Approach
by Sarah Camp, Contributing Editor
For Harvard alumnus Tony Cimmarrusti and his wife Martha, supporting causes they care about is an endeavor to model the love of Christ, and it is something that "is a major fabric in the life of our family."Cimmarrusti (Harvard '81, HBS '86) is CEO and co-founder, with Bryce Gray, of Majestic Capital Management. In a dynamic, wide-ranging career, he has worked on Wall Street and at the Chicago Board of Trade; developed real estate; led numerous family offices; and served as CIO for the Majesty Fund since 1995. He explains how he and his wife discern which charitable organizations to support,
November 8, 2014
California's De-Recognition of InterVarsity Raises Concerns
by Catherine Elvy, Staff Writer
Campus ministries are facing a mounting series of equal-access challenges from colleges across the nation.Among the action, California's public university system recently denied recognition to InterVarsity Christian Fellowship because it requires student leaders to observe Christian beliefs.
In September, the California State University ended recognition for InterVarsity's chapters because they mandate student leaders to adhere to Christian doctrine.
"This could be the tipping point of other university systems moving in this direction, so that's why we are concerned," said Alec Hill, president of InterVarsity, in an article for Christianity Today. "It's as if the First Amendment now protects Greeks, but not religious folks, which is Alice in Wonderland stuff."
November 8, 2014
Scholar Sheds Light on Campus Hookup Culture
By Luke Foster, Columbia '15
The first few weeks of classes are always an overwhelming time for new students on Ivy League campuses. The pace and pressures begin to mount; stress increases, if anything, faster than the workload. And these first weeks are also a proving ground for the moral and spiritual decisions that shape college experiences and lives to come. The party and hookup culture plays a major role. It's easy to think that hooking up is the only way to have fun, and many students from Christian backgrounds turn away from their faith to follow a seductive path.At Columbia, the dark underbelly of the hookup culture has been vividly highlighted in recent weeks.
November 8, 2014
Edifying, Serving the Body of Christ
by Dr. Craig S. Keener
Paul declares that we are the body of Christ with many members. He then elaborates on some of the varied gifts God has graciously given us to serve the rest of Christ's body. Because Paul is simply offering samples, he provides several different lists that include a variety of ministries. These gifts for helping the other members in Christ's body include such diverse ministries as giving, teaching, prophesying, speaking wisely, healings, worship leading, and evangelism (Rom. 12:6-8; 1 Cor. 12:8-10, 28-30; 14:26; Eph. 4:11).Paul nowhere distinguishes between what we might call supernatural and potentially natural gifts.
November 8, 2014
Princeton Ministry Fellow Leads Missions Trip
by Eileen Scott, Senior Writer
A former basketball coach for an elite high school program, James Fields approaches ministry with the same intensity, helping university students achieve victory through Christ.Case in point was a missions trip to Mawanga, Uganda, sponsored by Christian Union this summer. Fields, a Christian Union ministry fellow at Princeton, and Asha Garretson, a Christian Union ministry fellow at Cornell, led the missions team, which was comprised of six students from Cornell, Harvard, Yale, and Dartmouth.
November 8, 2014
‘Life in the Spirit and Life of the Mind’
Christian Union: The Magazine recently interviewed Quincy Watkins, pastor of the Neighborhood Church in greater Philadelphia, on the topic of spiritual gifts. Rev. Watkins previously served with Christian Union as a ministry fellow and worked at McKinsey & Company after earning an MBA ('95) in business at The Wharton School.CU: How did you become a Christian and when did you embrace spiritual gifts?
QW: At the age of 15, I became a Christian in a small Pentecostal church. My first experience with spiritual gifts (at the age of 16) was both powerful and overwhelming. After an intense season of fasting and prayer, I experienced many visions and prophetic words about people and their circumstances. Over the years, I've learned how to harness and cultivate my spiritual gifts. I still have so much to learn. I'm humbled that God would use someone like me.
October 28, 2014
Harvard Law Students Probe Sociologist's Acclaimed Book
by Catherine Elvy, Staff Writer
Christians are called to reflect their faith in all spheres of life.That was one of the themes explored by students involved with Christian Union's ministry at Harvard Law School as they gathered online during the summer to explore and debate sociologist James Davison Hunter's To Change the World: The Irony, Tragedy, & Possibility of Christianity in the Late Modern World.
"We have an opportunity to bring the Church to a place of impact, and we should think long and hard about the ways we can best do that," said Austin Steelman, Harvard Law '16.
