Intellectual Engagement

Initiative Invigorates, Encourages Stanford Students

By Anne Kerhoulas, Staff Writer

When the word broke that Stanford would continue virtually for the entirety of the 2020-21 academic year, ministry fellow Abigail Carreon knew something had to change. In one-on-one meetings with CU Caritas students, she heard repeatedly about feelings of isolation and loneliness, apathy towards coursework, and what she suspected were the beginnings of depression for many of them.  

Noted Author Speaks at CU Martus Lecture Series

By Anne Kerhoulas, Staff Writer

Most college students are not concerned about virtue. According to author Karen Swallow Prior, virtue has primarily been whittled down to an old-fashioned word for sexual purity. But the concept of virtue is a robust one, extending far beyond what most modern Americans attach to the word, she said. Prior shared those sentiments when she spoke earlier this year at CU Martus’ leadership lecture series, Philia.

The Pilgrimage to a Holy City

By Caleb King, Harvard ’23

Editor’s note: The following article was reprinted with permission from theHarvard Ichthus, a journal of Christian thought and expression produced by undergraduates at Harvard University.

“Christian Union Has Been Such a Blessing”

By Tom Campisi, Managing Editor

When Dr. Ben Pascut prepared to teach a workshop on organizational excellence for CU Lux at Yale University, he did not have to look very far for subject matter—it is one of Christian Union’s core values.

Pilar Is Christian Union’s Minister of Music

By Tom Campisi, Managing Editor

Linnette Pilar has a heart for worship and a prayerful passion for New York City.

Pilar, executive assistant to Christian Union Founder and CEO Matt Bennett, is a member of the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, a six-time Grammy-winning group of singers who minister in their home church and around the world.    

Tim Keller: We Need a Gospel Perspective 

In the past several years, the new racial justice movement has begun. But unlike the previous racial justice movements of Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela, whose actions and methodology were marked by Christian beliefs and “the ethics of love, forgiveness and reconciliation,” this new battle for justice is leaving the concept of forgiveness behind. 

CU Lumine Hosts Evangelism Workshops

Kelly Parks, Staff Writer

At its core, evangelism is the act of sharing the good news of Christ with others so that they might come to have new life and have it to the fullest. As society has become increasingly secular, however, evangelism has become a less comfortable topic for many Christians. Although evangelism is sometimes synonymous with preaching on a street corner, we should certainly not overlook the equally powerful act of sharing Christ through personal witness.

Christian Union Manual Satisfies Hungry Souls

By Dr. Chuck Hetzler

Marc Minella, of Kingston, Massachusetts, was searching for a discipleship course that could feed his hunger for the Lord. When Marc downloaded the Seeking God Lifestyle manual from Christian Union Day and Night’s website, God met him in remarkable ways.

Revival Fire Past and Present

By Dr. Michael L. Brown

In a certain sense, God’s presence fills the universe. Yet there are times in history when He manifests His presence in a particular place or in a particular way that is unique and distinct and powerful and transformative. We call those times “revival.”

CU Gloria Helps Host Online Event at Harvard

By Kelly Parks, Staff Writer

After a year of  online classes,  most college students have become well-acquainted with Zoom-fatigue, loneliness, and stress. Some claim that college is the best time of one’s life, based on the available myriad of activities and frequent social gatherings. To the extent that this adage is true, COVID-19 restrictions have certainly turned this saying on its head. Rather than doing homework in coffee shops surrounded by friends, students are relegated to their dorms, apartments, or houses, dealing with the stress of academia in solitude.

"Ex-vangelicalism" is Why Christian Union is So Valuable on Influential Campuses

Abraham Piper, the son of best-selling author and theologian John Piper, has recently risen to TikTok fame by posting content about walking away from the Christian faith. Piper creates minute-long videos critiquing everything from the idea of a literal hell to why certain Bible stories are ridiculous to why life has no ultimate meaning. Calling himself an ex-vangelical, Piper has found a fast audience of like-minded former believers who have been hurt by the church, cannot agree with conservative theology surrounding sexual ethics, or simply never got on board with their parents’ faith. 

Despite COVID Restrictions, CU Lux Digs Deep into Scripture

By Kelly Parks, Staff Writer

Community has looked very different on college campuses these past few months than it has in years past. However, these changes have not stopped Christian Union Universities from ministering to students across the United States, in person and also through virtual connections.

Albert Mohler Discusses Morality and the Implications of a Biblical Worldview

Albert Mohler’s most recent book, The Gathering Storm, delves into the secularization of America over the past century and the implications unfolding for the church today. Though American evangelicalism is used to having a role of cultural influence in our nation, that influence is rapidly declining and being sidelined. Where the church once held the position of establishing morality for our country and much of the world, secularism has slowly antiquated theism as a whole. In order for a new moral system to be put in place, the old system must be dismantled. 

Vergerio ’22 Will Serve Internship with Samaritan’s Purse

By Tom Campisi, Managing Editor

In her sophomore year at Brown, Gabrielle Vergerio ’22 stepped out in faith and attended a Christian Union Libertas event, despite not knowing anyone in the ministry.

“On a whim, I decided to venture out to one of the meetings,” she said. “I was immediately met with such warm and sincere welcomes. CU Libertas at Brown was really my first home on campus.”

HLS Alumnus Discusses the Implications of Genesis 2:5

By Paul Michalski

“When no bush of the field was yet in the land and no small plant of the field had yet sprung up—for the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground. (Genesis 2:5)”

CU Caritas Students and Alumni Unite Online

By Kelly Parks, Staff Writer

For recently graduated college students, this year has proven an increasingly difficult time for establishing the rhythms of adulthood. The lack of job security and limitations on social gatherings have caused anxiety for many young adults as they struggle to navigate post-graduate life in isolation.

David Brooks Makes a Compelling Case  

In this deep dive into family life over the past century, David Brooks argues that families—both adults and children—thrive when they are deeply interconnected to either extended family or forged families like neighbors or church communities. Brooks explains how our nation's current battle against loneliness, overwork, economic struggles, and even mental illness can all be traced back to the disintegration of family and living in a support system. 

A Yale Student’s Lenten Reflection

Editor’s note: The following article was reprinted with permission fromThe Yale Logos, a student-led Christian Journal.
 

By Raquel Sequeira, Yale ’21

“Die to live.”

The words had been running through my head since before Lent—since before I moved back to New Haven to finally start my senior year. After a gap semester spent living at home, I prayed for guidance into spring and tried to be genuinely open to whatever God might ask of me.

Princeton Alumnus Is Concerned by Decision 

Ryan T. Anderson knew his book would be controversial in some circles. When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Momentprovided a robust scientific, philosophical, medical, and legal examination of our nation’s rapidly changing understanding of transgenderism as soon as it was released a little over three years ago. A Princeton alumnus ('04) and speaker for Christian Union events, Anderson earned his Ph.D. in political philosophy from the University of Notre Dame. 

CU Ministry Fellow at Stanford Helps Shed Light on Crisis

By Kelly Parks, Staff Writer

Anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation are some of the mental health challenges that can plague college students during their academic careers. The stress of COVID-19 and growing academic pressures have left some students more depressed and anxious than ever before. As of today, one out of every four college students in the United States has contemplated ending their life.