How does the Christian faith inform Christian student affairs practice? How should it? Instead of placing Christ outside the realm of education, Christ should serve as the motivating and animating force for all of Christian student affairs. With Christ at the center of education, the Christian story distinctly transforms the nature of the work education professionals do. With research from a national mixed-methods study, Christ-Enlivened Student Affairs avoids the common response of anecdotal evidence by providing a catalog of some of the best thinking and practices in the field. Glanzer, Cockle, Graber, and Jeong use the framework of educational philosophies to trace how Christianity animates the who, why, what, and how of student affairs, offering evidence-based resources, and new tools for engaging new practitioners in the field, and a larger theological perspective for Christian student affairs.

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THEODORE F. COCKLE is a full-time doctoral student completing a PhD in higher education studies and leadership at Baylor University, and he serves as the editor of Ideas, an online publication of the Association of Christians in Student Development. He has also coauthored several peer-reviewed articles on Christian higher education. Theodore earned his BA and MA degrees from Wheaton College before serving as the Assistant Director of Wheaton’s student activities office. He is currently completing a PhD in Higher Education Studies and Leadership at Baylor University. When he is not reading or writing, Theodore and his wife, Kate, enjoy spending time outside and reading to their three boys.

PERRY L. GLANZER is professor of educational foundations at Baylor University and a Resident Scholar with Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion. He is the coauthor, author, or editor of eleven books, including The Outrageous Idea of Christian Teaching. In addition, he has authored or coauthored over seventy-five journal articles and book chapters on topics related to moral education, faith-based higher education, and the relationship between religion and education. He lives with his wife and two boys in Hewitt, Texas. 

BRITNEY N. GRABER is the director of institutional effectiveness at Trevecca Nazarene University. She earned her BS and MA from Taylor University, her MAT from Morningside College, and is completing her PhD in higher education studies and leadership at Baylor University. Her published works and research interests include Title IX policy and practice at Christian colleges, faith-based higher education, accreditation and assessment practices, and higher education law and policy. 

ELIJAH G. JEONG is a full-time doctoral student completing a PhD in higher education studies and leadership at Baylor University. He also has served in various educational and ministry settings, including working as a high school teacher, a college administrator, and a pastor for an Asian American church. Elijah earned a BA from University of Washington, an MA from Wheaton College, and an MDiv from Reformed Theological Seminary. He has coauthored several peer-reviewed articles, and his research interest includes the intersection of race, religion, and higher education. Elijah loves spending time with his wife and son, playing basketball, and cooking Korean food.

Acknowledgments 

Introduction 

Part One: Christ-Enlivened Student Affairs Staff

1 | Who Are We?: Understanding Our Christian and Professional Identities 

2 | Developing the Developers: Caring for the Souls of Student Affair Leaders 

Part Two: Surveying the Landscape

3 | Does God Make a Difference for Student Affairs?: The Christian Story in the Literature 

Part Three: Christ-Enlivened Student Affairs Practice

4 | Who Are Our Students?: How Christ Animates the Explicit and Implicit Views of Student Identity 

5 | The End of the Student Affairs Profession 

6 | What Are We Trying to Teach Students?: Student Affairs with Substance 

7 | The How(s) of Christ-Enlivened Student Affairs 

Part Four: Operation Forms

8 | How Christ Enlivens Residence Life 

9 | How Christ Enlivens Student Conduct and Alcohol Education 

Part Five: Current Issues in Christian Student Affairs

10 | How Christ Transforms the Campus Racial Climate 

11 | The Stewardship and Redemption of Our Sexual Selves 

12 | Sexual Justice in a Broken World: How Christ Enlivens Title IX Practice 

Conclusion | Faith Assumed, Faith Added, Faith Animating

Appendix A: Principles of Good Practice for Christian Student Affairs Leaders 

Appendix B: Research Methods 

Selected Bibliography

Notes

About the Author 

“This is a landmark study of the lived experiences of Christian student affairs professionals in the 21st century. But it is not just a study. It is a guidebook, a map, and a manual for what it means to integrate the Christian faith into the field. In a world where the next generation is desperately looking for a sense of meaning and purpose, these authors challenge us not to check our faith at the door of our institutions and incorporate secular theories and practices uncritically. Rather, they challenge us to focus on Jesus Christ, who enlivens our work as student affairs professionals. This is a must-read for any new or seasoned professional!” —Felix Theonugraha, President, Western Theological Seminary

“Perry Glanzer and his colleagues are convinced that effective student development on Christian and secular campuses requires something more than caring professionals who understand higher education. Forming whole persons in ways that honor God calls for a coherent theology that integrates academic learning with a life of faith. The result of their research is a redemptive, Christ-centered approach to student affairs with biblically grounded principles and practices that will exercise wide influence on the field of student development and—even more importantly—make a real difference in the lives of college and university students.” —Philip Ryken, President, Wheaton College

“In this much-needed volume, Perry Glanzer and his colleagues capture the current state of the journey toward a distinctively Christian vision of Student Life within the world of Christian higher education. This work also serves as a call toward a normative theological foundation for Christian colleges and universities that will enrich their capacity to speak distinctively and constructively—even beyond the world of Christian higher education—into the perennial student life challenges of residential life, alcohol and drug abuse, sexual integrity, and student discipline, as well as the contemporary challenges of race relations and Title IX. Christ-Enlivened Student Affairs inspires an incarnational approach to inviting our students into their full inheritance as created and redeemed divine image bearers.” —Shirley A. Mullen, President and Professor of History, Houghton College

“For the Christian leader in student affairs, a thoroughly faith-infused perspective on our work with students and colleagues is at the core of our calling. Part indictment and part call to comprehensive theological faithfulness, the authors provide a well-researched, compelling, and articulate Christian vision for our profession
and for our campus communities. We would do well to pay attention as we prepare and equip the next generation of Christ-followers!” —Brad Lau, Vice President of Student Life and Athletics, George Fox University

“These encouraging words remind me why I chose a career in Christian higher education. I find myself reflecting on how my life was deeply impacted by key student affairs employees and their ‘enlivened’ Christ-like influence. This book serves as a rich resource for those of us that desire to imagine and live out a Christian vision within the academy.” —Tom Middendorf, Provost and Senior Vice President, Trevecca Nazarene University

ISBN 9781684265008

Pages 256

Dimensions (inches) 6 x 9