The Purifying Effect of Christian Faculty
This summer while camping, my daughter and I found large river mussels in a freshwater creek. Although we found no actual pearls inside, we did
What would it look like to live as part of God’s grander story as a faculty member on your campus?
Our book, A Grander Story: An Invitation to Christian Professors, offers you a biblical understanding of a professor’s identity in Christ and God’s calling in your scholarship, teaching, and service.
A Grander Story inspires and equips Christian faculty to think differently about their lives and work. Read the inspiring stories of six U.S. professors who share the unique ways they played their part in God’s grander story. Discussion questions are provided to prompt thoughtful group interactions.
For additional translation options, please contact info@facultycommons.org.
Learn more about our Grander Story groups (in-person or online). We can connect you to an existing group or help you start your own!
“God equips those He calls, which is an awesome thing—I mean, I don’t even know if I am qualified for Mensa, and I am not an apologist and am very capable of being a big chicken and a Jonah, but I know He can make the weak strong when it comes to defending the faith.”
– Chapter 6, Dr. Susan Siaw, Cal Poly Pomona
“I’m going to go to the toughest one head-on by talking about serving students in the classroom. It probably goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway: we serve our students in the classroom (and I include the laboratory here) by a mastery of the material—by thoughtful, if not winsome, presentations of the material, and a desire to see our students learn. All of this is part of the biblical principle of “whatsoever you do in word or deed, do it as unto the Lord.”
— Chapter 5, Dr. Ken Elzinga, University of Virginia
“How can I tell them the truth that I come early because I’ve missed them, that I can’t wait to hear about their day, that I’ve been thinking about them all morning, and that I love them? How can I reveal that I’ve spent all week praying about their addictions, their losses, their fears, and their dreams?…’Well, it’s because I want to be with you,’ I finally stammer and reposition my hair tie and take my glasses off. ‘I really want to be with you.'”
– Chapter 10, Dr. Heather Holleman, Penn State
“God began to confirm what He had started to stir in my heart years earlier; ultimately my legacy in the academy will depend more on the people I impact than on academic accolades or the laboratory I helped build. Sure; I hope my research and writing contribute to my discipline, but at the end of the day I honestly believe what will remain—far beyond my syllabi or lab equipment—will be the lives God has enabled me to touch over nearly three decades.”
– Chapter 9, Dr. John Walkup, Emeritus Texas Tech
Robert P. George, McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence and
Director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions,
Princeton University
This summer while camping, my daughter and I found large river mussels in a freshwater creek. Although we found no actual pearls inside, we did
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Have you ever questioned why you work in academia? I have. In a particularly challenging part of the 2023-2024 academic year, I questioned my place