An “Apologetics of Presence” in the Public University

: Christian Study Centers, Public Theology, and Religious Engagement in American Higher Education

Abstract

This thesis explores how Christian study centers engage the campus communities of major public universities in the United States as a kind of “apologetics of presence.” Christian study centers are small communities of lay theological education which exist alongside secular universities. Independent of those universities, they promote intellectual engagement and formation of Christian students and faculty, and the integration of Christian faith and academic learning. This thesis examined three Christian study centers through qualitative interviews and participant observation to develop a rich account of how these study centers teach and embody the Christian faith in the context of a secular university. After three-week visits of each center, and through the experiences and perspectives of fifteen interview participants, an account was developed and analyzed, resulting in the following descriptive categories: hospitality, community, formation, university engagement, and witness.

The research then sought to describe and interpret the practical work of study centers through the lenses of apologetics and public theology. Much recent literature about apologetics focuses on how to transcend the perception that apologetics is heavily cognitive, and overly intellectual. The results of the qualitative analysis were put in conversation with several themes with theological underpinnings: hospitality, habitus, and friendship, in order to examine theologically how these Christian study centers embody an “apologetics of presence” through academic programs, community formation, and hospitality of physical space. The research further develops a theological conception how study centers serve as a public Christian presence within the university and refines an understanding of apologetics for the broader Christian community in the context of a post-secular society.

Date of Award	29 Aug 2023
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Winchester
Supervisor	Frog Orr-Ewing (Supervisor) & Neil Messer (Supervisor)