The campus of Taylor University in Upland, Indiana.
How the Liberal Arts Connect Christ with Culture The liberal arts have been at the center of learning in Western culture for centuries, largely as a means for transmitting the foundations of classical Greek and Roman thought, as well as Judeo Christian ethics from the holy scriptures. Christian scholarship is founded on the belief that God is behind all of human history—that the great narratives of literature and the arts testify to the power of the Creator—and he has called people to use their education in service to the world. The great stories, songs, problems, and dilemmas are ways for God to reveal his design in the created order. When best realized in a Christian context such as Taylor University, a fully integrated Christian emphasis on the liberal arts joins heart, mind, and service together in a journey of discipleship that is holistic and reflects the design of the Creator. Students in the liberal arts discover the fullest range of beauty and human fallibility in literature, art, science, and history – which brings a richer understanding of what it means to be human. This pursuit cultivates true wisdom and discernment, rather than providing mere information. Without careful institutional commitment, some colleges easily fall prey to what has unfortunately become too common—reducing the liberal arts in favor of a quick-education marketing strategy. In the race to adapt academic programs to the marketplace, the patient study of the liberal arts is often sacrificed. The very concept of bringing spiritual and intellectual growth together was not always a revolutionary idea. In fact, the historical development of university learning is rooted in the monastic tradition. The medieval model for education joined spiritual disciplines with academic study and physical craftsmanship or labor. By the Renaissance, modern universities began to be shaped by the focus on humanism and developed a clearer focus on various subjects of study. During the Enlightenment, education—both
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Written by Michael Hammond, Ph.D. Provost and Executive Vice President, Taylor University
