The key is to be able to say at the end of your college education that you have been prepared to carry out your life calling. Many people prepare themselves to earn a living (a very important thing) only to regret later in life that they do not have the tools to deal with the deeper issues of life. They are forced to rely on religious experts or they stubbornly hold to answers without ever looking closely at other options or they just ignore the questions altogether. Our goal in the Pruet School of Christian Studies is to “educate for life”—to help you learn how to live and not just make a living.
Why Christian Studies?
A calling is your specific God-given purpose in life. A calling is different from a career, just as a life purpose is different from a
specific job. We fulfill our life purpose (calling) through a specific kind of work
(career).
For example, a person might be called to help college students grow in their relationship
with Christ through the ministry of teaching God’s Word. One possible career for fulfilling
that life calling would be serving as a professor at a Christian college.
We need a career since we obviously have to “make a living.” But many people (even
Christians) in today’s culture have a career without a calling. They “make a living,”
but they are still searching for their calling—the specific contribution God wants
them to make with their life.
“Learning to make a living” is important, but perhaps even more important is “learning
how to live.” Your college education should equip you to fulfill your life calling.
In some way everyone’s life calling will include carrying God’s Word to God’s world.
God's Word represents the Christian message as revealed by God in the Bible. We learn about the Word in church to some degree, but our experience shows that many churches are falling short of providing a solid biblical/theological base for their students.
Our Christian Studies major (47 hours) provides the foundation for fulfilling your life calling.
The Career Bridge is the vocational bridge you use to earn a living so that you can carry out your life purpose. If you plan on entering vocational Christian ministry, a Christian Studies major will equip you here as well.
Some of you are not thinking about vocational ministry as a career. You could choose to double major in Christian Studies and another school at Ouachita in order to equip yourself to “earn a living.”
God’s World includes people created and loved by God. Your liberal arts education at Ouachita (“liberal” = a broad field of study) equips you to connect with the world (e.g., music, science, history).
Your life experiences also help you relate to the world.
We also offer international experiences and mission opportunities to broaden your understanding of a world that needs the Lord.
Educating for Life
