One of my favorite things about ACU is the unfettered ability to discuss Christian ideas without fear of reprisal from administration. When possible, I try to hearken back to my own feelings as an undergraduate at ACU and ask that younger version what he would have liked for a professor to do and then try to do likewise. That younger version of myself preferred organic rather than artificial integrations of faith with learning. It is not that the integration cannot be planned, merely that it should have a good fit with the situation. Below I give some examples of both unplanned and planned types of integration that I have used in the classroom.
Unplanned integration of faith and learning
Unplanned integration of faith with learning has proven to be easier than expected. The following examples were initially unplanned but through time converted into planned integrations.
One day in consumer behavior I was describing social judgment theory, a theory on how people either reject or incorporate new ideas into their existing beliefs. While doing so, I recognized the similarity between the theory and how American culture changed from accepting I Love Lucy – a show in which two married-in-real-life people were portrayed sleeping in separate beds – to one that accepted programs such as Glee, a show which brings to mind Ephesians 5:12 “for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret (NASB).” In both the theory and in these cultural examples, directed yet apparently inconsequential changes accumulate until a person eventually endorses ideas that they would have rejected previously. So, I conveyed this to my students, and we discussed what steps one can take to hold more firmly to beliefs that are important. On one hand, it is a convoluted pathway to end up with the classic Sunday school answer of “read your Bible,” but on the other hand, it clearly demonstrates that there is more depth and substance to that classic answer than one may think. Ever since that day, I have incorporated this real world example into my teaching and have followed up with an exam question to see the extent to which a connection has been made between the theory and students’ faith lives.
In several of my classes (marketing research, data mining, cognitive science) I introduce the notion of multi-dimensional vantage points. Essentially, many things in life are like a prism in that, what you see is altered depending on your point of view. There are many ways I use this perspective. One way is to address the fact that some people disparage the four gospels because they do not match. However, it could be that God chose to speak through each gospel from a different vantage point in order to emphasize unique aspects of the salvation message to appeal to different people, thereby providing a more complete picture.
In marketing research, when talking about ways to collect data from participants, I usually mention how observing the behavior of participants during tasks is superior to surveys that ask what participants would do in said circumstances. Whether intentionally or not, people often say one thing but do something rather different. I have begun to link this to Jesus’ statement “it is by their fruits [read: behavior] that you will know them” (Matthew 7:16) as well as to the Old Testament passage “these people honor me with their lips but their hearts are far from me” (Isaiah 29:13).
In consumer behavior, we discuss the transience of memory and the fact that events must be recalled often in order to prevent their decay from long-term memory. I usually link this information to a reminder that God is also aware of our memorial transience and, hence, used the annual Passover feast in order to prevent the deliverance from Egypt from decaying from the Israelites’ collective memory. Also in consumer behavior we discuss product pushers and personal referrals. The idea here is that when anyone loves a product or brand (e.g., I love the Adidas brand due to my soccer immersion) they cannot help but to enthusiastically sell it to everyone. This naturally lends itself to a discussion of witnessing and evangelism – if our faith is like a fire in our bones, then we cannot help but speak about it.
Planned integration of faith and learning
In addition to unplanned integrations of faith in learning, I also make use of planned integrations. Below are several examples.
As discussed in my reflections on student feedback, I begin my 8am marketing research course with a prayer, my 9am consumer behavior course with a weekly scripture passage, and my 10am data mining course with an a cappella Christian song or hymn — in homage to our religious heritage — creating a miniature worship service, distributed through the morning.
In all my course syllabi I include a relevant Bible passage. The passage for consumer behavior is Leviticus 19:9-10: “But when you reap the harvest… do not reap to the ends of your fields… but leave it for the poor.” I use this passage to direct a discussion on how the common business phrase “Never leave money on the table” is countermanded by these words in Leviticus; here, the Bible teaches us to leave money on the table.
Another example of planned integration might best come from a paper completed at the end of my cognitive science honors colloquium by Rachael Carstens.
“Perhaps the most meaningful comment was the spiritual connection to decisions and meaning. First, the Olds Milner experiment was discussed, in which case a rat would allow itself to starve in order to maximize its pleasure by electrical stimulation [i.e., the rats chose electrical stimulation in specific brain regions over everything else, including food, to the point of death by starvation]. The question was posed: If a drug offered [maximal] pleasure, and that [pleasure] were the ultimate meaning of life, then the correct choice to any decision would be to take the drug. The standard an individual adopts for considering life’s meaning and what he or she wants out of it specifically will drive decisions. ‘Is there a way to make this perspective align with Christianity?’ Only when our desires align with His. Otherwise, pleasure cannot be the ultimate goal in life. Only ‘if your joy is found in Christ’ do ‘the two align’ (Jessup). Sometimes they do. Sometimes they do not. Even Christ, in the Garden of Gethsemane, asked for God’s will above His own. But when our desires do align with His, then we have found an incredible meaning and purpose. In other words, His Words determine the ultimate meaning of life, and, therefore, how we should base our decisions to maximize this, to reflect His image in our lives, touch others through His love, and bring Him glory in everything.”
Additionally, John Homer and I designed and taught an honors colloquium on apologetics, the very essence of which was to integrate faith with learning. I will end with a quote from a paper by a student who completed that course, Madison Harris.
“One thing I loved about the course was your incorporation of scripture to explain how studying apologetic arguments obeys and glorifies God. Our theme scripture was 1 Peter 3:15: ‘But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.’ I am thankful for this course in helping me become more prepared to give an answer to anyone who may ask me of what I believe.”