How does The King’s College differ from other Christian colleges?

Three things. First, The King’s College has planted itself in the center of Manhattan. Secondly, The King’s College views Christian faith as consistent with rigorous and demanding intellectual inquiry. Finally, The King’s College focuses on engaging mainstream culture and the nation’s key institutions.

The King’s College has planted itself in the center of Manhattan. Almost all of the significant Christian colleges in the United States on the Protestant side of the Christian spectrum are in small towns, the countryside, or the suburbs. Many important Catholic colleges and universities are in cities. The King’s College is non-denominational, but its roots are in the Protestant evangelical tradition, and we are probably alone among colleges in this tradition in our embrace of the city. We are not just physically in a city: we embrace the idea of the City as the place where civilization takes shape. And having chosen to embrace the idea of the City, we chose to build The King’s College in the economic and social heart of America’s greatest city.

The King’s College views Christian faith as consistent with rigorous and demanding intellectual inquiry. Generally, Christian colleges are not thought of as belonging to the first tier of college and universities in the United States. The most demanding colleges, the ones with the well-earned reputations for the best teachers, the best courses, and the best programs are, without exception, secular. The Ivy League and the top liberal arts colleges are all secular. Though most do not reach this rank, some Christian colleges have very good academic programs. We don’t set ourselves above the best Christian colleges. But we do recognize that Christians in the United States have too often settled for second best. The King’s College offers a clear choice: a Christian education that makes no compromises in intellectual quality. We want our graduates to compete with the best graduates of the best secular colleges and universities. This will take time. The tradition of tough-minded commitment to demanding intellectual standards has waned within American Christianity. We are part of the vanguard that aims to restore that tradition.

The King’s College focuses on engaging mainstream culture and the nation’s key institutions. Many contemporary Christians are content to live within their own communities—the Christian bubble. And many Christian colleges accede to this to by preparing students for life within the precincts of established Christianity. The King’s College has a different approach. We want to engage the secular world as well as adherents of other faiths. We expect our graduates to enter the mainstream of American society—and change it for the better.

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