This program is based on the conviction that knowledge is essential for spiritual growth. In college, this reality is often exposed when students encounter a hostile intellectual environment. Apart from a serious and thoughtful faith, they are set adrift. Thus nothing is more practical for a student’s spiritual health than to experience the Christian faith as intellectually satisfying. Furthermore, a student who can think well is a powerful witness on campus and a blessing to the university.

The academy is highly critical of Christianity, but this is nothing new. From the beginning, Christians have been in dialogue with fierce opponents, and through the ages the church has produced a storehouse of wisdom that displays the beautiful coherence of the gospel. The goal of this program is to guide a devoted cohort of students carefully through great Christian texts, enabling them to see the glorious unity of Scripture and Christian doctrine, while also cultivating habits of thinking that will bear fruit for years to come.

For the fall 2025 semester, the program is in a pilot form. There will be troubleshooting along the way, but also a unique opportunity for the inaugural class to shape the program for years to come. It is open to all undergraduate students, though space is limited. In its current form the program operates on a semester-by-semester basis, but with the opportunity to continue for up to three years. The time investment will be roughly equivalent to adding 1.5 hours to your course load (half a class). The program does not require intensive prep work—we will do almost all of our reading and discussion together. Even so, it will be challenging. We trust the reward will be worth the investment. Over the semester, you will carefully read a book with other fellows, hear from different professors, attend events at the study center, and become an integral part of the study center community. There will also be a retreat each semester, and exclusive merch for those in the program. See the application for more details and expectations.

Do you think you’re not “smart” enough to join this program? If you are hungry to learn, you are qualified. A desire to know is much more important than intellectual capacity. We are all students on the way, desperately needing the grace that God gives to the humble (James 4:6).

There is no cost; instead, we provide a stipend for all students admitted to the program (see application for details). This payment is meant to increase the amount of time students can devote to the program, and to set appropriate expectations for their involvement. This program is funded by generous donors who want to see the mind of Christ formed in the next generation.