I'm going to preface this review with the fact that I am not the intended audience. I am 1) not a Christian and 2) not a student (anymore). However, I've always been interested in religion and in particular with religious institutions so I wanted to read through this book to see what sort of insights this has on why people choose Christian colleges and what sort of mindset they're learning there. I've done my best to keep an open mind and will be reviewing this on how it meets its own goals, not on whether I agree with it.

I thought the author presented a good argument for the purpose of a Christian College: being at a place where every part of the experience fits into a cohesive worldview. I also thought his metaphor using the crossword was helpful in showing that the intent was not merely to go somewhere with an established worldview and take it as your own, but to build it with likeminded people.

I also appreciated how much the author attempted to add nuance and not to give a black and white answer. I was pleasantly surprised that he didn't shy away from pointing out ways the Christian College system has been flawed (for instance, in the methods it taught students to evangelize and in how few non-white people attended). It's clear the author has spent a lot of time thinking about this topic. His thoughtful approach to some contemporary matters (such as George Floyd's death) was appreciated.

I thought there was some clever structuring (for instance, presenting three chapters as creation, the fall and the redemption) but think that a more explicit explanation of how and why the book was structured would have helped, especially given this is a textbook.

I also found there was a lot of common sense and things I've heard before. Again, I'm not Christian and was not raised Christian, and I found that a number of the parts where scripture was being quoted to be things I've heard before. The history section I found glossed over quite a bit (of course, it is meant to just give an overview, but I would have enjoyed more here).

Overall, I think this book may be worthwhile for a freshman in Christian College (the intended audience, in all fairness), but lacks the depth to be much more than that.

Really good book for students to choose a Christian college or if they are heading to one, why it’s important. Great insight on our society today and all it’s distractions. I don’t know if it really answers the questions of why College matters to God, but it gives it a great try and good reasons why to pick a Christian College. I really loved how the author spoke about the distractions of this world are noise and that God isn’t in the noise. He’s in the quiet. Look for Him in the quiet. But you have to quiet down first. I didn’t agree with everything that was written, but it’s still a good book for college students heading to college, particularly a Christian one. That you to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review #WhyCollegeMattersToGod with my honest opinion.

I once read the first edition a few years ago in college, and I found it to be a very important book in my life. In this revised version, there were more modern references but the message is still there. Thus, I recommend this for any student entering college. College is a big step in one’s life, and this book helps you begin your journey.