Dialogues
Dialogues

Our Dialogues offer the Ottawa region a sustained, intimate setting for engagement with some of the best that has been said or written...

Riddles of the 2020s
Riddles of the 2020s

In this 6-part series Edward Tingley explores the wisdom encoded in works of art from the Western tradition.

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Why Augustine College

My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths

Are you ready for the lions’ den? Because it’s ready for you. The secular world with its principalities and powers, many lying in wait at our universities, is eager to devour you and your faith. Are you ready for the adventure? Are you ready to be Daniel?

Life is an adventure. And Christ is calling you not just to the greatest and most important adventure that does exist but the greatest and most important adventure that could exist. And the most exciting, and the most joyful. So what’s the problem?

It’s that the adventure isn’t easy, especially if you were raised in a wholesome Christian environment. Worldly temptations are everywhere and they are, well, tempting. One survey found that if young people from lively evangelical churches attend a “normal” university, only 20% of them continue attending services. One in five.

What happens? Where are the dangers? Well, most modern universities don’t believe in truth. The faculty don’t, firmly, and the students don’t, vaguely, and professors work hard and cleverly to turn soft relativism into the hard kind. But there’s more.

Especially if you’ve grown up in a strong faith community, you haven’t been given the battle-hardening exposure to the assaults and seductions of the modern world you’ll need to fend of the social isolation, intellectual derision and hedonistic temptations that await at college and in the workplace.

It’s not a criticism of your parents, your pastors, your family and your friends. For the most part they tried hard to do the right thing and they did. But it is a warning.

If you stick to Christ, you’ll be shunned, scorned and pitied by your fellows who seem to be having a much better time. You’ll be told everything will get much better if you stop the silly, oppressive moralizing, agree with fashionable ideas and start partying. And that if you don’t, well, the lions haven’t been fed in a while and they’re getting restless.

Augustine College is the answer. Instead of isolation you’ll find community here, dedicated to exploring the intellectual basis of Christian faith in companionship with others. Instead of feeling rustic, you’ll discuss the hard questions, and be prepared to live a life of intelligent, informed, fearless public faith. Including that bit with the lions.

You can’t avoid them. Nor should you. We are called to go forth among our fellow sinners and bear witness, and be not afraid of things that are, genuinely, frightening. But we need to prepare properly so we’re ready to give an answer, and emboldened to say “Lion shmion” to the kings of this world and their pets with big pointy teeth.

At Augustine College we follow the Way, the Truth and the Life, and scorn ferocious felines. Come join us. Explore with us. Worship with us. Laugh with us. And grow with us.