The Attrition from Christian Faith of our Graduates while at University: Why does it happen, and what can be done about it?

Abstract

Academic literature, supported by empirical evidence indicates there is a huge drop out from Christian faith amongst those who begin university ostensibly as Christians. While this may be seen as a manifestation of the Parable of the Sower, it nonetheless represents an existential problem for the broader church in so far as much potential future membership and leadership within Christian circles has evaporated within a few short years. Questions arise as to whether the Christian community is sufficiently alert to the issue and is attempting possible mitigation strategies. Approaches to stemming the tide include avoiding cocooning young people in a Christian bubble without the skills to navigate the intellectual and ethical challenges of campus life, the importance of developing a strong Christian worldview underlaid by effective apologetics, the need for focussed mentoring supported by strong biblical teaching, and the critical nature of experiencing lived Christian community. Without such approaches, the church at large will probably continue to experience the corrosive impact of very extensive fall out from faith of young people in their late teens and early 20s.