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Losing Faith
I’m a high school student. A lot of my friends have entered college, and then they lose their faith. How do I deal with this, and how do I help them?I share your deep concern about this, and I’m so glad you’ve pointed this out. The version of faith that many young people get in their churches isn’t sufficiently strong – intellectually, spiritually, missionally – to stand up to the questions and challenges of higher education.
For this reason, some Christians become anti-intellectual and isolate themselves from these challenges by retreating into little Christian ghettoes, like the dome in The Truman Show.
The solution is not easy. It requires, I think, a much deeper and broader understanding of the gospel, a much more thoughtful engagement with the Scriptures, a more profound understanding of discipleship and Christian spiritual practices, and a more engaging understanding of Christian mission in the world – in short, a kind of theological revolution or reformation.
Sharp young men and women like yourselves may become the heroes of this new reformation. In fact, that is my prayer. It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it. This, in many ways, is the cause to which my life has been dedicated since I began following Christ in my teens, and then faced these struggles myself in college.
On a more practical level, my book Finding Faith might be helpful to you and your friends. I hope so!