Increasing numbers of young adults go to university. This book explores contemporary understandings of what universities are for, what impact they might be having on their students, and what visions of life and society are driving them. It criticises a narrow view of higher education which focuses on serving the economy. It argues that, for the sake of the common and individual good, universities need to be about forming citizens and societies as well as being an economic resource. It does so in the light of theological perspectives mainly from the Christian but also from the Muslim faith, and has a global as well as a British perspective. It brings together key thinkers in theology and higher education policy - including Rowan Williams, David Ford, Mike Higton, and Peter Scott - to present a unique perspective on institutions which help shape the lives of millions.
Introduction
Stephen Heap
Chapter 1: The Needs of the World
Susan Durber
Chapter 2: The Higher Education Policy Framework
Peter Scott
Chapter 3: Education and Citizenship
Rowan Williams
Chapter 4: Education and the Common Good
Suzy Harris
Chapter 5: Education and the Virtues
Mike Higton
Chapter 6: The University as a Place of Public Theology
David Ford
Chapter 7: Insights from Church Foundation Universities
Elizabeth Stuart and Michael Holman
Chapter 8: An Islamic Perspective: What does Islam offer to the Contemporary Debate?
Alison Scott-Baumann and Sariya Cheruvallil-Contractor
Chapter 9: The Global Melting Pot of Universities
John Wood
Chapter 10: The Universities we Need
Stephen Heap
List of Contributors
Index
Biography
Stephen Heap is a Baptist minister who spent most of his ministry in University Chaplaincy in London and Bedford, where he was also Director of a Christian education centre. From 2008 to 2014 he was the Church of England’s National Higher Education Adviser. He is now a Visiting Professor at the University of Winchester, engaged in theological reflection on what it means to be an Anglican University, and has a consultancy role at the Cardiff Centre for Chaplaincy Studies. He is the author of the Grove Booklet ’What are Universities Good For?’ (2012) and various articles on higher education.