The doctoral years are challenging and exhilarating. This stage also raises a particular set of spiritual
dangers. These dangers never fully leave the Christian scholar, but at first glance they seem to pale in
comparison to the “more serious work” involved in cultivating the life of the mind and aiming for
outstanding results. Why should we take our character seriously if we are evaluated on the basis of
competent scholarship? Can good work-related goals serve as adequate ultimate aims in our callings?
What do we lose if we place too much emphasis on obtaining knowledge over loving people? By
dismissing, overlooking, neglecting, or failing to attend to our own spiritual formation and life with
Christ, we miss the whole point. This session will address how to approach the academic life as a
calling from God.
