The enrollment cliff is coming to a college near you. The college-age population in America is shrinking, and universities are now feeling the squeeze. If you add higher tuition costs and increased debt load to the mix, you can appreciate why potential college students are electing to pursue skilled trades. I was sobered to read at a recent seminary board of trustees meeting the Wall Street Journal article, “How Gen Z is Becoming a Toolbox Generation.” It’s not my intent here to make a case for the value of college and graduate school education as we know it today but to underscore the importance of using our minds in the service of God. When Jesus is asked about the greatest commandment in the law, he quotes from Deuteronomy about the importance of loving God with all that we are, minds included (Mt. 22.37).
Titus Flavius Clemens (ca.153-ca. 217), better known as Clement of Alexandria, devoted his life to loving God with his mind. As a convert to Christianity, his quest for learning took him to Alexandria, a vibrant area of learning and scholarship. The three major works he authored that survive give evidence of his thorough knowledge of Greek philosophy and ancient literature to add to his considerable theological and biblical acumen. The Paedagogus, one of his major works, centers on Christ as teacher, educator, and guide. Following Jesus as Lord is not a “one-and-done” decision. We are learning all our lives what it means to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind. In the appendix following his lengthy Paedagogus, Clement concludes with prayer: