About Us
Statement of Purpose:
Ratio Christi (a Student Apologetics Alliance) seeks to encourage and strengthen the faith of Christian students at secular and liberal institutions across the country, while also sharing Christ's message and love to those that have yet to receive it, through the use of intellectual investigation and apologetics.
Ratio Christi believes that Christians have failed to address the pressing questions of worldview, science, philosophy, history, etc. Consequently, the Secular Humanist worldview has overtaken the university and the minds of students. By situating apologetic clubs at universities across the nation, we hope to take part in the battle for the mind, and begin to reverse the Humanist trend of thought by providing and equipping students with the answers, or means of getting the answers, to the pressing questions of life.
What is Ratio Christi?
Ratio Christi (Latin for ‘The Reason of Christ’) is a non-profit, tax exempt organization (501c3) which seeks to place apologetics clubs at secular and liberal universities across the nation. These chapters have weekly meetings where students can wrestle with ideas relating to the intellectual credibility of Christianity. Scripture commands us not only to develop our heart, but also our minds (Matt 22:37), and Ratio Christi seeks to help university students fulfill this commandment.
What is the goal of Ratio Christi?
Simply put - A Renaissance of Christian Thinking in the University. We want to re-establish a strong and reasoned presence of Christian thinking in academia.
Our vision is to place apologetics clubs at all major universities. Situating Ratio Christi chapters at universities across the country is an important step in reversing the skepticism that permeates most educational institutions. We desire to partner in taking back the mind of the University for Christ. By equipping Christian students with answers, and/or the means of getting answers, to the questions that shape our worldview, we believe many students will not only hold onto a faith that they might otherwise abandon, but they will also begin to stand up for Christianity when it comes under fire in the classroom.
The vision includes providing a safe and charitable venue for atheists, agnostics, skeptics, and adherents to any religion to investigate the claims of Christianity, discuss religious beliefs, and seek truth without fearing reprisal. While this is a distinctly Christian organization, any student is able to become a member and learn, debate, and explore the connection of faith and reason.
Specific goals are:
- To initiate a Renaissance of Christian Thinking in the University
- To share the gospel with Christians and non-Christians in an intellectually stimulating environment
- To provide an open forum for non-believers to ask questions and seek answers without feeling awkward and/or the odd-man-out
- To reverse the trend of de-conversions that occur during a student’s college career (currently 60-80% of Christian students leave college as non-Christians)
- To demolish the false dichotomy of faith and reason
- To reverse the general trend of secularism within the academy
- To see the university take a more serious look at Christianity as a legitimately intellectual worldview
- To see Christians worship God with their entire being: heart, soul, strength, and mind
- To develop the critical thinking skills of our committed Christians so that they approach major issues with a sense of clear reasoning, whether in the professional or personal environment
- To serve other campus ministries in various ways, ranging from partnership to plugging our students in with their groups. By no means do we intend to compete with other ministries which are just as viable
How do we plan to accomplish this?
Servant Discipleship!
- By serving the academy. By serving the body of Christ. By serving unbelievers. By serving each other.
- By doing the hard labor of discipleship as it relates to Christians applying their minds to their walk and witness. We desire to be the ground troops in the movement to re-establish Christian thinking as a potent influence in society. This can only be accomplished by serving day in and day out on the campus.
How does Ratio Christi work?
- Ratio Christi functions as a campus club much in the same way as Campus Crusade or InterVarsity does. We meet on a weekly basis to discuss apologetics and worldview from various angles. It is not lecture oriented, but discussion oriented. In this sense, it is “student-led” as students are the ones engaging ideas and engaging each other. A Chapter Director who is a trained apologists serves to guide Ratio Christi students through weekly discussions.
- In addition to weekly discussion meetings, it will be the goal of each chapter to have annual campus-wide events at the university. These events (lectures, debates, forums, etc) share the gospel with thousands of students on any given campus.
So…what’s the plan?
To establish Ratio Christi chapters at every major secular/liberal institution across the nation and continue efforts around the world
- Many qualified apologists/thinkers around the country are without a forum to exercise their abilities and skills since apologetics is not a major market for employment. However, Ratio Christi offers an appropriately structured environment for these apologists to begin ministerial work within the discipline while affecting and inspiring the lives of students. Ratio Christi is an 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization.
- Ratio Christi partners with graduates from various other Christian worldview minded schools such as Biola, Liberty, SES and Veritas.
To coordinate with other ministries in order to meet the demands of the academy. Essentially, Ratio Christi will help be a catalyst for other ministries to speak to college students.
- Currently Ratio Christi works heavily with Summit Ministries, CrossExamined, CARM, Reasonable Faith, and Reasons to Believe. On our individual campuses we also work heavily with other campus ministries like InterVarsity, Campus Crusade, Chi Alpha, Baptist Campus Ministries, etc.
- Ratio Christi sees the value in other ministries that do not necessarily focus on apologetics and Christian world view topics. We see it as vitally important that our members know of and have access to various ministries in order to have a solid worldview that relates to all of reality. More on this topic here.
To enhance the work of Christian thinkers on all worldview topics by providing the academic stage to voice ideas.
- Ratio Christi has served as a platform for major Christian thinkers: William Lane Craig, Gary Habermas, Hugh Ross, William Dembski, Norman Geisler, Frank Turek, etc.
- Ratio Christi has served as a platform for lesser known, but excellent, Christian thinkers.
To provide the necessary follow-up to major campus-wide events, thus preventing the “in one ear-out the other” effect major events can leave behind