Brad Alles

This month’s blogs close out the series with a focus on the Church’s impact on education.  Let’s examine the universities started by believers.

Benedictine monks, from 528 AD on,  collected books, copied manuscripts, and required the reading of certain manuscripts in their institutions.  But the first official university was the University of Bologna, in Italy .  It focused on canon law and opened in 1158.  The next to open was the University of Paris.  It focused  on theology and opened in 1200.  Ultimately, all universities in Europe were founded as Christian institutions.

That same heritage existed in the United States.  All universities in America were founded as Christian institutions prior to the Revolutionary War.  The sole exception was the  University of Pennsylvania.  Amazingly, by 1932, 92% of the 182 universities in the U. S. were founded by Christian denominations.

The Apostles had taken Jesus’ words to heart when they had heard Him say, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  From the first century to today, Christians have been instrumental in the opening and improvement of schools.