Abstract
This chapter presents a global overview of the current condition of pentecostal higher education by describing what types of institutions exist today in different parts of the world, namely (1) Africa, (2) Asia and Australia, (3) Latin America, (4) Europe, and (5) North America. Africa has the largest number of pentecostal universities, a phenomenon that is particularly obvious in Nigeria. Second is the region of North America, mostly because of the educational landscape in the United States, which also has a large number of pentecostal institutions of higher education. By contrast, only a few such institutions can currently be found in Asian and Latin American countries, while Europe is the clear tale light in this regard, due to its high levels of secularization.
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Notes
- 1.
See the homepages of Central University (https://www.central.edu.gh/74) and Kag East University (https://east.ac.ke/).
- 2.
“Pastor W.F. Kumuyi” on Deeper Christian Life Ministry’s website (https://dclm.org/about/w-f-kumuyi/).
- 3.
“Our History” on Covenant University’s website (https://covenantuniversity.edu.ng/About-Us/Our-History#.Xj9uL0BFzVI).
- 4.
“Student Life” on Landmark University’s website (https://lmu.edu.ng/life-lmu/student-life).
- 5.
“Our History” on Covenant University’s website (https://covenantuniversity.edu.ng/About-Us/Our-History#.Xj9TykBFzVI); “Partnerships” on Central University’s website (https://www.central.edu.gh/149).
- 6.
Personal email communication with the registrar’s office of Samuel Adegboyega University, February 8, 2020.
- 7.
See also Ogbu U. Kalu reporting concerning higher education in Nigeria that “the national Universities’ Commission declared that Covenant University ranked first among twenty-four private universities and enjoyed as many accredited courses/programs as the best among the old-generation of federal government-funded universities” (2008, 131), as well as the rankings mentioned by Richard Burgess (2020, 114).
- 8.
“About Rhema University” on the institution’s website (https://rhemauniversity.edu.ng/about.php); “About Us” on Precious Cornerstone University’s website (https://pcu.edu.ng/about-us).
- 9.
“Vision and Mission” on Landmark University’s website (https://lmu.edu.ng/about-lmu/vision-and-mission). Science and technology are also crucial for a nation’s development, and “Regent University College of Science and Technology in Accra, Ghana, is perhaps the first Pentecostal institution launched specifically to prepare students in the sciences” (Hittenberger 2016, 60).
- 10.
For instance, “Colleges” on Covenant University’s website (https://covenantuniversity.edu.ng/Colleges) and “Academics” on Redeemer’s University’s website (https://run.edu.ng/usite/academics/).
- 11.
“Programs” on Precious Cornerstone University’s website (https://pcu.edu.ng/undergraduate-programs/).
- 12.
As described on the websites of All Nations University College (https://anuc.edu.gh/admissions/programmes); Anchor University Lagos (https://aul.edu.ng/index.php/academics/); Central University (https://www.central.edu.gh/program?863); Dominion University College (https://duc.edu.gh/courses/); Evangel University (https://www.evangeluniversity.edu.ng/#); Hezekiah University (https://www.hezekiah.edu.ng/unihezportfolio/fhum/); Kag East University (https://east.ac.ke/Course+Offered); Kings University (https://www.kingsuniversity.edu.ng/index.php/content/admission-requirements.html); Malawi Assemblies of God University (https://magu.ac.mw/courses/); Pentecost University (https://pentvars.edu.gh/academics/programmes/?type=undergraduate); Regent University College (https://regent.edu.gh/index.php/academics/school-departments); Samuel Adegboyega University (https://www.sau.edu.ng/admission/undergraduate.php); Zimbabwe Ezekiel Guti University (https://www.zegu.ac.zw/Admissions/ProgramsSummary). These websites were also used for the following discussion about graduate programs. Benson Idahosa University (https://www.biu.edu.ng/faculties/); Covenant University (https://covenantuniversity.edu.ng/Colleges/PGS#.XkWpbkBFxMs); Crawford University (https://crawforduniversity.edu.ng/crawford/pgschool/); Joseph Ayo Babalola University (https://jabu.edu.ng/academics/programmes/postgraduate/); Redeemer’s University (https://foh.run.edu.ng/department/); Salem University (https://www.salemuniversity.edu.ng/postgraduate-admission/); Zimbabwe Ezekiel Guti University (https://www.zegu.ac.zw/Admissions/ProgramsSummary).
- 13.
“Top Pentecostal Universities in the World” on uniRank’s website (https://www.4icu.org/top-religious-universities/pentecostal/). Of course, this ranking cannot be compared to more recognized rankings as provided by US News and World Report, and it has several weaknesses: the ranking does not list Regent University and ORU (possibly because it focuses more on classical pentecostalism), while schools like New Hope Christian College are listed despite the limited number of degrees—this institution only offers a BA in Creative Arts and a BA in Ministry Leadership (https://newhope.edu/index.php/programs/degrees). This means there is only one degree outside the area of ministry/theology, which is why I did not list this institution as a pentecostal college or university. Similarly, Northpoint Bible College only has degrees in Bible and theology (https://northpoint.edu/academics-programs/).
- 14.
The 2020 ranking for global Roman Catholic universities by uniRank lists 610 institutions, with the top schools located in the United States and Belgium. “Top Catholic Universities in the World” (https://www.4icu.org/top-religious-universities/catholic/).
- 15.
“Global Universities Search” on the website of US News and World Report (https://www.usnews.com/education/best-global-universities/search?name=Catholic).
- 16.
“AC History” on Alphacrucis College’s website (https://www.ac.edu.au/about/history/).
- 17.
“Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)” on Alphacrucis College’s website (https://www.ac.edu.au/awards/doctor-philosophy-phd/); the information on the other degrees is listed under “Courses” (https://www.ac.edu.au/awards/).
- 18.
“Tabor College Australia” as part of Tabor College’s handbook (https://web.archive.org/web/19990508095505/http://www.tabor.edu.au/handbook/handbook_overview.html).
- 19.
“Undergraduate Courses” (https://tabor.edu.au/courses/undergraduate-courses/) and “Postgraduate Courses” (https://tabor.edu.au/courses/postgraduate-courses/) on Tabor’s website.
- 20.
See also Hansei University’s website (http://www.hansei.ac.kr/).
- 21.
The websites of these two theological institutions are https://ttc.edu.sg/ (for Trinity Theological College) and https://www.sbc.edu.sg/ (for Singapore Bible College).
- 22.
I am indebted to Professor Perry L. Glanzer from Baylor University who shared his “Asia South 2014” database on Christian colleges and universities with me, which listed 163 institutions for India. He also shared his list of pentecostal institutions, which listed 12 schools (in Australia, El Salvador, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Korea). Personal email communication, January 20, 2020.
- 23.
See also the institution’s website (https://www.seramporecollege.org/).
- 24.
“Founders” on the website of Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences (https://www.karunya.edu/founders). The pentecostal identity of Karunya is not explicit, but the institution is connected to “Jesus Calls” (https://www.prayertoweronline.org/), which seems to be a charismatic ministry.
- 25.
“Best Global Universities Rankings” on the website of U.S. News and World Report (https://www.usnews.com/education/best-global-universities/rankings?int=a27a09).
- 26.
“Graduação” (https://fbnovas.edu.br/site/graduacao/) and “Pós-Graduação” (https://fbnovas.edu.br/site/pos-graduacao/) on the website of Faculdade Boas Novas.
- 27.
“Universidad Cristiana de las Asambleas de Dios” on the website “Universidades” (https://universidades.sv/universidades/universidad-cristiana-de-las-asambleas-de-dios).
- 28.
“Carreras” on Universidad Unidad’s website (https://uunidad.edu.bo/#segundo).
- 29.
Both Centro Mundial de Avivamiento and The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God have a strong media presence, which may become a springboard for engagement in other areas, including higher education (Birman 2006, 52–73).
- 30.
“Centre for Pentecostal and Charismatic Studies” on the University of Birmingham’s website (https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/schools/ptr/departments/theologyandreligion/research/pentecostal-charismatic-centre.aspx);” “Centre for Pentecostal and Charismatic Studies” on Bangor University’s website (https://www.bangor.ac.uk/history-philosophy-and-social-sciences/pentecostal.php.en);“Hollenweger Centre” on VU’s website (https://www.frt.vu.nl/en/research/institutes-and-centres/hollenweger-centre/index.aspx). However, “The basic philosophy of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is expressed in three core values: responsible, open and personally engaged”—neither the word “Christ” nor “Kuyper” are mentioned within VU’s “Mission and Profile,” indicating how rapidly this university has become secularized (https://www.vu.nl/en/about-vu-amsterdam/mission-and-profile/index.aspx).
- 31.
See also Allan Anderson, “Europe has a very different and numerically less significant Pentecostalism than Latin and North America” (2014, 92).
- 32.
“About Wheaton College” on Wheaton College’s website (https://www.wheaton.edu/about-wheaton/); “History” on Calvin University’s website (https://calvin.edu/about/history/); “History of Goshen College” on Goshen College’s website (https://www.goshen.edu/about/history/).
- 33.
“Tyndale’s History Timeline” on Tyndale University’s website (https://www.tyndale.ca/about/timeline); “The Story of CMU” on Canadian Mennonite University’s website (https://www.cmu.ca/about.php?s=cmu); “History” on Trinity Western University’s website (https://www.twu.ca/about/history-traditions).
- 34.
“Undergraduate Studies,” on Summit Pacific College’s website (https://www.summitpacific.ca/undergraduate-programs#certificate-programs). At Canada Christian College, distinct degrees are offered for theology, religious education, and sacred music, so in that sense this school could be seen as a borderline case between a Bible college and a liberal arts college. However, the school seems to mostly identify as an evangelical school (https://canadachristiancollege.com/50-years-of-excellence/) and is therefore not listed here.
- 35.
As recorded on the institutions’ websites: Southwestern Christian University (https://swcu.edu/about/University-Statistics), Life Pacific University (https://www.lifepacific.edu/about-life-pacific), Emmanuel College (http://ec.edu/campus-profile/), North Central University (https://www.northcentral.edu/about/facts/), and Evangel University (https://www.evangel.edu/about/university-overview/quick-facts/). Southeastern University is also fast-growing; as it reports on its website, “Student enrollment has increased by 215% since 2010” (https://www.seu.edu/about-southeastern-university/). Data for the University of Valley Forge, Southwestern Assemblies of God University, and Vanguard University from the “2016 Statistics Report” of AG Resources (https://colleges.ag.org/Resources).
- 36.
“About ORU” (https://oru.edu/about-oru/index.php), “Quick Facts” (https://www.leeuniversity.edu/about/quick-facts.aspx), “Regent Facts” (https://www.regent.edu/about-regent/regent-facts/).
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Topf, D. (2021). A Global Overview of Pentecostal Higher Education. In: Pentecostal Higher Education. Christianity and Renewal - Interdisciplinary Studies. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-79689-1_4
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