Rating: 
Summary: Great Guide for College Freshman
Review: "How to Stay Christian in College: An Interactive Guide to Keeping the Faith" is a great book for the upcoming college student - and would be a great "backpack stuffer" for parents to buy. So many young people are trundled off to universities and never adequately prepared for the antichristian nonsense they are certain to be fed - even in many so-called "Christian Colleges."I have a suggestion for believing students who are confronted with a professor like the one who likes to throw a Bible out the window of his class: have a copy of Darwin's "Origin of Species" with you, and ask the class if anyone believes it is real science. Then pitch it out the window! It will provoke stimulating conversation that semester!
Rating: 
Summary: Simply Terrible.
Review: A liberal arts education should teach a student how to think, not what to think. If nothing else, college graduates should leave college with the ability to analyze issues and problems critically so that they can thoughtfully consider and address problems and issues that they face in the real world. For example, professors should not attempt to teach student what to think about homosexuality, abortion, the death penalty, affirmative action or any other social issue of the day. Instead, a college education should provide each student with the tools that will enable him or her to reflect on those issues, critically examine with others say about those issues, and reach his or her own conclusions, based on reason and logic. To put it bluntly, my understanding of college directly conflicts with that of Mr. Budziszewski. This book is all about teaching people what to think, NOT how to think. In this book, Mr. Budziszewski warns his young reader time and time again that he or she will face different points of view on social issues in college and that he or she must stand firm against such view points. He does not encourage his young readers to listen to what others have to say with an open mind. He does not encourage his young readers to think critically about various social issues and to apply reason and logic to reach their own opinions about those issues. Instead, he demands that they think X about issue Y and not listen to anyone who would say differently. This book may be appropriate for a fundamentalist Christian teenager who has made the sad choice to attend a fundamentalist school where anyone who disagrees with the supposedly "correct" view is shunned. BUT this book is certainly not for any teen who has an open mind, nor any young reader who plans on attending a diverse and vibrant liberal arts college.
Rating:
Summary: Simply Terrible.
Review: A liberal arts education should teach a student how to think, not what to think. If nothing else, college graduates should leave college with the ability to analyze issues and problems critically so that they can thoughtfully consider and address problems and issues that they face in the real world. For example, professors should not attempt to teach student what to think about homosexuality, abortion, the death penalty, affirmative action or any other social issue of the day. Instead, a college education should provide each student with the tools that will enable him or her to reflect on those issues, critically examine with others say about those issues, and reach his or her own conclusions, based on reason and logic. To put it bluntly, my understanding of college directly conflicts with that of Mr. Budziszewski. This book is all about teaching people what to think, NOT how to think. In this book, Mr. Budziszewski warns his young reader time and time again that he or she will face different points of view on social issues in college and that he or she must stand firm against such view points. He does not encourage his young readers to listen to what others have to say with an open mind. He does not encourage his young readers to think critically about various social issues and to apply reason and logic to reach their own opinions about those issues. Instead, he demands that they think X about issue Y and not listen to anyone who would say differently. This book may be appropriate for a fundamentalist Christian teenager who has made the sad choice to attend a fundamentalist school where anyone who disagrees with the supposedly "correct" view is shunned. BUT this book is certainly not for any teen who has an open mind, nor any young reader who plans on attending a diverse and vibrant liberal arts college.
Rating:
Summary: All thinking Christians should stay away from this book
Review: As a Christian, I would like to suggest that J. Budziszewski's book is a very poor guide to staying Christian in college. I have several points to make: First, Budziszewski treats his own religious beliefs as unarguable facts, when in fact they are beliefs that only a small, isolated, backward minority of Christians hold. For instance: in this book, he argues that women should submit to the leadership of their husbands. The vast majority Christian leaders today -- ministers, pastors, priests -- vigorously reject such teachings. Second, Budziszewski does not trust you to use your mind in college, to explore ideas, and thereby to strengthen your Christianity by free inquiry. Surprisingly for a university professor, he engages in the cheap tactic of describing certain views as dangerous, but he gives summaries of the views that are pitifully superficial and biased. Such summaries appear to be calculated to make you reject such views out-of-hand, when actually you should approach them openly. He wants to frighten you away from "scary" ideas like postmodernism and pragmatism, when in fact he should be encouraging you to study the ideas, and come to your own conclusions. If Christians had always been so scared of unfamiliar and pagan ideas, the great advances in Christian thought made by people like Augustine and Aquinas never would have occurred. (St. Augustine of Hippo was deeply influenced by a non-Christian philosopher, Plato; and St. Thomas Aquinas managed to unite Augustinian Christianity with the ideas of the pagan philosopher Aristotle. Neither man feared, or fled from, non-Christian ideas, but rather they worked to understand them, with an open heart and mind.) It is conceivable that if you were to study one of these "scary" postmodern or pragmatist philosophers, like Jacques Derrida or Richard Rorty, you might strengthen your faith and see that such ideas are nothing to be afraid of, but are to be eagerly engaged. Even if their views are not completely true, you may find that they offer part of the truth. Here's what it comes down to: God gave us minds for a reason -- to use them. Don't trust anyone, like Budziszewski, who doesn't trust you to use yours. Third, the peculiarly strident tone of this book is unbecoming to a Christian. Does Budziszewski not believe that Christians, faced with different interpretations of Christian teachings, should be humble about their own beliefs? Apparently not. Doubt is part of being a Christian, and you should never give in to the temptation (as, unfortunately, Budziszewski has) to believe in the infallibility of your own religious convictions. Don't believe for a minute, for example, that Budziszewski has a "better" understanding of God's word than those Christians who do NOT believe that a woman should submit to the leadership of her husband. For him to think so is utter vanity. A better volume for Christians seeking guidance on how to stay Christian in the modern world is Pope John Paul II's "Crossing the Threshold of Hope." This is a rich source of wisdom and inspiration that can be valuable even for non-Catholics. The best thing about the Pope's book is that on every page you sense his humility (which is not evident in Budziszewski's book). The Pope, a genuine authority on Christian teaching, will inspire you -- he knows you should not be ashamed of your doubts, because doubt is a natural part of a religious life. He encourages you to use your mind and to explore ideas in making sense of your religion for yourself.
Rating:
Summary: A Real-Life Teenager's Review
Review: As a high school senior who is approaching college quickly, I thought this book was appealing and engrossing. I have read several works about living for God and preparing for college, but never one as well written as J. Budziszewski's book. Budziszewski did not follow the normal cliches that most authors use and he did not talk down to the reader. Unlike other books on this subject, the author was specific. When he spoke about debating professors with respect, he did not leave the reader wondering how to accomplish this feat. He gave example dialogues for several points. This proved to be very helpful for me. One of the best aspects of the book was that it was surprisingly Biblically sound. Yes, it sounds odd, but I have read "living for God" books that were fairly stuffed with feel-good philosophy. The author challenged the reader to live for Christ completely, not just to fit God into your college schedule next to your water aerobics class. Precise and original, How to Stay Christian in College reinforced moral principles while giving practical advice from an author who actually remembered what it was like to be a vulnerable young adult. I believe this book is a great resource for current and prospective college students. Many of the same principles of "holding your own without being a jerk" are beneficial for teenagers in high school as well. The phrase WWJD? (What Would Jesus Do?) seems to be slightly overused these days. The wording of the phrase makes it sound as if it depends on what the speaker thinks Jesus would do, not what the Bible said He would do in a situation. Budziszewski ended his book with an alternative catchphrase which does not rely on human opinion. In fact, the phrase is so exceptional, I am going to finish my review with it. Simple and powerful, "Follow Christ."
Rating: 
Summary: Great as a gift for high school seniors!
Review: As a pastor I stuggle for appropriate, i.e., meaningful and yet not too formal or overbearing, gifts for seniors graduating in my church and in other churches I've served. This is an extremely relevant book for young people, especially for those from rather small towns that have yet to really be questioned and confronted about their faith. I would recommend this book to students and parents, as well as to clergy and youth workers interested in preparing their "flock" in the best way they can.
Rating:
Summary: "A Helpful Guide For College"
Review: As a Senior who is looking to go to a college this book served as a great guide. When I first started to read this book I thought to myself how much more do I need to know for college. I have been lectured enough about college from my parents, teachers, and peers. As I started to read it I found what he was saying very useful. He gave step by step approaches to defending your faith. He also gave helpful ways to staying pure in Christ. I liked how he not only gave his opinion but he had bible verses to back up his opinion on things. I think he spent a little too much time on sex. I think it is very important to keep your virginity but he seemed like he kept repeating the same things over and over again. I liked how he gave all the different religions and how they are not like Christianity. I was wondering if he wrote this book for non-Christians also because was saying things that I have heard thousands of times before. This man is a very godly person who cares for others. I was very surprised to hear that he used to be an atheist because I haven't heard of that many Christians who used to be atheists but I thought that was really cool gave his life to Christ. Overall I thought this book was good because it prepares you better for college and also helps you with your walk with Jesus.
Rating:
Summary: worth reading
Review: Being a student who is preparing to go to college soon, I found this book quite insightful. J. Budziszewski covered lots of areas that a Christian might face in college. I like the part where he explained different world views, and then raised interesting questions regarding these views. They really fun to think about. Another reason I consisder this book worths reading is because this book deals with issues other than just staying Christian in college. Budziszewski also pointed out some important principles in Christianity; for example, the Trinity, heaven and hell, and the existence of evil was not created by God,etc. This book contains a large amount of information. There is a info box in almost every page. It has useful footnotes regarding a certain topic. I personally got a lot out of this book. Although some chapters are more exciting than others, the overall work is good.
Rating:
Summary: worth reading
Review: Being a student who is preparing to go to college soon, I found this book quite insightful. J. Budziszewski covered lots of areas that a Christian might face in college. I like the part where he explained different world views, and then raised interesting questions regarding these views. They really fun to think about. Another reason I consisder this book worths reading is because this book deals with issues other than just staying Christian in college. Budziszewski also pointed out some important principles in Christianity; for example, the Trinity, heaven and hell, and the existence of evil was not created by God,etc. This book contains a large amount of information. There is a info box in almost every page. It has useful footnotes regarding a certain topic. I personally got a lot out of this book. Although some chapters are more exciting than others, the overall work is good.
Rating: 
Summary: sending the wrong message
Review: College is a time for developing abstract thinking skills. While this book is well written, it sends college bound teenagers the wrong message. It tells them not to trust their own thoughts and not to consider the ideas presented to them by others (certain "others" that is). This is the whole point of growing up and learning to think for yourself. No teenager should go into college with his or her mind made up about life's important questions . . . these should be constantly revised from birth until death as we gain insight and experience. Budziszewski tells these teenagers to trust him because he occasionally refers to the Bible. He already assumes they trust the Bible, but why do they? Because older people told them to, or because they explored it and assessed its veracity for themselves? This book disturbs me because it does what it claims the "outside" world will do if they're not careful -- feeds young impressionable minds with what to believe. Being a christian is not like holding to an exercise routine. If one has to avoid certain people and situations and memorize canned answers in order to "keep the faith" as Budziszewski recommends, then he actually implies that the faith recommends itself so little that young people will never be able to stick to it for its own merits and truths.
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