Fish Out of Water: Surviving and Thriving as a Christian on a Secular Campus

Abby's book is "must reading" for any Christian parent contemplating sending his/her child off to a secular university. As a Butler Alumnus (B.A., 1978), I was saddened (though not really surprised) to see how narrow-minded and intolerant Butler has become in the nearly 30 years since I attended classes there. My wife and I discovered the hard way the vast difference between the secular and sectarian educational experience. Our oldest daughter attended a large, state school (U. of Texas) and soon abandoned whatever Christian moorings she had prior to matriculating there. Given that experience, we convinced our two younger children to attend a Christian school (Calvin College), and their Christian worldviews were strengthened and nurtured greatly during their 4 years there. I am familiar with the "salt and light" argument for sending one's Christian child to a secular school, but I fear most young people simply lack the spiritual fortitude to resist the pressures they'll meet during their impressionable college years. I admire Abby Nye's strength and courage to meet those challenges, but feel too many of our young kids will become spiritual casualties from such an experience.

As a high school teacher working with many Christian students, this has been an excellent resource to prep my students for the realities of campus life. I am so thankful for examples like Abby Nye who confront real issues like tolerance, indoctrination, and the politically correct. It's refreshing when there's so much apathy in the classroom. I also appreciate the fact that Abby acknowledges the fear of being different, but she tackles this fear head-on through confidence in Christ. This book has been so helpful that I've recommended it both to my students and in my own book, JumpStart Your Future: A Guide for the College-Bound Christian.

Abby Nye writes intently and with clarity. Her real-world anecdotes are entertaining, and I love her "take no prisoners" attitude with the politically correct crowd. She well illustrates how Christians can stand up against the bias and bigotry so often coloring liberal's treatment of Christianity. I particularly liked the encounter with an English professor that graded one of Abby's paper low because he disagreed with her position on the issue she wrote about. The assignment had specifically stated that students should write from their own viewpoint. Abby took the professor to task with the head of the department and achieved grudging respect for the Christian view. Another amusing story was the description of an instructor earnestly urging students not to use B.C. in dates, because the abbreviation for "Before Christ" "could be offensive." Apparently this academic is ignorant of the fact that the Gregorian calendar system _is_ based on the birth of Jesus Christ! The wisdom in this book isn't only valuable for prospective college students. The accounts here will give you great encouragement in defending the faith at work, in social situations, and in the ongoing culture war.

As a father of a daughter bound for college, I was interested in Abby Nye's chronicle about the current campus environment. She mixes her strong, personal beliefs with some courage to create a survival guide for students whose religious beliefs are at odds with the university. If you are like me (20+ years post college), you won't like what you read about today's campus, but you will be grateful for Abby's attempt to stand up and be heard. At the end of this, I realize Abby Nye's approach is earning for her what each parent should want for their child; a real education with intellectual honesty. This book should be read by any student preparing for campus life.

This book is a great read. First-time author Abby Nye is on the front lines in the culture war, and she sees it where combat is the fiercest: on the campus of a secular university. While Abby went into college prepared for a change, she at times found herself overwhelmed by relativism, nihilism, postmodernism, and all the other -isms that are prevalent in today's anti-God, anti-Christ, liberal universities. I appreciate the fact that Abby has remained faithful throughout college and has had a great time doing it. Far too often, Christian books follow a familiar pattern: "I grew up in the church, but then I fell away and partied for a while, but then I got serious about my faith again and things are awesome now." While I don't question the sincerity of people who have walked this path and want to tell the story about it, I can remember reading those kinds of stories as a younger guy and thinking, "Well if they got away with partying for a while and turned out okay, why can't I just do that too?" Instead of that approach, Abby gives great perspective on how to live out your faith on campus. How do I stay away from sex and drinking and drugs? What do I do on Friday night when it seems like everyone else is out getting blitzed and hooking up? Where can I find friends who have similar beliefs? What do I do if a prof is trashing my faith in class? Abby combines thorough research with well-placed anecdotes to offer a plan of attack as a student approaches his or her freshman year in college. It is obvious that Abby is passionate about the subject matter, and that she wants to make an impact in the lives of the students around her. I put this right up there with J. Budziszewski's How to Stay Christian in College as a book that can help prepare young people for the rigors of college. Give a copy of each to every high school senior you know!