True U DVD 1: Does God exist? By Focus on the Family’s Truth Project
$39.99, 10 x 30 min DVD episodes plus booklet
More information, clips and how to buy: True U
Teacher information: Dr Stephen Meyer
True U is a series of resources aimed towards equipping young people heading for college to understand and explain their Christian faith in a rational way. This first DVD, ‘Does God exist?’, is a series of ten lessons taught by the Discovery Institute’s Dr Stephen Meyer, filmed in a classroom environment. The filming and production values are good, and Meyer’s witty presentation style is very watchable. This is a good format in which to deliver some serious content to young people. The content of the first four lessons on the history and philosophy of science and cosmic fine-tuning, and perhaps the last two on morality, are largely uncontroversial. The Test of Faith youth material from Youth For Christ is to be recommended instead of this series, however, for two main reasons.
The four episodes on DNA and Intelligent Design will be controversial for many - for theological, scientific and philosophical reasons. The views of other Christians are not mentioned. Omitting to help young people to understand the various Christian views on origins is perhaps a little unwise…
The other main criticism of this series is that the approach, outlined in the ‘Toughest Test in College’ bonus feature, is to focus on points of conflict for Christians in the college or university setting. It is true that the situation in the US is rather polarised, but there is no mention of the many contemporary US academics who hold a Christian faith and are keen to encourage Christian students. The (perhaps unintentional) impression given by the DVD is that the academy, and science in particular, is nothing but hostile to faith. Christian Professors such as Bill Newsome, Rosalind Picard and Iain Hutchinson (and hundreds more) and the work of InterVarsity’s Graduate and Faculty Ministry are evidence of the rich world of Christian academic engagement in the secular university environment. It’s important to encourage Christian students in their studies and life at university by introducing them to Professors who are living out wholehearted Christian faith in an authentic way. Teaching young people to fight intellectual battles in the classroom and understand their faith more deeply is extremely important and will enable them to get through university with their faith intact, but that’s only half the story. If Christians keep circling the wagons, the polarisation will remain.