What is a Christian Study Center?

Shiloh Society desires to bless the Texas A&M University community in many ways. We limit ourselves to four here.

1.    Training in biblical literacy and biblical fluency.

• Biblical literacy is a high bar relative to the American average, but a very low bar relative to what Christians are called to and what Scripture itself assumes of its readers. The bar that we are called to and that Scripture assumes of its readers is what biblical scholars call “biblical fluency." 

2.    Philosophical training and coherence. 

• Most students will never have the chance to take a philosophy course during their time at A&M; let alone an opportunity to take a philosophy course that is self-evidently connected to how one thinks about God or the Christian ethic. 

3.    Integration of the university disciplines with theological disciplines and vice versa.

• All discourse is at its best when multiple fields of knowledge are free to express themselves. This is true of any and all academic discourse including theological discourse and inquiry. This means that the university context, with its many academic disciplines, can and should generate uniquely productive theological conversations.

4.    To be a mediatorial presence between campus ministries and local churches.

• Texas A&M is a ministry-dense environment; consisting of numerous orthodoxy-driven churches and campus ministries across the denominational spectrum. These ministries have few if any spaces where they can meaningfully come together to edify and collaborate with each other. Shiloh will be the ecumenical organization that bridges the gap and provides the context for the unity of spirit to which Christians are called.

Shiloh Society will seek to bless the university community through a culture that promotes honest reflection, imaginative thinking, and winsome exploration of ideas in reading groups, workshops, courses, public lectures, and fellowship events. Due to our lack of denominational affiliation, we have no organizational bias for or against any particular Christian faith tradition. We limit our statement of faith and beliefs to affirm historic Christian orthodoxy as captured in the Nicene and Apostles Creed. 

Our conviction is to be an organization that is uniquely capable of cultivating and galvanizing meaningful, edifying conversation, education, and unity between the denominations and ministries in and surrounding Texas A&M University. This isn’t only because of our desire to demonstrate unity, it is also because we firmly believe that uniquely educational and formative conversations about faith and life happen not only within our church or denomination, but across the denominational aisle. 

We will create this atmosphere and culture through our commitment to our “Xenia” or “hospitality” value. We want to create a space that invites others to study, learn, converse; listening generously and speaking their mind in confidence, knowing that their thoughts will be received and honored, even if they don’t find total agreement. 

We are a member of the Consortium of Christian Study Centers. Check out their website for more information: https://cscmovement.org

• For the first year of Shiloh’s young life, our plan is to host a weekly lunch and study space on Wednesdays from 12-4PM for any student that is interested in learning more about theology, Bible, and about us as a study center. We will offer free lunch and discussion for 30 students and will open up the house for study space, coffee, and community for 2.5 hours afterward. The lunch discussion will consist of a short presentation by a staff member, A&M faculty member, or local ministry or business leader that focuses on a biblical/theological topic followed by open discourse. Our goal by the end of year 1 is to be in the process of purchasing our own facility to be used for programming and study space throughout the week.
• We will also host two reading groups each semester. Both reading groups are designed to develop a uniquely Christian mind and worldview. One reading group focuses on theology, the other on philosophy. The reading groups are for upperclassmen who have been referred to Shiloh by ministry leaders as both being ready for advanced conversations and faithfully serving/leading in local ministry. Without a referral from a local ministry leader, one cannot gain access to the reading group and must have been referred and joined by the beginning of a new semester. 
• Starting in year 2, Shiloh will begin to offer courses. The first to be offered will be in Bible literacy/fluency. Key doctrines and philosophy will be developed next. 

Shiloh Society is a Christian organization according to the most basic definition of “Christian.” We ascribe to and promote the doctrines captured by the Apostles’ and Nicene Creed. Additionally, Shiloh Society holds with all conviction that implicit to these creeds is that the Bible is the authoritative word of God to humanity throughout all of history on all matters pertaining to salvation by, obedience to, and faith in the will and work of the Triune God recorded in the Old and New Testaments.