Many would admit that “Christian” can have a wide variety of meanings, especially these days. Christians who want to be faithful to the Bible should look for some indication that the Christian college they are considering is giving more than lip-service to being “Christ-centered” or “biblical.” That’s what the word “Reformed” does in describing what is distinctive about Providence Christian College.

“Reformed” is primarily an historical designation, situating us within a theological tradition stemming from the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century. During the Reformation, five “solas,” or theological distinctives, emerged and served as a summation of the Reformers’ beliefs and still serve as the basic foundation of reformed theological understanding today- Sola Fide (faith alone), Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone), Solus Christus (Christ alone), Sola Gratia (grace alone), and Soli Deo Gloria (glory to God alone). A number of church denominations are in this tradition, but we are not identified with any particular one of them. “Reformed” then tells you what we believe, what is most important to us in defining what “Christian” should mean, and what informs our vision of what this college is about. This distinctive may best be summed up with the three following emphases.

First, we take adherence to the teaching of Scripture seriously. As God’s inerrant, infallible word, it is supremely authoritative for all of life. We must know what it says, and study it carefully (as all of us do at Providence). That study leads us to recognize that God has led his church to preserve its teaching in the great ecumenical creeds (e.g. The Apostles and Nicene Creeds) and in the great confessions and catechisms of the Reformation (e.g. the Heidelberg Catechism, Westminster Confession of Faith, and so on). These serve as useful guides to Scripture’s teaching of the sovereignty of God, the true person and effective work of Christ, and the doctrines of grace in salvation. They are biblically faithful representations of the Christian faith.

Secondly, we believe we must be Christ-centered, not just in doctrine, but in practice. The risen and reigning Lord Jesus Christ, as he is revealed to us in the Scriptures, calls each of us into a living relationship with himself. A Christian knows and trusts Jesus Christ personally and thereby has present peace with God as well as an experience of transformation and spiritual growth. This also means that we pursue a genuine community life at Providence. This life is covenantal, meaning that we are all bound to one another for mutual edification under the gracious provisions of God’s covenant with us in Christ.

Thirdly, since we believe Jesus Christ is now reigning in heaven as King over all, we believe we are all called to faithful service in extending his kingdom in every area of life, through our own individual callings in this world. This fundamental conviction then drives everything we do at Providence. We want to understand our world and all its cultures and peoples, that we might sympathetically engage it in every arena and discipline. And this is in order that we might be agents bringing Christ’s redemptive transformation and rule into all of creation. Studying at Providence, this “Reformed” Christian college, then means sharing in this grand vision and actively participating in the exciting kingdom work that God is doing in this world.