Working Toward a Distinctively Christian Engineering Curriculum

About Working Toward a Distinctively Christian Engineering Curriculum

Abstract

Subdue, have dominion, work, keep. These words from Genesis 1:28 and 2:15 articulate humanity’s Godgiven responsibility as servants within his creation. All portions of creation continue to suffer the effects of the fall, but we see in Colossians 1:20 that Christ is reconciling all things through his blood. In engineering, this reconciliatory work is manifest as a duty to use science and technology to unfold the potential of creation in a manner that exhibits care for the entirety of creation: humans, other creatures, and the natural environment. This challenging duty is not limited to the stovepipes of traditional engineering disciplines; rather, it requires a recognition of and extension to all aspects of reality. In recognition of this biblical mandate, a Christian engineering curriculum should seek to equip students to obediently and normatively glorify God and love neighbor in an untold number of service areas. Historically, Dordt College’s engineering curriculum has been developed with the intention of being Christ-centered and holistic, intentionally striving to prepare students for service in all areas of life. However, doing so in the context of a traditionally segmented profession (civil, mechanical, electrical, etc.) has been and remains a daunting challenge. Constraints such as faculty expertise, institutional resources, and cultural expectations contribute to this challenge. At a basic level, a curriculum that prepares students for engineering service in all areas of life must instill understanding of the physical aspects of creation and fundamental aspects of engineering. Reaching beyond these expectations, the curriculum should develop and nurture a broad understanding of who we are as humans in God’s creation and how we can serve obediently as engineers to steward and develop the creation. Thus, a biblicallyfaithful engineering curriculum will be specific enough to cultivate in students the knowledge and skills required to serve effectively within a particular engineering discipline while being broad enough to foster collaboration and “outside-the-silo” thinking that recognizes the multi-aspectual character of the fallen world in which we are called to serve. This broader approach reflects the reality of today’s most critical engineering problems. The big problems within traditional engineering silos have been solved and resolved. Today’s critical problems in such areas as energy, transportation, and infrastructure occur at the interface of two (and usually more) engineering disciplines. Building upon a foundation that recognizes that creation exists to glorify God, the fallen state of creation, and the need for Christ’s restorative work, we propose guiding principles for curriculum development and modification of an engineering program that recognizes the holistic nature of serving obediently as engineers in our imperfect world.