You're in church. You get chatting to a student who has just finished their first term studying Theology. You ask if they are struggling being an evangelical in that environment and they say, 'Not really'. You know the position of some in the department at their university, so you ask the question again, 'Surely, you must be finding it tough?'. They casually reply, 'No'.
Discovering this to be the typical response of most Theology and RS students in the UK, has been one of the biggest surprises for Daniel Strange and David Gibson, who co-ordinate UCCF's work among this group. 'We both started the job expecting to work with students wanting help with loads of theological issues', explains David. 'But the reality is that we have great resources, but few students are interested.'
The goals and structure of UCCF's Religious and Theological Studies Fellowship (RTSF) has therefore had to be overhauled. 'I am constantly meeting evangelical students who aren't that bothered about (or interested in) their subjects', says Daniel. 'They play the game of the academy, never question anything, but are very involved in other activities, including CU.' Daniel and David now see their primary aim as encouraging students of Theology and RS to be interested in their subject, to see the issues and engage with them.
