Erskine president publishes timely book on education

Dr. Steve Adamson, president of Erskine College, has written a new book entitled Education for Eternity: Reclaiming Education for God’s Glory. Published by Erskine College Press, the book examines the Christian foundations of Western education and calls parents, pastors, educators, and school leaders to recover a biblical understanding of their responsibilities in teaching the next generation.

“Education is never neutral,” Adamson writes. “Every school passes along more than facts; it communicates a way of seeing the world and signals what it believes is true and important.

Written for a general audience, Education for Eternity explores what students are taught about truth, moral responsibility, and the purpose of life. Adamson argues that preparing students for employment is a vital responsibility, but those who teach have a greater calling: to help students pursue truth, live wisely, and understand their responsibilities before God.

The book traces the development of Western education from Athens and Jerusalem through the Reformation and into the modern classroom. Adamson examines the Christian convictions held by generations of teachers and leaders, the institutions they built, and the consequences of abandoning those convictions.

Adamson also recounts his own journey. Raised in Nebraska and trained in computer science and mathematics, he began his career in technology before pursuing theological study, serving congregations in Scotland, and entering Christian higher education. Through those experiences, he came to question the assumption that teaching can be morally neutral—that anyone can teach without drawing on beliefs about truth, humanity, and the meaning of life.

Alongside his examination of modern education, Adamson offers a hopeful call for renewal. He addresses Christian schools, public education, homeschooling, and higher education, recognizing the distinct responsibilities and opportunities within each setting. He urges families, churches, and educators to take greater care with what they teach and the example they set.

Adamson calls readers to begin with faithful work at home, in churches, and in classrooms, teaching biblical truth and putting it into practice in their own lives.

“The battle for the mind is not lost,” Adamson writes, “because the Author of truth has not abdicated His throne.”

Photographer: Haylee Godfrin