Nathan Bebout

Nathan Bebout (2007)

Religious Studies Major

I don't like Christian schools.

Well it's not that I don't like them, but rather feel that they're not for me. So my dilemma was this: I wanted a to go to school and learn more about God and what He has for me in my life, but find the demeanor and attitude of many private Christian colleges to be oppressive and controlling. Thankfully for me and many in my same situation, Ashland University came to my rescue. Grounded in, but not deranged by the Christian faith, Ashland University offers students the choice of their own religious world-views while still remaining both academically reliable and spiritually nurturing.

What an amazing opportunity to grow and learn about God through Ashland's amazing Religion Program, while having the opportunity to live alongside, minister to, and learn from people from different and opposing religious beliefs.

The Religion Department at Ashland is phenomenal. Lead by caring, approachable, and knowledgeable faculty there is a true emphasis on the student that far exceeds any expectations I ever had coming into the program. What's unique at Ashland 's Religion Department is both the range and variety offered in the classroom and by the faculty themselves. By facilitating a staff with a wide variety of theological and world perspectives, the Religion Department at Ashland ensures that students will come out with a well-rounded, balanced understanding of central issues and themes in Christianity.

I have treasured my time at Ashland as a Religion major. I have grown in and out of the classroom through the relationships and lessons I've learned by the empathetic staff and my fellow classmates. Though searching for a school and program that is right for you can be a difficult and stressful process, Ashland 's Religion Department is an impeccable program that has provided me with the tools and confidence to continue forward into a vocation of ministry knowing that I have been taught valuable and pertinent lessons that will last a lifetime.