FOCUS ON HIGHER EDUCATION haps marriage is more highly valued by Christians, resulting in higher rates among young people. Blews also met his wife while the two studied at Seattle Pacific University in the 1970s. “For me it was love, pretty much at first sight,” Blews said. “I was just fascinated by this beautiful young woman who was very smart and very outspoken and very articulate. “We keenly understood the theological perspective that we shared, the culture in which we grew up. For us that really did
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lead us to become soul mates. And for us we have no question that God ordained that we should come together in a lifelong marriage.” While many marry at Christian colleges, Blews said schools must be careful not to demean singleness. The single life, Blews said, is “also an important and valued spiritual expression to be respected and celebrated.” Harmelink said his classmates often laughed about the marriage culture at Dordt, joking that women on the campus in Sioux Center, Iowa, were in search of their
“MRS degree.” Shortly before Harmelink arrived on campus, people at Dordt promoted the slogan “get engaged,” Harmelink said, meaning students should “get engaged with God.” Students didn’t take it quite that way. © 2014 Religion News Service. Refreshed publishers Lamar and Theresa Keener fit this profile. They met while attending Liberty University. In fact, Lamar was the very first person Theresa met when she arrived on campus.