Philosophy
PHILOSOPHY
Education at Waldorf College is pursued in the context of the Lutheran understanding of the Christian faith, and is distinguished by the conviction that human experience must be understood in light of God’s revelation in the person and ministry of Jesus Christ. Thus, the College’s mission and the divine calling of each person is to serve God and the human community.
Human life, by God’s own design, is enriched by the full and free use of human intelligence in creative endeavor and the pursuit of truth. This serves the needs of human society and is an essential element of the Church’s ministry in and to the world.
Education at Waldorf, then, aims to serve God’s purposes in a setting where the gospel is freely proclaimed, reflected upon, related to all that is known, and where the Christian life of love, forgiveness and service is nurtured by precept and example.
Waldorf College affirms that:
- All life and the universe in which we live are the continuing creation of God, and human beings have a special relationship with their creator.
- God has not forsaken creation, despite human sinfulness.
- God gives all of human life a new start daily, recreating in each person the potential of the first creation.
- The Word of God and the Sacraments of the Church proclaim and celebrate God’s presence in Jesus, the Christ.
- Through the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, God acted to reunite all people in renewed common life with their creator and each other. Thus, in grateful response, we commit our lives to the service of others and human communities.
- Through the power of the Holy Spirit, God enters the struggles and joys of life, giving both comfort and counsel.
- As Christian persons, justice, peace and righteousness are our human responsibility, as are understanding and stewardship of the created world.
- God’s gifts of human intelligence, skills and creative abilities are to be fully nurtured, to the glory of God.
Finally, while Waldorf College welcomes students of all faiths and Christian denominations and seeks to learn from them, the College is in active and unapologetic communion with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. This commitment transcends the commitments of individual members of this academic community, and in every one of its component elements—Regents, administrators, faculty, staff and students—the College actively seeks a predominance of communicants of the Lutheran church. This standard is not meant to exclude or cause discomfort in those who are members of other churches or faiths, or to limit the pursuit of truth, but rather grows out of a belief that the integrity of the College’s mission and the ultimate value of an education in this academic community depends upon the distinguishing Lutheran Christian character of the College.
