As you might imagine, this is a frequently posed question. I think the question behind the question is: “How Christian are the people – students, faculty, and staff – at TCU?”
The short answer is that among students and employees who come to TCU with a Christian background, the overwhelming majority (in my observation) grow in and express their faith while at TCU in a multitude of ways. However, the short answer doesn't paint the more nuanced question of how religion is lived at TCU.
The Latin terms “de jure” and “de facto” are often used to explain different types of human behavior in society. “De jure” refers to the way things are as a result of law and policy, while “de facto” refers to the state of things as a result of tradition or the will of the people.
Americans often refer to our country as a “Christian nation.” Whether or not you find this to be the de facto reality, the Constitutionally-protected separation between church and state prevents Christianity from being the “official” American religion. TCU, as an institution, is not quite like America, but it’s also not completely dissimilar.
TCU is a church-based college; our affiliation with the Disciples of Christ (D.O.C.) church dates back to our founding in 1873, when brothers Addison and Randolph Clark, Disciples ministers, established then AddRan Male and Female College in Thorp Spring, TX. Many of our chancellors have been D.O.C. ministers, and the Disciples-affiliated Brite Divinity School is located near the center of campus. Our current Chancellor, Victor J. Boschini, is Catholic, along with a high percentage of TCU students. He’s often seen at 5 PM Sunday Mass in the Brown-Lupton University Union, which is led by Father Charlie Calabrese, a widely-admired TCU staff member.
While providing a vast array of programs and services to Christians, our Office of Religious and Spiritual Life works with students in over 60 religious traditions and denominations, and currently helps to support 22 religious student organizations. Students participate in various campus ministries, and many join local churches. These expressions of faith are voluntary. Like the United States, as an institution TCU strongly prioritizes the individual freedom of our students.
As part of our diverse liberal arts and sciences Core Curriculum, we require students to take one religiously-themed class before graduation. In this environment, students are participating in an academic study of religion. The course can be as specific as History of Sacred Music or as broad as Anthropology and Religion. Our faculty in all areas of study aim to present material that stimulates the cranium. Professors certainly help our students think – critically, ethically, and with unceasing depth – but never tell students what to think. While we have the multi-denominational Robert Carr Chapel on campus, attendance is never required.
All in all, to perceive TCU as merely a mid-sized Christian school might negate our substantial spiritual diversity. At the same time, to imply that Texas Christian University is in any way untrue to our name devalues the thriving religious community on campus.
However, please don’t simply take my word for this. Come visit us; ask current students, parents, or alumni about faith and other aspects of the TCU experience. Also, if you haven’t established contact with your Admission Counselor, you can do so here. We’d love to hear from you!