A Christian Anthropology for the Mentoring Community: Nurturing Love and a Shared Humanity

Abstract

This essay explores the concept of mentoring communities in the context of Christian higher education. It delves into the importance of forming mentoring communities for faculty, administrators, and students that embrace love, empathy, and a shared commitment to justice, particularly in light of systemic injustices within academia and in the broader society. Drawing from the perspectives of scholars, religious leaders, and personal experiences, the essay emphasizes the need for educators, administrators, and students to engage the college experience on a profound level—acknowledging their vulnerabilities and fostering a sense of unity grounded in a shared humanity. In an academic climate too often marked by isolation and individualism, the commitment to forming mentoring communities through the “art of loving” is seen as a countermeasure, fostering interdependence, relational action, dialogue, and reciprocity. The author underscores the significance of forming students, faculty, and institutional leaders with a focus on intellectual, spiritual, and emotional development—nurturing their capacity to recognize the divine love within themselves and in their neighbors. This dual goal of forming individuals and building a supportive community becomes the foundation for mentoring communities rooted in a Christian anthropology, wherein faculty, administrators, and students discover the fullness of their humanity in the love of God.