Biola University () is a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

, nondenominational,

evangelical Christian Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being " born again", in which an individual exper ...

university in

La Mirada, California La Mirada (Spanish for "The Look") is a city in southeast Los Angeles County, California United States, and is one of the Gateway Cities. The population was 48,527 at the 2010 census, up from 46,783 at the 2000 census. The La Mirada Theatre for ...

. It was founded in 1908 as the Bible Institute of

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

. It has over 150 programs of study in nine schools offering bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees. The university hosts the annual Missions Conference, the largest annual missions conference and the second largest missions conference in the world. It has also played a significant role in the development of

intelligent design Intelligent design (ID) is a pseudoscientific argument for the existence of God, presented by its proponents as "an evidence-based scientific theory about life's origins". Numbers 2006, p. 373; " Dcaptured headlines for its bold attempt to ...

History

Biola University was founded in 1908 as the Bible Institute of Los Angeles by Lyman Stewart, President of the Union Oil Company of California (subsequently known as

Unocal Union Oil Company of California, and its holding company Unocal Corporation, together known as Unocal was a major petroleum explorer and marketer in the late 19th century, through the 20th century, and into the early 21st century. It was headqu ...

and later purchased by the

Chevron Corporation Chevron Corporation is an American multinational energy corporation. The second-largest direct descendant of Standard Oil, and originally known as the Standard Oil Company of California (shortened to Socal or CalSo), it is headquartered in S ...

); Thomas C. Horton, a

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

minister and Christian author; and Augustus B. Prichard, also a Presbyterian minister.William Jeynes and David W. Robinson (2012), ''International Handbook of Protestant Education'', Springer,
p. 127.
/ref> In 1912, the institute appointed

R. A. Torrey Reuben Archer Torrey (28 January 1856 – 26 October 1928) was an American evangelist, pastor, educator, and writer. He aligned with Keswick theology. Biography Torrey was born in Hoboken, New Jersey, the son of a banker. He graduated from ...

as dean, and in 1913 began construction on a new building at the corner of Sixth and Hope St. (536 South Hope St.), in downtown Los Angeles, which included a 3,500-seat auditorium, two large

neon sign In the signage industry, neon signs are electric signs lighted by long luminous gas-discharge tubes that contain rarefied neon or other gases. They are the most common use for neon lighting, which was first demonstrated in a modern form in Decem ...

s (added later) on top of the building proclaiming "Jesus Saves", and a

carillon A carillon ( , ) is a pitched percussion instrument that is played with a keyboard and consists of at least 23 cast-bronze bells. The bells are hung in fixed suspension and tuned in chromatic order so that they can be sounded harmoniou ...

of eleven bells on which hymns were played three times each day.Cory Stargel and Sarah Stargel, ''Early Downtown Los Angeles'', Arcadia Publishing, 2009,
p. 36.
/ref>Randall Herbert Balmer (2002), ''Encyclopedia of Evangelicalism'', Westminster John Knox Press,
pp. 68-70.
/ref> These early leaders wanted the institute to focus on the training of students in the Bible and

mission Mission (from Latin ''missio'' "the act of sending out") may refer to: Organised activities Religion *Christian mission, an organized effort to spread Christianity *Mission (LDS Church), an administrative area of The Church of Jesus Christ of ...

s rather than the broad approach to

Christian education Catechesis (; from Greek: , "instruction by word of mouth", generally "instruction") is basic Christian religious education of children and adults, often from a catechism book. It started as education of converts to Christianity, but as the ...

typical of Christian

liberal arts Liberal arts education (from Latin "free" and "art or principled practice") is the traditional academic course in Western higher education. ''Liberal arts'' takes the term ''art'' in the sense of a learned skill rather than specifically the ...

colleges. The institute offered a diploma after completion of a two-year curriculum. This model was based largely on the

Moody Bible Institute Moody Bible Institute (MBI) is a private evangelical Christian Bible college founded in the Near North Side of Chicago, Illinois, US by evangelist and businessman Dwight Lyman Moody in 1886. Historically, MBI has maintained positions that have i ...

. Beginning in the 1920s, attempts were made to broaden the curriculum, but it was not until 1949 that the institution took the name "Biola College" and in 1981 was renamed "Biola University". Biola re-located to La Mirada, California in 1959. In 1915 Torrey announced plans to organize an independent church that would meet in Biola's auditorium called the

Church of the Open Door Built in 1914, the 4000-seat Church of the Open Door was conceived by R. A. Torrey who had come to Los Angeles to start a Bible institute (now known as Biola University) similar to Moody Bible Institute. The church was to be strictly non-denominat ...

. This decision proved controversial with local Presbyterian and Baptist clergy. In 1917, the institute published a four-volume version of ''

The Fundamentals ''The Fundamentals: A Testimony To The Truth'' (generally referred to simply as ''The Fundamentals'') is a set of ninety essays published between 1910 and 1915 by the Testimony Publishing Company of Chicago. It was initially published quarterly in ...

: A Testimony To The Truth'', a series of essays affirming conservative

Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

beliefs, edited by Torrey and others, with funds donated by Lyman Stewart and his brother Milton. Lyman Stewart died on September 28, 1923, and ten months later, Reuben Torrey resigned as dean. The institute appointed Joseph Irvine as president, and on April 3, 1925, appointed John Murdoch MacInnis as the school's second dean. MacInnis was a Presbyterian minister who had been an instructor at the school for only about two years. MacInnis served as dean until his forced resignation on December 31, 1928. His administration had been turbulent and suffered from leadership conflicts and religious controversy. In 1927, Biola published a book by MacInnis entitled "Peter the Fisherman Philosopher". This book became the focus of an intense national controversy, in which MacInnis was accused by Fundamentalists of advocating liberal theological positions contrary to Biola's standards. Eventually MacInnis was forced to resign, and all remaining copies of the book along with the printing plates were destroyed. In 1929 Charles E. Fuller a businessman, evangelist and graduate of Biola, was drafted as vice president to find a new dean and a president. Elbert McCreery and William P. White, both associated with

, were chosen to fill these posts. During the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

, the institute suffered serious financial difficulties. In 1932, Louis T. Talbot, pastor of the Church of the Open Door, assumed the presidency and helped raise much-needed funds. During the next two decades, Talbot led a shift away from missions, instead concentrating on academic programs.

Talbot Theological Seminary Talbot School of Theology is an evangelical Christian seminary, theological seminary located near Los Angeles. Talbot is one of the nine schools that comprise Biola University, located in La Mirada, California. Talbot is nondenominational and know ...

became Biola's first graduate school, and in 1977, Biola acquired the graduate programs of Rosemead Graduate School of Professional Psychology and relocated them to the La Mirada campus. Biola added a School of Intercultural Studies in 1983, through funds from the abandoned property of the

Hunan Bible Institute Hunan Bible Institute () was an important fundamentalist Bible school in early-20th century China. It was founded in 1916 and known as " Biola in China." History Frank A. Keller, a missionary with the China Inland Mission, began evangelistic wor ...

in China, a School of Business in 1993, and a School of Education in 2007.

Presidents

*William P. White (1929–1932) *Louis T. Talbot (1932-1935) *Paul W. Rood (1935–1938) *Louis T. Talbot (1938–1952) *Samuel H. Sutherland (1952–1970) *

J. Richard Chase J. Richard Chase (1930–2010) was the sixth president of Biola University in California from 1970 to 1982 and the sixth President of Wheaton College in Illinois from 1982 to 1993. Early life and education J. Richard Chase grew up on a dairy farm ...

(1970–1982) * Clyde Cook (1982–2007) *

Barry Corey Barry H. Corey (born November 28, 1961) is the eighth and current president of Biola University, located in Southern California. Corey became Biola's president on July 1, 2007, succeeding Clyde Cook, who retired after serving as Biola's president ...

(2007– )

Conferences

Biola holds two annual student conferences, the Missions Conference during the spring semester and the Torrey Memorial Bible Conference during the fall semester. The Missions Conference is the largest annual missions conference and the second largest missions conference in the world, second only to the tri-annual Urbana Missions Conference. It is a three-day student-run event that is intended to inspire students towards missionary activity and provide information about missionary work. Classes are canceled Wednesday through Friday in the middle of spring semester to accommodate this. The conference offers ethnic meals, cultural awareness field trips, on-campus cultural experiences, and interaction with missionaries. The Torrey Memorial Bible Conference is also a three-day conference dedicated to students' spiritual growth. Every year a specific topic is chosen that is geared towards the typical college student's spiritual needs. The annual one-day

Biola Media Conference The Biola Media Conference, held annually at Biola University Biola University () is a private, nondenominational, evangelical Christian university in La Mirada, California. It was founded in 1908 as the Bible Institute of Los Angeles. It has ...

seeks to advance the integration of faith and the arts. It brings together Christian media leaders and other Christians for education, inspiration, and networking. On November 16, 1996, the university hosted the first national conference on

. Later, Intervarsity Press published ''Mere Creation'' (), a collection of the papers presented at the conference. Subsequent intelligent design conferences were held at the university in 2002 and 2004. Since 2015, Biola requires students to attend 5 conference sessions and 20 chapel services per semester, or face a financial penalty.

Center for Messianic Jewish Studies

On October 8, 2007, Biola opened the Charles L. Feinberg Center for Messianic Jewish Studies in

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

. The center offers a Masters in Divinity in Messianic Jewish Studies. The program, which is in cooperation with

Chosen People Ministries Chosen People Ministries (CPM) is a Messianic Jewish nonprofit organization which engages in Christian evangelism to Jews. It is headquartered in New York City and currently led by Mitch Glaser, who was raised Jewish and converted to Christiani ...

, focuses on the education and training of leaders in the Messianic Jewish community. The program is approved by the New York State Board of Regents and the Association of Theological Schools.

Organization

Schools

Biola offers forty-seven undergraduate majors, eighty concentrations, and more than one hundred fifty professional fields of study. Degrees awarded include

B.A. Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...

B.S. A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University ...

, B.M., B.F.A.,

M.A. A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

M.B.A. A Master of Business Administration (MBA; also Master's in Business Administration) is a postgraduate degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration such as account ...

M.Div. For graduate-level theological institutions, the Master of Divinity (MDiv, ''magister divinitatis'' in Latin) is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America. It is the most common academic degree in seminaries and di ...

, Th.M., D.Min., D.Miss., Psy.D.,

Ed.D. The Doctor of Education (Ed.D. or D.Ed.; Latin ''Educationis Doctor'' or ''Doctor Educationis'') is (depending on region and university) a research or professional doctoral degree that focuses on the field of education. It prepares the holder for a ...

, and

Ph.D A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common Academic degree, degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields ...

. All are institutionally and professionally accredited and integrated with

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

doctrine.

The schools are: * Crowell School of Business * Rosemead School of Psychology * School of Fine Arts and Communication * School of Humanities and Social Sciences * School of Education * Cook School of Intercultural Studies *

Talbot School of Theology Talbot School of Theology is an evangelical Christian theological seminary located near Los Angeles. Talbot is one of the nine schools that comprise Biola University, located in La Mirada, California. Talbot is nondenominational and known for its ...

* School of Science, Technology and Health * School of Cinema and Media Arts Crowell School of Business is an undergraduate and graduate

business school A business school is a university-level institution that confers degrees in business administration or management. A business school may also be referred to as school of management, management school, school of business administration, o ...

located in

, at Biola University. In 1993, the school was established as the fifth school of Biola University. In 2005, the school was renamed the Crowell School of Business after a donation from the Crowell family who has deep ties to the history of Biola University. The late Donald Warren Crowell was the great-nephew of Lula Crowell, wife of Biola co-founder Lyman Stewart. The new building opened in 2007 to host both graduate and undergraduate classes. Crowell offers a

Master of Business Administration A Master of Business Administration (MBA; also Master's in Business Administration) is a postgraduate degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration such as accounti ...

(MBA) and a Masters in Professional Accountancy (MPAcc), both of which can be obtained through a full-time or part-time schedule. Both programs are accredited through the

Western Association of Schools and Colleges The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) was an organization providing School accreditation, accreditation of public and private universities, colleges, secondary school, secondary and elementary schools in California and Hawaii, ...

; the MBA program is also accredited by the

Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs The Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), formerly the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs, is a U.S. organization offering accreditation services to business programs focused on teaching and learni ...

. The undergraduate program at Crowell offers majors in accounting and in business administration with emphasis in international business, management, marketing, marketing management and

business analytics Business analytics (BA) refers to the skills, technologies, and practices for continuous iterative exploration and investigation of past business performance to gain insight and drive business planning. Business analytics focuses on developing ne ...

. The school offers a minor in business administration available to all undergraduates at Biola University. The undergraduate program boasts approximately four hundred students, making it the largest undergraduate program at Biola. The

School of Education In the United States and Canada, a school of education (or college of education; ed school) is a division within a university that is devoted to scholarship in the field of education, which is an interdisciplinary branch of the social sciences en ...

was established in 2007, originally started as the Education Department in 1952. It offers biblically integrated courses and programs that exist to train those who desire to make an impact as educators and administrators in public, private, homeschool, charter and international schools. At the undergraduate level, the School of Education is home to the

elementary education Primary education or elementary education is typically the first stage of formal education, coming after preschool/kindergarten and before secondary school. Primary education takes place in ''primary schools'', ''elementary schools'', or firs ...

, multidisciplinary majors and

liberal studies Liberal arts education (from Latin "free" and "art or principled practice") is the traditional academic course in Western higher education. ''Liberal arts'' takes the term ''art'' in the sense of a learned skill rather than specifically the ...

, which consistently rank among the most popular undergraduate majors at Biola. At the graduate level, the School of Education offers

Master of Arts in Teaching The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) or Master of Science in Teaching (MST) degree is generally a pre-service degree that usually requires a minimum of 30 semester hours beyond the bachelor's degree. While the program often requires education c ...

and

Master of Arts in Education The Master of Education (MEd or M.Ed. or Ed.M.; Latin ''Magister Educationis'' or ''Educationis Magister'') is a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. This degree in education often includes the following majors: curriculum a ...

programs, which can be tailored to meet the individual interests of new and experienced teachers alike. The School of Education also offers a state-accredited teacher preparation program, which offers teaching credentials at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. All undergraduate students are required to take thirty units of Bible classes, regardless of their major, resulting in a minor in

theological Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

and

biblical studies Biblical studies is the academic application of a set of diverse disciplines to the study of the Bible (the Old Testament and New Testament).''Introduction to Biblical Studies, Second Edition'' by Steve Moyise (Oct 27, 2004) pages 11–12 Fo ...

. The mission of Biola University is "biblically centered education, scholarship, and service—equipping men and women in mind and character to impact the world for the Lord

Jesus Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

." In its 2017 college rankings, '' U.S. News & World Report'' ranked Biola in its "Best National Universities" category, ranking Biola 159 out of 311 national universities. Biola was one of only two national universities in the

Council for Christian Colleges and Universities The Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU) is a global organization of evangelical Christian colleges and universities. The headquarters is in Washington, D.C. History In 1976, presidents of colleges in the Christian College Cons ...

(CCCU) to be included in the first tier. In 2013 Biola was listed as one of nineteen "up-and-coming" national universities by ''U.S. News''. In 2017

Niche Niche may refer to: Science *Developmental niche, a concept for understanding the cultural context of child development *Ecological niche, a term describing the relational position of an organism's species *Niche differentiation, in ecology, the ...

ranked Biola as #33 of 364 best Christian colleges in America and #11 of 90 safest college campuses in California.

Honors program

Torrey Honors College, formerly Torrey Honors Institute, is a classical literature

great books A classic is a book accepted as being exemplary or particularly noteworthy. What makes a book "classic" is a concern that has occurred to various authors ranging from Italo Calvino to Mark Twain and the related questions of "Why Read the Cl ...

program started by Dr. John Mark Reynolds in 1995 and named after Reuben Archer Torrey. Classes in the department are used to meet most of the general education requirements at Biola University in four years; the program does not offer a major or minor. The Torrey Honors College is patterned after the

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

tutorial system The tutorial system is a method of university education where the main teaching method is regular, very small group sessions. These are the core teaching sessions of a degree, and are supplemented by lectures, practicals and larger group classes. ...

, employing reading, discussion, writing, mentoring, and lectures among other opportunities. The goal of the department is to "equip men and women to pursue truth, goodness and beauty in intellectual and spiritual community, enabling them to be strong Christian leaders."

Student organizations

Biola has over 65 student organizations and clubs. The most prominent are the Student Government Association and the Student Missionary Union. Biola's Student Government Association (SGA) equips student leaders to advocate for the student experience by funding student initiatives and representation for the undergraduate student body in order to foster Christ-centered community. SGA also sponsors student-initiated and student-run clubs on campus through which anyone can get involved, create community, and develop teamwork and leadership skills. There are more than 40 active clubs on campus. The Biola Student Missionary Union (SMU) is the largest student-led missions organization in the United States. The ministry focuses in three primary areas: Biola, our city, and the Nations. Students from every background and skill set can live out the Great Commission in their lives through the Missions Conference, Local Missions trips (Jerusalem and Judea project), Short-Term Missions trips and many other opportunities. SMU exists to mobilize students to align their lives towards the completion of the Great Commission. Their desire is to consistently raise up generations of student leaders who passionately and obediently serve Jesus throughout their lives. In May 2012, an underground

LGBT ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term is a ...

Q community, calling themselves the Biola Queer Underground, launched a website in support of promoting dialogue and reconsideration of Biola's expulsion policy regarding homosexual behavior. The covert group requested to be accepted as a facet of diversity within the campus, declaring that, despite traditional church teaching on homosexuality, they held similar Christian beliefs and values to the university. The website was advertised on campus without authorization, and garnered national attention from the mainstream media. The Biola administration released a formal statement on their views on human sexuality shortly afterwards, and gave a chapel message reiterating their view that marriage is strictly between a man and woman. In the Spring of 2013, William Haggerty and Natasha Magness, both former students of the university, were interviewed by Biola's student newspaper, revealing that they were the co-founders of the organization. Since then, The Dwelling, a university-sanctioned LGBTQ organization, has been established. It seeks to support LGBT students without endorsing same-sex marriage and related policies.

Athletics

The Biola athletic teams are called the

Eagles Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just ...

. The university is a member of the Division II level of the

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

(NCAA), primarily competing in the

Pacific West Conference The Pacific West Conference (also known as the PacWest) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. Member institutions are located in California and Hawaii. Th ...

(PacWest) since the 2017–18 academic year; while its men's and women's swimming & diving teams compete in the

Pacific Collegiate Swim and Dive Conference The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

(PCSC). They were also a member of the

National Christian College Athletic Association The National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) is an association of Christian universities, colleges, and Bible colleges in the United States and Canada whose mission is "the promotion and enhancement of intercollegiate athletic co ...

(NCCAA), primarily competing as an independent in the West Region of the Division I level. The Eagles previously competed in the

Golden State Athletic Conference The Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The conference commissioner is Mike Daniels. Conference leadership is shared among the membe ...

(GSAC) of the

National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) established in 1940, is a college athletics association for colleges and universities in North America. Most colleges and universities in the NAIA offer athletic scholarships to its stu ...

(NAIA) from 1994–95 to 2016–17. Biola competes in 18 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, soccer, swimming, tennis, track & field and water polo; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track & field, volleyball and water polo. Former sports included men's golf and men’s wrestling.

Hall of Fame

In 2012, Biola inducted three alumni into Inaugural Athletics Hall of Fame. The athletics department inducted

Todd Worrell Todd Roland Worrell (born September 28, 1959) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher. He played all or part of eleven seasons for the St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball, serving as those team ...

(baseball), Becky White (volleyball and women's basketball) and Wade Kirchmeyer (men's basketball). The school has since inducted 14 more alumni, including: Jim Blagg, Dr. Clyde Cook, Musa Dogonyaro, Ronn Johnson, Natasha Miller, Ben Orr, Jessica Pistole, Rianne Schorel and

Tim Worrell Timothy Howard Worrell (born July 5, 1967) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. A right-hander, he pitched all or parts of 14 seasons in Major League Baseball, primarily as a relief pitcher. During his major league career, Worrell ...

Club sports

Biola also has a club men's lacrosse team that competed in the Western Collegiate Lacrosse League (W L)C), but since, they compete in a new conference, the

Southwestern Lacrosse Conference The Southwestern Lacrosse Conference (SLC) is a lacrosse-only athletic conference affiliated with the Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA). The conference incorporates teams from California and Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahood ...

(SLC). A club women's lacrosse team began competition in 2012 in the Western Women's Lacrosse League (WWLL). Biola also has a club men's rugby team that began playing in the SCRFU in 2013.

Facilities

In 2005, the university's soccer pitch, Al Barbour Field, was completely rebuilt, incorporating a FieldTurf synthetic grass surface, new lighting, and a parking garage beneath the field. In 2013, Biola's softball field was newly renovated. The new "Freedom Field" contains an upgraded facility complete with new dugouts, bullpens, a team room and other major improvements.

Move to NCAA Division II

On July 20, 2016, Biola University's application for membership into the NCAA Division II had been approved for the three-year membership process. The Eagles continued as an active member of the GSAC and the NAIA for the 2016–17 school year while completing Provisional Year One with the NCAA. In Provisional Year Two (2017–18), Biola joined the PacWest Conference and competed primarily against NCAA opponents. With successful completion of Provisional Year Three (2018–19) of the membership process, the Eagles will gain full, active NCAA D-II membership and become eligible to compete for NCAA Division II championships beginning as early as 2019–20.

Centers

Biola has four university centers: * Center for Christian Thought * Center for Christianity, Culture and the Arts * Center for Marriage and Relationships * Center for the Study of the Work and Ministry of the Holy Spirit Today In 2012, the Biola University Center for Christian Thought (CCT) was launched, funded by a $3.03 million grant from the

John Templeton Foundation The John Templeton Foundation (Templeton Foundation) is a philanthropic organization that reflects the ideas of its founder, John Templeton, who became wealthy via a career as a contrarian investor, and wanted to support progress in religious an ...

, the largest academic grant ever awarded to Biola University. The CCT is a forum where leading Christian thinkers from around the world gather to research and discuss issues of significance to the academy, the church, and the broader culture. In 2013, the Biola University Center for Christianity, Culture and the Arts (CCCA) was launched, funded with a grant from philanthropists Howard and Roberta Ahmanson's Fieldstead and Company. The CCCA sponsors events and symposia, produces online resources and strives to facilitate thoughtful reflection on the interplay of Christian faith, the larger culture and the world of the arts. In October 2014, Biola launched the Center for Marriage and Relationships (CMR). The center exists to build and sustain healthy relationships and marriages in the church and broader culture. They strive to provide a safe place for individuals, couples and families to share their stories and be heard. CMR also desires to restore and inspire a vision of marriage that reflects the beautiful model of Christ's redeeming love for the church. In Fall of 2017, Biola launched the Center for the Study of the Work and Ministry of the Holy Spirit Today, funded by a $3 million donation. Located within Talbot School of Theology, the center is a 10-year initiative that provides resources for students and scholars.

Publications

The university has been involved in the publication of the following magazines and academic journals: *''The King's Business'' was a monthly publication of Biola from 1910 to 1970. In the first decades of its publication, it was the leading journal for conservative Christianity and the early fundamentalist movement. In fact, ''

'' and ''The King's Business'' shared the same chief editor (R. A. Torrey) and were supported by the same "concerned laymen" (Lyman and Milton Stewart). *''Philosophia Christi'' is a peer-reviewed journal published twice a year by the Evangelical Philosophical Society with the support of Biola University as a vehicle for the scholarly discussion of philosophy and philosophical issues in the fields of ethics, theology, and religion. The journal is indexed by The

Philosopher's Index The Philosopher's Information Center is a nonprofit, educational organization. It was founded in 1967 by Richard H. Lineback, who continues to serve as president. The center is publisher of ''The Philosopher's Index'', a comprehensive bibliograph ...

and

Religious & Theological Abstracts Religious and Theological Abstracts is a database that indexes many religious and theological journals and other literature. In 2005, one ''Guide to Research'' described it as a "popular reference" , covering more than 600 periodicals in most ma ...

. *''

Journal of Psychology and Theology The ''Journal of Psychology & Theology'' (JPT) is a peer-reviewed academic journal published by Biola University's Rosemead School of Psychology and has been operating continuously since 1973. JPT is a quarterly journal publishing original research ...

'' has as its purpose to communicate recent scholarly thinking on the interrelationships of psychological and theological concepts, and to consider the application of these concepts to a variety of professional settings. The major intent of the editor is to place before the evangelical community articles that have bearing on the nature of humankind from a Biblical perspective. *''Journal of Spiritual Formation and Soul Care'' has as its purpose advancing the discussion of the theory and practice of Christian formation and soul care for the sake of the educational ministries of the church, Christian education, and other para-church organizations through scholarly publications that are rooted in Biblical exegesis, systematic theology, the history of Christian spirituality, philosophical analysis, psychological theory/research, spiritual theology, and Christian experience. *''Christian Education Journal'' has as its purpose to strengthen the conception and practice of Christian education in church and para-church settings. *''Great Commission Research Journal'' is a peer-reviewed journal devoted to research and scholarly thinking on church growth. *''Biola Magazine'' is the official magazine of Biola University. *''Talbot Magazine'' is the official magazine of Talbot School of Theology. *''The Chimes'' is Biola's student newspaper. *''The Point'' is a magazine produced by Biola's journalism program that won the 2008 Associated Collegiate Press Pacemaker Award, the highest honor for a collegiate magazine. *''The Inkslinger'' is a student creative arts journal. *''The Bells'' is a humorous, fictitious news site created by and for Biola students. ''The Bells'' is a satire similar to ''

The Onion ''The Onion'' is an American digital media company and newspaper organization that publishes satirical articles on international, national, and local news. The company is based in Chicago but originated as a weekly print publication on August 2 ...

''. *''Open Biola'' is an online database allowing visitors from anywhere in the world to easily search, stream, download and share videos and other learning materials that engage academic topics from a Christian perspective.

Notable alumni

Steve Bridges Stephen Lynn Bridges (May 22, 1963 – March 3, 2012) was an American comedian, impressionist, and actor who was known for his impressions of politicians, television characters and broadcasters including Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Ob ...

(1986) – Comedian, impressionist, and actor * Clyde Cook (1957) – Missionary, professor, and university president *

Scott Derrickson Scott Derrickson (born July 16, 1966) is an American filmmaker. He is best known for directing the films '' The Exorcism of Emily Rose'' (2005), ''The Day the Earth Stood Still'' (2008), ''Sinister'' (2012), '' Deliver Us from Evil'' (2014), '' ...

(1990) – Director, screenwriter and producer *

Sikhanyiso Dlamini Princess Sikhanyiso Dlamini (; born 1 September 1987) is a Swazi princess and politician. She is the eldest daughter of King Mswati III of Eswatini, and is the country's current Minister of Information and Communication Technology. Early life a ...

(2010) – Princess of

Eswatini Eswatini ( ; ss, eSwatini ), officially the Kingdom of Eswatini and formerly named Swaziland ( ; officially renamed in 2018), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. It is bordered by Mozambique to its northeast and South Africa to its no ...

* Charles E. Fuller (1921) – Christian clergyman and radio evangelist *

Judith Hill Judith Glory Hill is an American singer-songwriter from Los Angeles, California. She has provided backing vocals for such artists as Michael Jackson, Prince, and Josh Groban. In 2009, Hill was chosen as Jackson's duet partner for the song " I Just ...

(2006) – Singer-songwriter * Michael Horton (1985) – Theologian and academic * Mark Joseph (1990) – Producer and author *

Zach King Zachary King (born February 4, 1990) is an American internet personality based in Los Angeles. He is most known for his "magic vines," which are six-second videos digitally edited to look as if he is doing magic. He calls his videos "digital sl ...

(2012) – Filmmaker and YouTube personality *

Josh McDowell Joslin "Josh" McDowell (born August 17, 1939) is an evangelical Christian apologist and evangelist. He is the author or co-author of over 150 books. In 2006, his book ''Evidence That Demands a Verdict'' was ranked 13th in '' Christianity Tod ...

(1971) –

Christian apologist Christian apologetics ( grc, ἀπολογία, "verbal defense, speech in defense") is a branch of Christian theology that defends Christianity. Christian apologetics has taken many forms over the centuries, starting with Paul the Apostle in th ...

, evangelist, and writer * Harold A. Netland - Philosopher and academic *

Trevor Oaks Trevor Scott Oaks (born March 26, 1993) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 7th round of the 2014 MLB Draft. He played one season in Major League Baseball (MLB) in 2018 for the Ka ...

– Professional baseball player * Nabeel Qureshi (2008) – Author and Christian apologist *

Cassie Randolph Cassandra Ann Randolph (born April 27, 1995) is an American television personality who came to national prominence in 2019, as the winner of season 23 of '' The Bachelor'', starring Colton Underwood. Early life and education Randolph was born in ...

(2016) – Television personality and winner of '' The Bachelor'' *

Tobin Sorenson Tobin Sorenson (June 15, 1955 – October 5, 1980) was an American rock climber and alpinist famed for establishing bold first ascents on Yosemite big walls, in the Alps, Canadian Rockies, and New Zealand. Early life and education A Californi ...

(1980) – Mountain climber *

John Thune John Randolph Thune ( ; born January 7, 1961) is an American politician and businessman serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States senator from South Dakota, a seat he has held since 2005, and as the Party leaders ...

(1983) –

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

from

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota people, Lakota and Dakota peo ...

since 2005 and

Republican Whip Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives, also known as floor leaders, are congresspeople who coordinate legislative initiatives and serve as the chief spokespersons for their parties on the House floor. These leaders are ele ...

since 2019 * Larry Tieu (2007) – Professional basketball player *

(1990) – Former professional baseball player *

(1982) – Former professional baseball player *

Danny Yamashiro Daniel Keauhou Matsu Yamashiro (born December 5, 1967), also known as D. K. M. Yamashiro, is an American clergyman, author, radio and podcast host, researcher, Christian media personality, and a chaplain at MIT who survived a fall from the ridg ...

(1991) – Chaplain at

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...

(

MIT The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the m ...

), researcher on American presidents and

childhood trauma Childhood trauma is often described as serious adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Children may go through a range of experiences that classify as psychological trauma; these might include neglect, abandonment, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and ...

, and media

talk show A talk show (or chat show in British English) is a television programming or radio programming genre structured around the act of spontaneous conversation.Bernard M. Timberg, Robert J. Erler'' (2010Television Talk: A History of the TV Talk Show ...

host *

Kristina Karamo Kristina Karamo is an American far-right politician and former poll watcher who is serving as the chairperson of the Michigan Republican Party. Karamo was the Republican Party's nominee in the 2022 Michigan Secretary of State election, losing by ...

(2020) – Former republican nominee for Michigan Secretary of State and proponent of demonic possession transmission via STD.

Notable current and previous faculty

* Clinton E. Arnold, New Testament scholar and Dean of Talbot School of Theology *

Christopher Castile Christopher Jon Castile (born June 15, 1980) is a former American actor. His well-known roles include Ted Newton in ''Beethoven'' and ''Beethoven's 2nd'', the voice of Zachary Sellers and Nick Mulligan in Focus on the Family's ''Adventures in O ...

, Adjunct Professor of Political Science *

William Lane Craig William Lane Craig (born August 23, 1949) is an American analytic philosopher, Christian apologist, author and Wesleyan theologian who upholds the view of Molinism and neo-Apollinarianism. He is Professor of Philosophy at Houston Baptist Univ ...

, Research Professor of Philosophy *

J. Vernon McGee John Vernon McGee (June 17, 1904 – December 1, 1988) was an American ordained Presbyterian minister, pastor, Bible teacher, theologian, and radio minister. Biography Childhood, education, and early ministry McGee was born in Hillsboro, Tex ...

, Professor of Bible and Department Chair * J. P. Moreland, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy * Scott B. Rae, Old Testament scholar and Dean of the Faculty of Talbot School of Theology *

Bernard Ramm Bernard L. Ramm (1 August 1916 in Butte, Montana – 11 August 1992 in Irvine, California) was a Baptist theologian and apologist within the broad evangelical tradition. He wrote prolifically on topics concerned with biblical hermeneutics, religio ...

Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...

theologian and

apologist Apologetics (from Greek , "speaking in defense") is the religious discipline of defending religious doctrines through systematic argumentation and discourse. Early Christian writers (c. 120–220) who defended their beliefs against critics and ...

* Robert L. Saucy, Distinguished Professor of Systematic Theology * J. Warner Wallace, Adjunct Professor of Apologetics

References

External links

*
Official athletics website
{{Coord, 33.905558, -118.018117, region:US-CA_type:edu, display=title Universities and colleges in Los Angeles County, California Educational institutions established in 1908 Schools accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Education in La Mirada, California Evangelicalism in California 1908 establishments in California Council for Christian Colleges and Universities Nondenominational Christian universities and colleges in the United States Private universities and colleges in California