Who We Are
The Bradley Study Center is a Christian community seeking to make disciples through integrating learning and faith.
Primarily serving the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, VA, we are Christian faculty, students, staff, and local churches that value both the life of the mind and maturing faith. We believe the two go hand in hand.
We bridge the gap between the local church and academia. Each holds valuable roles in human formation, but neither is designed to accomplish both. The church guides Christians in the process of knowing what to believe and how to live those beliefs out for God’s glory, while the Academy serves to help people learn how to think and reason well in order to develop well-educated people for a career of service to the community.
In seeking to integrate the “what” of faith and the “how” of thinking well, BSC follows the prescription of Saint Anselm of Canterbury, who said, “I do not seek to understand in order that I may believe; I believe in order that I may understand.” Christian faith is our starting point, and a lifelong pursuit of learning about God’s creation informs our role in both glorifying him and serving the professional and domestic communities to which God sends us.
We affirm the historic Christian truths declared in orthodox creeds such as the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed. In particular, our theological framework is guided by the Lausanne Covenant. Drawing from the deep biblical truth and examples of Francis and Edith Schaeffer’s “L’Abri” of showing hospitality to all who come seeking truth, nourishment, and hope, the BSC is a hospitable place of study, fellowship, and refreshment. We offer free coffee and baked goods daily, full meals to those in our Fellows program, and a comfortable space to study. Many consider us their “home away from home.” We offer a wide variety of evening programming that is always designed to stimulate both the mind and Christian faith.
When one visits BSC, they will regularly encounter students working, faculty mentoring students, pastors leading bible studies and counseling sessions, healthy conversations, and engaging talks designed to stimulate Christian faith and intellectual growth.
We invite you to stop by and see for yourself how the BSC might serve you in your pursuit of faith seeking understanding.
