As finals loom larger by the day and each study session becomes more essential, spiritual life leaders say staying grounded in faith means choosing presence over panic.

In the haze of a cultural battlefield, the church is struggling to decide whether to speak louder or love deeper. In a world that perceives complicated issues only in black and white, churches often mirror that mindset, choosing one calling and neglecting the other.

“Sports aren’t just games,” Dr. Paul Putz said. “They’re places where people wrestle with questions of meaning, purpose and faith. My hope is that this book helps readers see how deeply connected those worlds really are.”

The number of Baptist students at Baylor is dropping, but students and faculty say this trend is bringing unity rather than division.

This October, BYU TV is recording a docuseries to advocate for the Christian vision in higher education, featuring different universities around the country — including Baylor.

The Beyond Us Missions Conference, which ran from Monday to Wednesday, was a partnership of Mission Waco, local churches, global leaders and the Baylor community. The group was brought together for three days of connection, worship and personal reflection.

For many college students, the demands of classes and the pressure to fit in can feel overwhelming. But here in Waco, Baylor students are turning to The Table.

Sometimes people approach faith like it’s a competition. A verse or passage is read, and instead of seeking to understand it, the focus shifts to proving who is right. When the rush to be right takes over, conversations that could be moments of learning or reflection turn into debates about who can quote Scripture the fastest or defend their interpretation the strongest.

Tapestry of Care, a new $1.76 million initiative, aims to bridge the gap between faith communities and mental health support, helping churches better address crises and connect congregations with vital resources.

“We should be proud of our cultural and ethnic identities, but that pride should never, of course, make us feel better than other people,” Van Gorder said. “We should use our cultural heritages as resources, not only to share who we are, but to learn and listen and validate other people.”

Released at the end of March, the book is a major contribution to gospel music scholarship, based on over 150 interviews with Crouch’s collaborators, friends and family members. The project blends musical analysis with personal stories, tracing how Crouch’s groundbreaking songs, like “Through It All,” “The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power” and “Soon and Very Soon,” became foundational in modern worship across denominations.

Truett Seminary, the University Libraries and the College of Engineering and Computer Science will be hosting “AI and The Church” conference on Monday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The conference will feature five presentations over topics related to AI and its application to seminary as well as a panel Q&A. According to the event’s schedule, each speaker will present for an hour followed by a 15 minute break.

I was so terrified of the answers to my questions that I simply stopped asking. How could the Church love gay people but hate that they were gay? Why did the same people who quoted Exodus and Deuteronomy refer to other human beings as “illegals”? Was I actually going to go to hell because my family went to church on Sunday instead of Saturday? If God was good, why was I so alone?

The sun beat down hot on the shoulders of Dallas junior Carson Sheldon as he made his way down I-35 on April 13 — not in a car or truck, but in a pair of On Cloud running shoes. After six long, sweaty hours and a whopping 38 miles, Sheldon became the first known person to run from Baylor to the Buc-ee’s in Temple.

“That’s the most fundamental category with which we ought to interact with one another,” Foley said. “You are a person created in the image of God, and therefore worthy of my love.”

If some of us can sit in a prayer tent and go to worship concerts three nights in a row, why can’t we put the same time into actually making a difference?

Maxwell said that while this is a season of mourning for the Catholic community, it can dually function as a season of remembrance and gratitude for the dedication Pope Francis showed the church.

“I don’t believe it’s appropriate for Christians to celebrate Seder because they neglect the story from which it originates,” Abel said. “I don’t believe that you can throw a name on a celebration that has deep cultural meaning to others.”

Hallow app founder Alex Jones left the Catholic Church in high school but told The Pillar, a Catholic news publication, that he returned to the Church after college through meditative and contemplative techniques. In April 2021, venture capital group General Catalyst poured $12 million into his idea for a Catholic version of the secular meditation apps he enjoyed in his early adulthood.

In recent years, platforms like TikTok and LinkedIn push content toward young adults, glorifying nonstop productivity and six-figure salaries — often at the cost of sleep, social lives and mental health. These unreasonable standards can lead employees to equate their self-worth with career success and ultimately lose their sense of purpose.

I had the opportunity today to sit down and chat with Forrest Frank opener, Claire Leslie. Here, we talked about the upcoming show, her story, her inspirations and got to asking some sillier questions, too. If you don’t already know who this rising Christian pop star is, you’re about to. Allow me to present: Claire Leslie.

For many people, tattoos are more than just permanent ink on skin — they’re visual manifestations of memory, identity and growth. Whether inspired by grief, faith, heritage or spontaneity, Baylor students, alumni and staff share the stories behind their body art and the meanings beneath the surface.

“The goal is mostly to build an environment of Catholic fellowship,” Foley said. “It gives people an opportunity to go to the kind of event that typically college students want to go to, but hosted by a Catholic organization and with a Catholic mindset.”

Between a cancer diagnosis, infidelity and moving over 20 times, Chris and Julie Bennett said they have been through “hell and back” but still harbor the same love for each other they found freshman year of college.

Ph.D. students Mitch and Libby Minyard, who were married in the summer of 2024, now call Waco their first home together as a couple. Between their studies and their spiritual lives, the couple has learned to embrace Baylor as the backdrop for the beginning of their marriage.

“All Christian traditions can appreciate Easter for what it is, and I think the preparation season is a really good opportunity, for reflection, for connection, for understanding,” Menesses said. “I think that’s something that we should be able to share in and should be encouraged to be a community wide process.”

Argyle sophomore Avery Mortman and her mother, Michelle Mortman, brought a fresh sense of style to downtown Waco when they opened their boutique Golden Green in November, offering a carefully curated selection of trendy and timeless pieces.

Dr. Holly Oxhandler, School of Social Work professor and associate dean for research, is involved with research having to do with the connection between faith and mental wellbeing. She wrote a book titled “The Soul of the Helper: Seven Stages to Seeing the Sacred Within Yourself So You Can See It in Others,” which relates to how social workers must train to look out for their own needs, as well as those that they are serving.

Daniel closed by warning that when people become captivated by the intensity and reach of power, a whole society will fall apart, noting the relevancy of this notion present day, not just in the context of Russia, but in the U.S. too.

While Baylor likes to advertise our Greek system as more morally upstanding than secular schools, they are only right to a degree. Yes, we have Phi Chi singing hymns during Sing. It’s a sweet sentiment, but we as a system have bigger fish to fry.