Why Study English Literature at Judson College?
John Burkett | October 03, 2025
English literature is the heartbeat of the liberal arts, rooted in the Logos (John 1). When studying English at Judson College, not only does one learn the classics of English, American, and world literature — and their Christian themes like longing for heaven — but also one exercises the essential skills of reading, writing, and communication, such as textual analysis, biblical hermeneutics, research skills, literary theory, and composition and style. Together these are the essential skills of critical thinking and communication — distinguishing truth from fallacy, wisdom from folly within a Christian perspective.
To Engage Cultures with the Gospel
If a student is interested in missions or working overseas, I always say, “You should study the literature of the culture and country that you are interested in reaching for Christ with the gospel. Then you will never lack for something insightful to say. You will understand the common ground, and the locals will respect you for reading their great authors, history, and artifacts.”
An effective minister and missionary should know not only his own culture’s language and literature but also a foreign culture’s or subculture’s language and literature (Dan. 1:4) and the common ground (Acts 17:28) to understand how to properly situate and apply the gospel as does Jesus when explaining the kingdom of God. Students gain this knowledge and preparation by studying English literature at a school like Judson College at Southeastern.
To Prepare for Ministry and the Marketplace
After graduation, our English majors at Judson College successfully follow 10 or more career paths in North Carolina: education, vocational ministry, missions, counseling, communication, marketing, editing, creative writing, library science, and law (arranged by frequency). An English degree also prepares students for graduate-level study in many fields, most commonly an MA in Teaching, an MA in Counseling, or other graduate degrees in seminary. Many of our English majors gain work experience and employment by interning and working in our Writing Center, the center of consciousness for research writing on campus.
What these English major careers have in common is reading and writing well, whether reading and writing Bible studies and sermons, literary essays, and educational curriculum or reading and responding to the unfolding speech and situation in a classroom, courtroom, or counseling session. What makes it happen are the core skills of critical thinking and communication, learned in a liberal arts English degree.
To Think and Write with Excellence
An English major is 10 courses (an English minor six courses), including survey courses; great authors; Christian literary history, theory, and genres; and advanced writing courses. Survey courses include English, American, and World Literature. Great authors courses include Shakespeare, John Milton, Jane Austen, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and C. S. Lewis. The Creative Writing and Advanced Writing courses emphasize rhetorical theory, elements of the craft, and clear and graceful style, all within a Christian perspective.
University and seminary professors often tell me, “The English majors are the best thinkers and writers in the class,” which is a high commendation and testimony from graduate-level professors about our English degree at Judson College. Consider exploring the BA in English at Judson College on our beautiful and historic campus in Wake Forest, North Carolina.
To learn more about how you can be equipped to study history at Judson, visit judsoncollege.com/degrees.