Make a Gift Information for
Undergraduates Graduates Parents Alumni Donors
Request Information Schedule a Visit Apply

Statement of Faith

About Harding

Statement of Faith

Harding University honors Christ as Lord and the Bible as God’s inspired word. Harding seeks to transform learners for impactful, global service by engaging minds and nurturing faith within a deeply connected community. Led by our Christ-centered mission, every employee is expected to integrate faith and learning, living their faith to ensure Harding’s faithfulness to its calling.  Faculty should be mission-aligned, spiritually mature models leading students in academic excellence. Likewise, staff should be mission-aligned, spiritually grounded employees who support and advance the university’s Christ-centered purpose through their daily responsibilities. We want our student body to be spiritually hungry truth-seekers, motivated and equipped to share God’s healing truth and love with a needy world.

  1. We believe in one sovereign God, eternally existing, Creator of all things, who revealed Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Since we owe Him our very lives, our highest calling is to love Him with all our being—heart, soul, mind, and strength. (Genesis 1:1; Matthew 28:19; Mark 12:29-30; Acts 17:24-25)

  2. We believe Jesus the Christ is Lord. Jesus, God’s only begotten Son, has been given all authority to reign in God’s kingdom and is displayed through the power of love. (1 Corinthians 8:6, Romans 10:9; Mark 1:10; Philippians 2:9-11)

  3. We believe Jesus, the Son of God, is fully God and fully human, was born of the virgin Mary, lived on earth, died on the cross for all sins, and was resurrected to give us new life. (1 Corinthians 15:1-7; Luke 23-24; Philippians 2:5-11)

  4. We believe Christ is the Head and the Savior of His one body, the church.  Its members are those worldwide who are “faithful in Christ,” as described in the New Testament.  They gather to worship God and to commune in the Lord’s Supper.  They spread His Good News and share His love, truth, and hope daily through sacrificial service.  (Matthew 16:18; 28:18-20; Ephesians 1:1, 22-23; 5:23; Romans 12:1; 1 Corinthians 10:16-17; 11:23-26)

  5. We believe we are sinners saved by Christ’s death and resurrection.  We neither deserve nor earn that grace but receive it by obedient faith that repents, confesses Christ, and is baptized into Him for a new life filled with the Spirit’s fruitfulness.  (John 3:5, 23; Romans 3:23-24; 6:1-11; 10:9-10; Acts 2:38; Galatians 5:22-25; Romans 5:10)

  6. We believe the Holy Spirit dwells within believers, guiding them in discernment and equipping them for service and witness of the gospel of Christ.  A life led by the Spirit will manifest the fruit of the Spirit. (1 Corinthians. 12:13; Acts 2:38; Galatians 5:22-26)

  7. We believe that in Christ, we have hope of resurrection from death. Jesus' resurrection after death on the cross is our claim to walk in new life with God now and a great hope of eternal restoration of our bodies for eternal communion with God. (Romans 8:9-25; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Philippians 3:1-11)

  8. We believe God created human beings in his own image, “male and female he created them,” all deserving impartial respect and dignity.  We believe that human sexuality is God’s gift governed by the biblical boundaries for individuals and of marriage between one woman and one man. (Genesis 1:26-27; 2:24; Malachi 2:14-16; Matthew 19:3-9; Titus 3:2; Hebrews 13:4; I Corinthians 6:9-11; Romans 1:26-27)

  9. We believe the Bible, consisting of the Old Testament and New Testament, as the “God-breathed,” divinely inspired, authoritative word of God delivered by the prophets and apostles, is a revelation of God and central to continual spiritual formation. (2 Timothy 3:15-17)

  10. We believe that Jesus' perfect life and sacrificial death fulfilled the Law of the Old Covenant, once and for all, releasing us from that Law and establishing a New Covenant in which we serve and worship in spirit and truth. (Matthew 5:17-20; John 4:22-24; Romans 7:1-6; 2 Corinthians 3:3-18; Hebrews 8:6-13)

  11. We believe that God created us to care for each other and all creation.  Through Christ, God transforms us to reflect His Son’s love, integrity, diligence, prayerfulness, and joy, for His eternal glory.  (Genesis 1:28; Matthew 22:37-40; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Colossians 3:8-17, 23; Ephesians 5:2)

  12.  We believe Christ will return to judge the disobedient and rescue His own, welcoming them into the Father’s eternal home as His co-heirs. (Matthew 25:31-46; John 5:28-29; Acts 1:11; 2:33; 3:21; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10; Hebrews 9:28; Revelation 1:5-7; 21:1-7) 

These beliefs are far more than intellectual affirmations; our faith profoundly directs our actions. Therefore, these faith statements will serve as guiding principles for decision-making in institutional direction and for each individual entrusted with responsibility within Harding University. (James 2:19-20)

 

  

"Harding University's Statement of Faith articulates the core of our mission. In it we affirm our unwavering commitment to biblical truth. As throughout its history, Harding continues to pursue academic excellence and the formation of students who seek to serve God with integrity, wisdom and compassion in every area of life." — Charles Ganus, chairman of the board of trustees

 

"This statement of faith operationalizes the core tenets of our faith and strengthens Harding's theological unity and legal standing as a religious employer. While it cannot encompass the entirety of Scripture, it can clearly and consistently communicate the University's non-negotiables to the campus and the world." — Lathan Watts ('98), vice president of public affairs at Alliance Defending Freedom