Luke Scholars
Concordia's Honors Program
At Concordia, we intentionally intersect our tradition of excellent academic tradition with our particular values as a Christ-centered community. The Luke Scholars Program is distinct from other honors programs in that it seeks to instill in you a recognition of the particular talents and intellect with which you have been blessed. Your God-given talents should be cultivated and directed outward in order to help you serve and lead in the church and world. As a Luke Scholar, you will be challenged in ways you never thought possible, honoring God by using your gifts to serve a higher purpose.
What is a Luke Scholar?
Luke Scholars are disciplined, contemplative and motivated students who are willing to challenge themselves intellectually in order to enhance their lives and serve others through their vocational callings. In order to ensure course rigor and meaningful community, the program is also selective.
Luke Scholars receive notable tangible benefits, including:
- Complimentary Luke Scholars course materials
- Access to the Luke Scholars Library
- Tuition waivers for course overloads
- Funds to support research
- Supplemental study travel stipends
- Recognition for being a Luke Scholar on your transcripts
All students who have been admitted to Concordia are invited to apply to be a part of Luke Scholars. An application, two letters of recommendation from teachers and, if selected, an interview are part of the application process.
Once you have been admitted to Concordia, submit your application via email to LukeScholars@cune.edu.
Luke Scholars classes challenge you to think differently. They teach you how to think rather than what to think. It's a great program that is unlike anything I've been a part of before.
Curriculum
The Luke Scholars curriculum begins with a foundational course, “Becoming a Luke Scholar,” your first semester on campus. Between the second semester of your freshman year and the end of your junior year, you will complete three additional interdisciplinary seminars unique to the Luke Scholars program which are taught by some of Concordia’s finest faculty members. These courses are designed to encourage you to discover and discuss the human experience in light of Christian truth.
You will conclude the Luke Scholars Program with a personalized six-hour capstone experience during your last two semesters on campus. The capstone will guide you as you reflect upon your individual strengths, talents and vocations, and discover your extraordinary purpose as you fulfill God’s call to serve and inspire others.
In addition to meeting the program requirements, many of the courses you take will fill general education requirements or courses in your particular major, allowing you the flexibility to pursue an in-depth, rigorous academic experience without sacrificing credit hours or classes necessary to completing your program of study.
Upcoming Luke Scholars Courses
How to Be a Human Being
God made human beings in His “MIRRIR” image. Made in the MIRRIR image of God, God made human beings to be Moral, Intelligent, Responsible, Recreational, Immortal, and Relational. Through the lenses of both Christian and Non-Christian philosophers, this course reflects all six sides of the MIRRIR Image of God so that Luke Scholars will leave the course not only well-trained in the human discipline of philosophy but also more confident in how to be a human being.
Beauty in Music and the Fine Arts
Is there an absolute standard of beauty? Or, is beauty merely relative, depending solely upon the opinion of he/she who perceives it? In this course, students will examine secular and Biblical definitions of beauty. Building upon these foundations students will then study classical works of music and art in light of these disparate definitions.
Jerusalem: The Holy City through Space and Time
Jerusalem is an essential locus for Christians, history, and modern politics. Taking an interdisciplinary approach involving professors from a variety of disciplines, students will explore the geographical, political, religious, and artistic facets that make Jerusalem one of the world’s most notable places and a fascinating topic of inquiry.
Shakespeare as a Template for Pondering our Fallen Human Condition
Daniel Thurber, Ph.D.
Students will use the works of William Shakespeare as a prism for viewing the implications of our sinful human condition in literary depictions of individuals at their most debased moments and their most noble aspirations. Tracing the resilience of these themes across time, students will be given an opportunity to see how significant literature can reinforce the urgency of the message of the Gospel in addressing the causes and implications of shattered lives.
The Inklings and Intellectual Friendship
Known as the soil in which C. S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia and J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings grew, the Inklings was far more than a group of mere storytellers. These Oxford academics confronted cultural transformations with their distinctively Christian humanism. Their work encompasses aesthetics, politics, educational theory, theology, philosophy, and much more. This course will consider the intellectual friendship of the Inklings and their extended circles, highlighting not just the thought but also the importance of community itself.
Luke Scholars & Our Promises Connections
The Luke Scholars Program reflects the four Promises of a Lutheran Education in myriad ways. These include, but are not limited to the benefits listed below.
- Membership in a community of like-minded scholars
- Events aimed a created life-long connections
- A Scholars Library to facilitate collaborate research
- Interaction with campus leaders
- Significant connection to faculty
- Unique Interdisciplinary courses designed to widen academic perspectives
- Courses, discussions, and activities that explore the Theological and Philosophical foundations of the academic world
- Speakers who challenge students with new perspectives and ideas
- A life-changing capstone experience that results in meaningful academic achievements
- Research funds to promote serious undergraduate research
- A guided exploration of vocational callings through close mentoring and guidance
- Work with faculty who model Christian thought
- Exposure to new ideas which enhance one’s ability to live out their vocational call
- A deep understanding of what it means to be a “successful person”
- An intentionally contemplative academic program that compels a student to examine where they are going and where they have been intellectually and spiritually
- A portfolio which provides a tangible record of past accomplishments and challenges
- A program that encourages individual contemplation and group reflection
- An opportunity to gain insight to life’s great questions through a Lutheran Christian worldview
Frequently Asked Questions
The program is designed to be small in order to cultivate community and ensure that each student can maximize his or her potential through close mentoring. Thus, Concordia will welcome 12-20 students each academic year.
Luke Scholars receive notable tangible benefits, including:
- Free Luke Scholars course materials
- Access to the Luke Scholars Library in Jesse Hall
- Tuition waivers for course overloads
- $250 in research funds
- Supplemental study travel stipends of $500
- Recognition for being a Luke Scholar on your transcripts
The program’s real value, however, comes from the intangibles. Luke Scholars will walk away having been pushed intellectually in ways they did not foresee as possible. Completing the program is a testament to a students’ interest in their own personal growth, their understanding of how they can contribute to the world, and their academic abilities. These attributes will thus prepare Luke Scholars for their future vocations, whatever they may be.
Yes. We assume that Luke Scholars take their academics very seriously and look at the program like one would look at a sport or activity. Students will complete 18 hours of coursework within the program (four seminars and six hours of independent study hours). However, many Luke Scholar courses will count for credit in other academic areas.
The Luke Scholars program offers intellectual opportunities outside of the classroom through speakers and forums. There also are annual social events that allow scholars to forge deeper community ties with their peers in the program and the greater community.
That decision is yours. The Luke Scholars program is indeed a commitment and one that requires serious work. The courses are intentionally scheduled to facilitate the participation from students regardless of major or activity. However, it is up to the potential applicant to determine what their priorities and time commitments are.
Absolutely! All of Concordia’s programs and activities are open to students regardless of their religious background. Your personal faith has no bearing to your ability to succeed and benefit from this program. However, as a program within a Lutheran institution, the Luke Scholars program is informed by the Lutheran intellectual world view.
While a student in a Luke Scholars course should expect more rigor than in a traditional college course, the reward is that Luke Scholars courses are designed to encourage students think deeply about a subject from the perspective of several disciplines. Finally, each class will consist of approximately 12-15 students, in order to allow meaningful participation from all scholars.
All courses are taught by full-time members of the faculty who have volunteered to participate in the program out of an interest in students just like you.
Many schools have honors programs. What makes Concordia Nebraska’s any different? There are so many great honors programs to choose from and the Luke Scholars program offers a rigorous experience commensurate with other institutions. However, we also do things a bit differently. A Luke Scholars at Concordia University sees honor as what they do as opposed to what they are. Luke Scholars should recognize that they have been blessed with particular talents and gifts which should be properly cultivated. Thus, each student’s stewardship of their own intellect sends honor outward.
Don’t fret! Concordia’s Promises of a Lutheran Education help to ensure that all students receive sound intellectual foundation. While the Luke Scholar’s Program is unique on campus, there are many opportunities for students to pursue their intellectual callings, be it in particular majors, classes, high impact opportunities, or events such as the annual Research Symposium.
Concordia is blessed by its friends in a variety of ways. The advancement office can walk you through options to support this program financially, should you feel so called. Otherwise, we ask that you offer our scholars encouragement and keep them in your prayers.