Christian Tradition

A Place of Faith, Guided by Christian Values

As part of a Christian university, Pepperdine Caruso Law expresses its Christian principles through all aspects of academic life and administrative policy. Pepperdine draws no separations between the "sacred and the secular" in daily life and conduct. There are many ways in which the school encourages and accentuates the Christian way of life in the Pepperdine community.

While all major social events and official ceremonies are opened in prayer, it is not unusual that business meetings will likewise be convened with a request to God for prudence, understanding, and guidance. Many of Pepperdine's professors and administrators take the time to spiritually encourage and pray with students and others who need the care that those who profess faith are called to give.

Affiliation with Churches of Christ

Pepperdine keeps a vital affiliation with Churches of Christ of which its founder, George Pepperdine, was an elder and lifelong member. That affiliation is maintained today through policy and government (a majority of the Board of Regents must be Church of Christ members in good standing), through regular recruitment of students, faculty, and staff from within Church of Christ fellowships, and through the office and activities of Church Relations.

Respect for All Faiths

Students, faculty, and staff members of all faith traditions are welcome to become part of the Pepperdine community. God's truth as revealed in both the observable and invisible worlds is universal and nonnegotiable, and an individual's pursuit of that truth is respected and honored.

University Ministries

The University Chaplain - The Office of the University Chaplain provides pastoral care to all members of the Pepperdine community, students, faculty, and staff. The chaplain's office also provides on-campus worship and spiritual growth programs for students, faculty, and staff.

University Church of Christ - The University Church of Christ is an independent, free-standing full-service church and Church of Christ congregation resident on the Malibu campus whose mission is to meet the spiritual needs of the Pepperdine community resident in Malibu and its surrounding neighbors, through worship, prayer, Bible study, children's ministries, pastoral care, spiritual direction and mentorship, fellowship, and providing Christian service opportunities.

Office of Church Relations

Through the Office of Church Relations, the University hosts the annual Bible Lectureship (an ongoing tradition inaugurated in 1943), the William Green Distinguished Christian Scholar Lectures (featuring scholars from the Church of Christ tradition), and the Frank Pack Distinguished Christian Scholar Lectures (featuring scholars from the wider Christian tradition) series. Church Relations hosts many other events, supports Church of Christ students through scholarships provided by the Associated Women for Pepperdine organization, publishes Pacific Church News, and sponsors the singing group Won by One.

Christian Service to the Community

Community Engagement and Service - The University Affirmation Statement says "That knowledge calls, ultimately, for a life of service." That call is manifested through the many activities coordinated through Community Engagement and Service. It coordinates dozens of volunteer opportunities with which students (and other members of the Pepperdine community) can get involved in serving others. Areas of volunteer interest include hunger and homelessness, education and literacy, health and wellness, social justice advocacy, environmental activism, as well as others.

A Community of Care - Because the Pepperdine community comprises many committed Christians and persons of compassion, the spirit of service is also expressed through myriad acts of personal care, intercessory prayer, logistical support, and financial donations that community members organize themselves either formally or informally on behalf others who find themselves bereaved from the death of a family member, diagnosed with and suffering from major illness, incapacitated from physical trauma, or otherwise overwhelmed by life challenges.