*At UIowa Ratio Christi, we are committed to equipping students to think clearly, confidently, and compassionately about their Christian faith. As a student-led apologetics ministry, our mission is to help students stand firm in their beliefs, engage thoughtfully with life’s toughest questions, and be prepared to share the truth of Christ with others—both on campus and beyond.

Primarily our students take the lead. They choose the difficult questions they want to explore, conduct their own research, and are supported by a rich library of apologetics resources and mentoring from trained non-student leaders. Our approach blends faith and reason, allowing students to wrestle honestly with their doubts while building a solid foundation of truth rooted in Scripture and logic.

Our leadership team includes myself, James Klopfenstein (BS in Electrical Engineering, MA in Christian Apologetics from Biola University; retired from Collins Aerospace), and Dr. Ron Behrens (PhD in Chemical Engineering; retired from Chevron). We’re also grateful to have the support of our Academic Advisor, a respected UIowa Professor of Physics and Astronomy who served as department chair from 2014 to 2020.

Ratio Christi doesn’t replace or compete with other campus ministries or churches. In fact, many of our members are actively involved in other ministries like Navigators, Cru, Geneva Campus Ministry and attend local churches throughout Iowa City. Our goal is to complement these ministries by offering specialized training in apologetics and worldview engagement—so that students are not only encouraged in their faith, but also intellectually equipped to defend it.

We meet weekly on Sunday afternoons in the Iowa Memorial Union and sponsor outreach events featuring nationally known speakers. Past guests have included:

• Dr. Gary Habermas – “Can a Rational Person Believe in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ?”

• Dr. Jo Vitale – “Is the God of the Bible Sexist?”

• Dr. William Dembski (interviewed by UIowa’s Dr. Skiff) – “Information as the Foundation of Science”

• Dr. Fuz Rana – “How Did Life Originate—Materialism or Mind?”

We’ve also traveled to apologetics conferences in Minnesota and Wisconsin, helping students deepen their understanding and connect with a broader apologetics community.

We are always looking for ways to partner with local churches and campus ministries to reach students more effectively. If you are a student, parent, pastor, or ministry leader interested in learning more about how Ratio Christi can serve your community, we would love to connect with you.

For the truth of Christ,
James Klopfenstein