Books are a big part of the House, as well. But don't go there looking for current best sellers.

“We have books that you'll never find in a Christian bookstore, and the students tend to be surprised and encouraged that this stuff exists, because no one is telling them about it,” Johnson said. “They're not encountering it in the classroom or church.”

The Chesterton House doesn't limit its vision to enriching student life, because it considers that strategy something of a one-way street. If students are to successfully influence the culture, then those who “create” the culture also need to be reached.

Andy Crouch, a columnist for Christianity Today, Cornell alumnus and friend of the Chesterton House, points out that many campus ministries reach only into the university, otherwise known as the student population. The academy, which includes the professors and professionals who work for and do research at the university, are mainly untouched by Christian ministries.

Part of the neglect is intentional – “the academy is the target of Christian hostility,'' Crouch said – and part is the impression (usually accurate) that the academy wants no part of “religious” dealings.

“We need Christians to move into that space and start conversations so that the academy starts to let down its prejudices against Christians and vice versa,” Crouch said.

Ultimately, campus endeavors like Chesterton House and other players in the Christian study movement seek to nourish the intellect without overfeeding it, which should result in glorification of God.

“It's not that being intellectual is the highest good,” Crouch said. “But neglecting your mind when you've got a really good one is a waste.”