"A lot of groups, especially those groups that don't have a church, the [members] don't know what to do after they graduate," Cho says.

He worries that many students drop the religion after graduation, which may signify that their membership was just for social reasons.

Hwang agrees that the social reasons are a factor in Christian groups' growth, but says it is minimal. And some leaders argue that some distinctive characteristics of the new membership definitively point to a genuine effort among students to grow spiritually.

"There's a significant population whose lives have been changed," says Gregory Y. Fung '95, who is part of the executive team of Christian Fellowship. "The evidence is what they've gone on to do after graduation."

He says he has seen people come to Harvard on the "fast-track" to a career, and leave with a passion for social justice and missionary work.

In Christian Fellowship, upperclass students comprise a large part of the new membership. Leaders say this shows that students aren't joining just to find new friends, but because of a genuine commitment.

"In the last couple of years, we've being seeing a lot of upperclassmen entering the HRCF," Fung says. "That's a new thing."

Of the 40 new members the group has seen this year, between 10 and 15 are upperclass, Hwang says--a "significant number" more than usual.

Christian leaders also point to a growing number of students who convert to Christianity as evidence that commitment to the spiritual mission of the groups is genuine.

"The last few years we had some people who were not believers before but who decided to become Christians," Hwang says.

Spirituality

Christian group organizers say they also see a growing interest in spirituality among all students at Harvard, not just in Christian students or groups.

Many point to growing attendance at the annual Veritas Forum as evidence that students are thinking more seriously about religious issues.

The forum is a weekend of speeches, seminars and panel discussions of religious issues sponsored by 16 Christian organizations at Harvard and other area colleges.

According to founder Kelly K. Monroe, the forum seeks "to explore the relevance of Jesus Christ to all of life with Veritas, truth, being the goal."