Perhaps the thing that struck me most at this year's CMF National Students' Conference (pp4,5) was how reluctant we are to think. The teaching in the main talks was of a standard we rarely encounter and it was clear that many of us are not used to exercising our critical faculties when it comes to our faith. In the past, universities were a hotbed of ideologies and philosophies, shaping the culture of future generations, yet today we actively shy away from life's big issues. What legacy is this leaving?

We are part of a sound-bite generation that demands everything from our furniture to our politics ready prepared and neatly packaged - the hard work done for us. As medics in the UK, we even have textbooks designed to give us a crash course - the bare minimum you need to know before an exam, the background reading done, the notes made for you. As Christians we are incredibly blessed with an overwhelming array of resources, yet how many of us take the time to read Nucleus prayerfully each quarter, for example? How many of us buy Christian books with great intentions, only to let them sit on the shelf unread? I know I do.

Society is now so 'busy' that we claim we don't have time for anything challenging or 'intellectual' - this is all too evident in the television we watch, the books we don't read, the music we listen to, and even in our churches. Yet, to quote John Stott, 'anti-intellectualism and fullness with the Holy Spirit are mutually incompatible'. I believe it is vital that Christians go against the flow, setting aside apathy and engaging with the issues facing the world today. It is also our duty if we are to be prepared to 'give an answer to everyone who asks' (1 Pet 3:15).

Give thanks that we not only have a God who is more than able to withstand the most rigorous intellectual enquiry, but also that we have an opportunity to be salt and light, influencing our directionless generation. It's my prayer that Nucleus will help us do this.

How often have you paused to consider the philosophies underpinning the treatments your patients receive? On pages 12-20, Nick Land looks at different psychiatric treatments as he concludes his series looking at psychiatry from a Christian perspective.

It's a sad fact of our fallen world that we experience friction and division within the church. In the first part of a new two-part series, Peter Saunders examines why it is that Christians disagree (pp21-29).

One of the greatest practical problems we face as students is our finances. CMF Chief Administrator, Giles Rawlinson offers some practical advice on money management (pp30-35).

Finally, check out our book reviews section (p40). Why not set yourself the task of reading one Christian book this quarter? You could even review it for Nucleus!