spirituality in the classroom - university of denver in the classroom conversation partners the rev....

Spirituality in the Classroom

Conversation Partners

The Rev. Dr. Gary Brower, University Chaplain

Prof. Paul Michalec, Morgridge College of Education

Prof. Alison Schofield, Dept. of Religious Studies

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

What drew you here today?How do we respect diverse religious beliefs in the classroom?

How do we teach highly-charged religious issues?

How do we create productive conversations with students whose religious beliefs contradict our assumptions?

At what level should the beliefs of faculty be brought into the conversation?


OverviewDemographics: Who’s in your classroom?

Report from the field

The integrative role of the faculty

Discussion

NOTE: This, we hope, is the beginning of an on-going conversation, not the entire conversation itself!


Higher Education Research Institute, UCLA, 2003


“The project is based in part on the realization that the relative amount of attention that colleges and universities devote to the ‘exterior’ and ‘interior’

aspects of students’ development has gotten out of balance . . . we have increasingly come to neglect he student’s inner development—the sphere of values and beliefs, emotional maturity, spirituality, and

self-understanding.”


Students who . . . 2004 Freshmen 2007 Juniors

. . . want to integrate spirituality into their lives

41.80% 50.40%

. . . say “attaining inner harmony” is very important or essential

48.70% 62.60%

. . . say “becoming a more loving person” is very important or essential

67.40% 82.80%

. . . endorse the life goal of “reducing pain and suffering in the world”

54.60% 66.60%

. . . endorse the life goal of “helping to promote racial understanding”

27.30% 37.50%

. . . say they see “each day, good or bad, as a gift”

38.90% 45.50%

. . . believe that “non-religious people can lead lives that are just as moral” as religious believersʼ

83.30% 90.50%


Students who . . . 2004 Freshmen 2007 Juniors

. . . pray. 69.20% 67.30%

. . . believe in life after death at least “to some extent”.

85.40% 86.60%

. . . say “seeking to follow religious teaching” in everyday life is very important or essential.

39.40% 40.60%

. . . frequently attend religious services. 43.70% 25.40%

. . . rate themselves as above average in “religiousness”.

33.80% 30.50%


“Despite [students’] increasing interest in spiritual matters, most students (59.7%) report that their professors

never “encouraged discussions of religious/spiritual matters,” and only 19.6% report that their professors “frequently encouraged exploration of questions of

meaning and purpose” (52.4% “occasionally” encouraged such exploration and 28.0% “never” encouraged it). These

findings show that while today’s students are showing significant spiritual growth, the full potential of colleges

and universities to facilitate that growth is still to be realized.

“SPIRITUAL CHANGES IN STUDENTS DURING THE UNDERGRADUATE YEARS”, Higher Education Research Institute, 12/18/07


So, what does this mean for us at DU?Where is the intersection between our (i.e., faculty)

personal commitments and professional responsibilities and the students’ needs, desires and personal development with relation to their spiritual/religious commitments, and their overall process of

making and relating “MEANING” to their lives outside of, and beyond DU?


Questions for DiscussionWhat impact, if any, does the demographic data make on how you might re-think your classroom dynamics?

What kinds of “religious” or “meaning” questions have arisen in your classroom, and how have you dealt with them? How might you in the future?

What are the pluses and minuses of moving away from religion in the classroom to spirituality in the classroom?

What more do you need to know to make you a better teacher of “religious” or “spiritual” students?


ContactsThe Rev. Dr. Gary Brower, University Chaplain

[email protected]

Prof. Paul Michalec, Morgridge College of Education

[email protected]

Prof. Alison Schofield, Dept. of Religious Studies

[email protected]


mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Selected ResourcesHigher Education Research Institute (Spirituality & Higher Ed)

www.spirituality.ucla.edu

“Spirituality in the Academy: Reintegrating Our Lives and the Lives of Our Students”(About Campus, Sept/Oct 2007: 10-17)

“Diversity & Democracy” (AACU)www.diversityweb.org/DiversityDemocracy/index.cfm

Parker PalmerThe Courage to Teach (Jossey-Bass, 1997)A Hidden Wholeness (Jossey-Bass, 2004)

http://www.couragerenewal.org/

Robert J. NashReligious Pluralism in the Academy: Opening the Dialogue. (New York: Peter Lang, 2001)


http://www.spirituality.ucla.edu

http://www.spirituality.ucla.edu

http://www.diversityweb.org/DiversityDemocracy/index.cfm

http://www.diversityweb.org/DiversityDemocracy/index.cfm

http://www.couragerenewal.org

http://www.couragerenewal.org

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