Faith, Spirituality, and Religion In Higher Education

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Faith, Spirituality, and ReligionIn Higher
Education

• Steven P. Scherger

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What Exactly Do We Mean?

• Faithhow one makes meaning of oneself, others,
  the world, and god
• Faith DevelopmentStructural aspects of how one
  makes meaning
• ReligionDoctrines, practices, and beliefs that
  compose the content of how one makes meaning
• SpiritualityProcess of searching for meaning,
  wholeness, and purpose

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Historical Perspective

• Before the Civil War most of American colleges
  had a religious affiliation even many public
  institutions were controlled by particular
  denominations
• Period between Civil War and WWI witnessed
  transition in the academe with the rise of
  research universities
• Between the two World Wars, spirituality remained
  a concern for the emerging Student Personnel
  Profession but was narrowly defined as mainline
  Protestant morality
• The last 50 years of the 20th Century marked a
  time when both academic and student affairs
  focused very little on the spiritual aspects of
  students
• Last decade has witnessed a renewed interest in
  student spirituality for numerous reasons (e.g.
  globalization, multiculturalism, demand by
  Millennials)

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James FowlerStages of Faith (1981)

• Graduate of Harvard Divinity Retired Professor
  from Emory Methodist Minister
• Became interested in the psychological aspects of
  faith during graduate studies
• Greatly influenced by Erikson, Piaget, and
  Kohlberg

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James FowlerStages of Faith (1981)

• Fowler defines Faith as how one makes meaning of
  life (ethos)
• Focused on the structure of meaning making rather
  than the content of it
• Fowler argues that the structure of faith is more
  likely to be universal therefore his theory can
  be applied to all individuals including the
  non-religious or atheistic

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James FowlerStages of Faith (1981)
GOD (Center of Power and/or Values)
FAITH
SELF
OTHER
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James FowlerStages of Faith (1981)

• Stage 1 Intuitive-Projective Faith
• Typical of Children Ages 3-7
• Dominate Traits Imagination
• Forms of Knowing Perception
• Transition Need to Distinguish Between Reality
  and Imagination
• Stage 2 Mythical-Literal Faith
• Typical of Older Children/Young Teens Ages 7-14
• Dominate Traits Literalism and Reciprocity
• Form of Knowing Story Telling and Symbols
• Transition Discovery of Clash Between Different
  Stories/Symbols

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James FowlerStages of Faith (1981)

• Stage 3 Synthetic-Conventional Faith
• Typical of Teenagers and Some Adults
• Dominate Traits Formation of Identity with Group
• Forms of Knowing Authorities in Community
• Transition Conflict with Authorities or Critical
  Reflection of Ones Own Beliefs
• Stage 4 Individuative-Reflective Faith
• Adulthood, but not all Adults Reach this Stage
• Dominate Traits Self-Created Identity
• Form of Knowing Self-Reflection
• Transition Need to Reconcile Conflicting
  Inner-Voices

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James FowlerStages of Faith (1981)

• Fowler has Questioned These Last Two Stages
• Critics Claim they Reflect Fowlers Own Religious
  Ideals Rather than Observable Structural
  Differences
• Stage 5 Conjunctive Faith
• Must Navigate the Paradoxes of the Multiple
  Narratives that Compose Ones Identity Awakening
  of Social Unconsciousness
• Stage 6 Universalizing Faith
• Paradoxes in Stage Five are Resolved by
  Transcending Ones own Self Interests and Working
  toward Universal Love and Justice

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Sharon Daloz ParksBig Questions, Worthy Dreams
(2000)

• Graduate and Former Faculty Member of Harvard
  Divinity Current Faculty Member of Seattle
  University
• Has Taken a Great Interest in College Student
  Development for the past Three Decades
• Influenced by Fowler, Kegan, Perry, and Gilligan

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Sharon Daloz ParksBig Questions, Worthy Dreams
(2000)

• Adulthood is a construction determined by society
  as to when an individual is seen as a responsible
  individual with a legitimate voice
• Parks argues that the lengthening of the lifespan
  and the increasing complexity of postmodern
  society has created a new developmental stage,
  which she calls YOUNG ADULTHOOD
• Young Adulthood is a time where individuals can
  test self-authored understandings of self, other,
  world, and god without making long-term
  commitments

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Sharon Daloz ParksBig Questions, Worthy Dreams
(2000)

• Parks conception of the Young Adulthood Stage
  lead her to identify a stage between Fowlers
  Conventional and Individuative Stages (i.e.
  Stages 3 4)
• Whereas Fowler sees the development of
  self-authorship of ones faith as a transition
  Parks argues it is a much more involved process
  that deserves the distinction of being a separate
  stage
• Regardless of whether Young Adulthood is merely a
  transition or a distinct stage of development,
  Parks recognition of its importance should be
  paramount to all higher education practitioners.
• Mentorship becomes the key component to helping
  students through this period

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Recent Developments

• Elizabeth Tisdell
• Exploring Spirituality and Culture in Adult and
  Higher Education (2003)
• Focuses on the relationship between spirituality
  and culture (as often expressed through organized
  and personal religions) in the identity
  development process
• Stresses need for respect of spiritual/religious
  diversity
• Chickering, Dalton, and Stramm
• Encouraging Authenticity and Spirituality in
  Higher Education (2006)
• First major work to discuss the practical
  concerns of how student spirituality can be
  addressed in Higher Educationincluding public
  universities and colleges
• Robert Nash and Moral Conversations
• We are at the same point of discussing religious
  and spiritual differences as we were in the 1950s
  in discussing racial differences (2006 ACPA
  Sponsored Conference on Spirituality)

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Practical Considerations

• Legal Aspects
• As we are educating adults, the distinct line
  that is often made in K-12 education between
  church and state is not as distinct in higher
  education
• There is no Constitutional prohibition against
  teaching about diverse religions
• While Bishop v. Aronov held that an institution
  can limit a faculty members ability to discuss
  personal religious beliefs as it relates to
  teaching practices it did not preclude
  discussion of personal beliefs in the classroom
  or varied student affairs programs
• Colleges have the right to fund student
  organizations that explore spiritual issues from
  a nondenominational perspective
• - From Chickering, Dalton, Stamm (2006)

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Practical Considerations

• Do you see an interest from students to explore
  their spirituality/faith/religious identity?
• What role does spirituality/faith/religion play
  in your current position when working with
  students? Is it outside of your positions
  responsibilities or should it play a greater
  role?
• What are the primary obstacles you see to working
  with students regarding their spiritual/faith
  development?
• Do you find Fowlers and Parks psychological
  approaches to faith helpful? Does Loves
  description of spirituality as a cognitive
  process make it a more accessible topic to raise
  with students? Does it create any limitations?