The American University in a Postsecular Age

by Jacobsen, Douglas; Jacobsen, Rhonda

• ISBN13: 9780195323443
• ISBN10: 0195323440
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-02-27
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

For much of the twentieth century, it was assumed that higher education was and ought to be a secular enterprise, but that approach no longer suffices. The culture has shifted, and contemporary college and university students are increasingly bringing religious and spiritual questions to campus. In response, college and university leaders are exploring anew the relationship between religion and higher education. The American University in a Postsecular Age grapples with key questions: --How religious or irreligious are faculty and students today? What level of religious literacy should be expected from students? --Can religion be allowed into the classroom without being disruptive? --Should colleges and universities help students reflect on their own faith? --Is religion antithetical to critical inquiry? --Can religion have a positive role to play in higher education? This is a state-of-the-art introduction to the national discussion about religion and higher education. Leading scholars and top educators express a wide spectrum of opinions that reflect the best current thinking. Introductory and concluding essays by the editors describe the postsecular character of our age and propose a comprehensive framework intended to facilitate ongoing conversation.

Author Biography

Douglas Jacobsen is Distinguished Professor of Church History and Theology and Rhonda Hustedt Jacobsen is Director of Faculty Development and Professor of Psychology at Messiah College in Grantham, PA. They are co-authors of Scholarship and Christian Faith: Enlarging the Conversation (Oxford University Press, 2004) and have led workshops and seminars on religion and higher education at colleges and universities across the nation.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. ix
Postsecular America	p. 3
Religion, Institutions, and Faculty Roles
The Religious Convictions of College and University Professors	p. 19
Can Faith Be More Than a Sideshow in the Contemporary Academy?	p. 31
A Level Playing Field for Religion in Higher Education	p. 45
The Ideals and Diversity of Church-Related Higher Education	p. 63
Why Faculty Find It Difficult to Talk about Religion	p. 81
Faculty Priorities	p. 99
Religion, the Curriculum, and Student Learning
The Religious and Spiritual Journeys of College Students	p. 117
The Different Spiritualities of the Students We Teach	p. 135
Spirituality, Diversity, and Learner-Centered Teaching	p. 151
Taking Religion Seriously in Public Universities	p. 167
Religious Pluralism, the Study of Religion, and "Postsecular" Culture	p. 187
Professing Understanding and Professing Faith	p. 203
A Framework for Academic Conversation
Talking about Religion	p. 221
Notes	p. 233
Index	p. 255
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