Encountering Faith in the Classroom : Turning Difficult Discussions into Constructive Engagement

by Diamond, Miriam R.

• ISBN13: 9781579222376
• ISBN10: 1579222374
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-04-15
• Publisher: Stylus Pub Llc

Summary

When faculty unexpectedly encounter students' religious ideologies in the classroom, they may respond with apprehension, frustration, dread, or concern. Instructors may view this exchange as a confrontation that threatens the very heart of empirical study, and worry that this will lead to a dead-end in the learning process. The purpose of this book is to explore what happens'”and what can happen'”in the higher education, and even secondary school, classroom when course content meets or collides with students' religious beliefs. It also considers the impact on learning in an environment where students may feel threatened, angry, misunderstood, or in which they feel their convictions are being discredited, This is a resource that offers ways of conceptualizing, engaging with, and responding to, student beliefs. This book is divided into three sections: student views on the role of religion in the classroom; general guidelines for responding to or actively engaging religious beliefs in courses (such as legal and diversity considerations); and specific examples from a number of disciplines (including the sciences, social sciences, humanities and professional education). Professors from public, private, and religious institutions share their findings and insights. The resounding lessons of this book are the importance of creating a learning space in which students can express their beliefs, dissonance, and emotions constructively, without fear of retribution; and of establishing ground rules of respectful discussion for this process to be valuable and productive. This is an inspirational and practical guide for faculty navigating the controversial, sensitive'”yet illuminating'”lessons that can be learned when religion takes a seat in the classroom.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. ix
Foreword	p. xi
Introduction: Faith in Learning: An Overview	p. xv
Society, Learning, and Religion
Faith and Reason: Higher Education's Opportunities and Challenges	p. 3
Wingspread Declaration on Religion and Public Life
Student and Faculty Perspectives
Undergraduate Perspectives about Religion in Higher Education	p. 33
Faith in Graduate Education: Perspectives of Students and Faculty in Student Affairs Preparation Programs	p. 48
Considerations
Blinking in the Sunlight: Exploring the Fundamentalist Perspective	p. 65
What I Think I Believe: Using the Change Method to Resolve Cognitive Dissonance	p. 77
Bringing Faith and Spirituality into the Classroom: An African American Perspective	p. 90
Religion in the Classroom: Legal Issues	p. 102
Disciplinary Approaches
Exploring Religion and Spirituality Through Academic Service Learning	p. 119
Philosophy and Religious Disagreements in the College Classroom	p. 134
When Faith and Science Collide	p. 147
Teaching Secular Bible Reading to Religiously Committed Students	p. 160
The Role of Religion and Spirituality in the Law School Classroom	p. 175
Teaching About Religious and Spiritual Pluralism in a Professional Education Course	p. 188
Afterword	p. 203
About the Authors	p. 207
Index	p. 215
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