The Spirit of Service Exploring Faith, Service, and Social Justice in Higher Education

by Johnson, Brian T.; O'Grady, Carolyn R.

• ISBN13: 9781933371016
• ISBN10: 1933371013
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-06-15
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass

Summary

In The Spirit of Service , the contributing authors explore the intersection of faith, service, and social justice in higher education. Reflecting upon the role that higher education plays in preparing future generations of citizens and leaders, this book asserts that spirituality and values necessarily involve one's person-and that educators must begin to connect student learning with the human experiences of faith, service, and commitment to social justice.Each of the authors describes a teaching experience in order to critically reflect upon the divide in academic culture between responsible, rigorous, intellectual competence and personal values. The authors' lessons in success and failure are meant to provide guidance for all institutions that are committed to preparing young students to lead lives of leadership and civic engagement. Divided into three parts, this book: Explores the meaning, practice, and implications of religions or spiritually motivated service Offers specific examples from faculty for integrating faith or spiritual perspectives with service, including what has worked and what dilemmas remain Focuses on specific dilemmas and implications for engaging in service for social justiceContaining a wealth of practical suggestions and strategies, The Spirit of Service represents a conversation in progress; it is an attempt to understand how to help undergraduates integrate service and spirituality for the purpose of social justice.

Author Biography

Brian T. Johnson serves as a chaplain at Gustavus Adolphus College. He is coeditor of Stories from Christian Neighbors: A Heart for Ecumenism (Liturgical Press, 2003) and recently completed, in addition to his M.Div. from Luther Northwestern theological Seminar, a Master's in Sacred Theology from Yale University.

Carolyn R. O'Grady is associate Professor of education at Gustavus Adolphus College, and a frequent workshop facilitator for schools and small organizations on issues of diversity, including race, gender, and sexual orientation. Her doctorate is from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in multicultural education. Her research interests include education for social justice, spirituality in education, and K-16 service-learning. She is the editor of Integrating Service Learning and Multicultural Education in Colleges and Universities (Lawrence Erlbaum, 2000).

Table of Contents

About the Authors	p. ix
Foreword	p. xv
Acknowledgements	p. xix
Analyzing the Landscape
Why We Started and Why It Matters	p. 3
Opportunities and Issues: Talking About Faith at a Church-Related College	p. 23
The Role of Institutional Narratives, Foundational Documents, and Program Collaboration	p. 39
Practicing What We Preach
Teaching Toward Social Justice: Notes From a Religion Classroom	p. 53
Faith, Social Justice, and Service-Learning in Environmental Studies: The Struggle for Integration	p. 69
Are There Mexicans in Minnesota? Comments on Service-Learning and Lutheran Liberal Arts Education	p. 87
Faith, Peace, and Politics: Dwelling in Discomfort	p. 105
Just Food	p. 125
Ora et Labora: Prayer and Service in an International Study Abroad Program	p. 143
Getting to the Heart of the Matter
Fear of Disclosure in the Academic Milieu	p. 157
Speaking Truth to Power	p. 175
Service-Learning for Social Justice: Moving Faculty From Personal to Pedagogical Commitment Through Faculty Development	p. 191
Deep Learning and the Big Questions: Reflection in Service-Learning	p. 209
Student Perspectives	p. 231
Conclusion: What We Know So Far	p. 241
Index	p. 255
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