Week 3:

Among religious institutions, there is a great amount of diversity.  Loyola, the religious institution I have the most experience with, happens to be very open-minded, but I know that many institutions are not this way.  This week, I read a number of articles, several of which discussed the benefits of education from a Christian institution.  In one article, the author affirms Parks’ thoughts on mentoring communities, stating “Relationships are an important part of any educational experience. Students away from home for the first time will find relational aspects of their education even more crucial” (Ledbetter).  Factors that would allow for more mutually beneficial relationships to develop, according to the author, are the typically smaller size of Christian institutions, and the, compared to public institutions, more wholesome environment offered on their campuses. 

I hadn’t considered this perspective, and I must say that I can see the point.  If I were a parent in a more typically conservative faith tradition, I might be more comfortable with my child attending a conservative school of a different faith tradition than a large, impersonal public college.  The wholesome values that the author mentions are also a compelling argument.  Students at a more conservative Christian schools may be more likely to have the same personal values and standards of conduct expected of, say, a Muslim.  The exposure to differing religious views might be a worthwhile trade-off for the sense of comfort offered by better fitting in with the values of fellow students.

Several of the articles I found showed me that it is becoming more common for religious institutions to open themselves to welcoming students of other faith traditions.  I came across an article from 2010 on Claremont Seminary, which is adding the Muslim and Jewish faiths to its curriculum.  This is happening despite protests from the Methodist Church.  I find this idea fascinating, and a quote from the Seminary’s President sums up the beauty of the idea: “We want to be able to facilitate love among our different traditions in order that we can begin to solve the big problems” (Landsberg, 2010).

A 2010 interview with the newly hired Duke University Chaplain offers insight into the growing services for Muslim students on American campuses.  He notes that the number of Muslim students on campuses is increasing, and that – due to recent world events – people are interested in learning about Islam.  He projected that the number of Muslim campus chaplains would continue to rapidly increase in the coming years.  In an article discussing what attracts non-Christians to Christian colleges, author Bellesi theorizes that Christian institutions are becoming more open due to financial need, that Christian students alone will not pay the bills.  The article references the experience of a Muslim student at Lipscomb College, a southern Christian institution.  The student was not aware of the religious affiliation and Chapel requirement until arriving on campus, but feels that the exposure is good for her.  More important was finding “a school that would have her major and keep her close to home” (Bellesi). This article also references a book, “The Unlikely Disciple: A Sinner’s Semester at America’s Holiest University” which might be very interesting to read if time allows.  The author was a student at Brown when he decided to spend a semester at Liberty University, founded by Jerry Falwell.

I found two articles that very directly relate to my voice, but I would like to devote more time to analyzing them, so I am saving them for next week.  I have managed to identify a Muslim student who is willing to meet with me, and have reached out to a Hindi student, too.  I’m hoping to complete those interviews in late-March, so I will need to come up with interview questions in the next few weeks.