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The Resilience of Religion in American Higher Education

Book
Schmalzbauer, John; Mahoney, Kathleen A.
2018
Baylor University Press
BL42.5.U5S36 2018
Topics: Religion and Academia

Additional Info:
A well-worn, often-told tale of woe. American higher education has been secularized. Religion on campus has declined, died, or disappeared. Deemed irrelevant, there is no room for the sacred in American colleges and universities. While the idea that religion is unwelcome in higher education is often discussed, and uncritically affirmed, John Schmalzbauer and Kathleen Mahoney directly challenge this dominant narrative.

The Resilience of Religion in American Higher Education documents a surprising openness to religion in collegiate communities. Schmalzbauer and Mahoney develop this claim in three areas: academic scholarship, church-related higher education, and student life. They highlight growing interest in the study of religion across the disciplines, as well as a willingness to acknowledge the intellectual relevance of religious commitments. The Resilience of Religion in American Higher Education also reveals how church-related colleges are taking their founding traditions more seriously, even as they embrace religious pluralism. Finally, the volume chronicles the diversification of student religious life, revealing the longevity of campus spirituality.

Far from irrelevant, religion matters in higher education. As Schmalzbauer and Mahoney show, religious initiatives lead institutions to engage with cultural diversity and connect spirituality with academic and student life, heightening attention to the sacred on both secular and church-related campuses. (From the Publisher)

Table Of Content:
Ch 1. The Comeback
Ch 2. Religion and Knowledge in the Post-Secular Academy
Ch 3. Crisis and Renewal in Church-Related Higher Education
Ch 4. The Revitalization of Student Religious Life
Ch 5. The Wider Significance of Religion on Campus
Ch 5. The Future of Religion in Higher Education

Notes

Index
Wabash Center