Introduction

Educators typically focus on fostering academic competence, but overlook the inner life of students. The UCLA study on spirituality in higher education revealed that four out of five faculty described themselves as “spiritual” and stated that religion did play an important role in their personal lives. Yet only a minority of them subscribed to the idea that “colleges should be concerned with facilitating students’ spiritual development.” This practice of non-engagement was confirmed by their college students who stated that their professors either never or rarely directed classroom conversation toward spiritual matters. (Bryant and Schwartz 2006)

Evangelical professors often desire to articulate their faith to their students in some manner, but feel restricted if they are in a secular setting. Yet if as it’s been stated that, “We need to teach who we are,” i.e., express our identity through our teaching, how can Christian educators legitimately integrate spiritual matters into the classroom curriculum in order to enrich the lives of their students? (Palmer 2007, 13-14) What subject matters can be included under the rubric of “spirituality” without violating the separation of church and state as provided in the 1 ^st Amendment?

Spirituality in Education

Alexander Astin’s call for spirituality in liberal education posits a broad definition of this term that transcends any specific religion. It takes into account one’s inner subjective life as well as one’s affective experiences. “More specifically, spirituality has to do with the values that we hold most dear, our sense of who we are and where we come from, our beliefs about why we are here — the meaning and purpose that we see in our work and our life—and our sense of connectedness to each other and to the world around us.” (Astin 2004, 34)

With this expansive description, issues such as meaning in life, self-worth, character development, moral values and community concerns can be integrated into the classroom curriculum without being anchored to any one faith. They become legitimate topics for discussion in a non-religious setting.

Faculty from a variety of institutions who gathered for a conference on spirituality suggested incorporating the spiritual dimension in four areas at universities: curricula, co-curricula, faculty development and campus community initiatives. Within curricula, ideas that surfaced included the creation of seminars and new courses, and “designing capstone experiences on spirituality.” Also mentioned was the use of “meditation, contemplation, and reflective writing and journaling” for students. (Bryant and Schwartz 2006, 34)

A parallel development toward embracing the spiritual dimension in curricula and co-curricula has been taking place in grades K-12, especially within the last fifteen years. The stated mission of the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) is to establish social and emotional learning (SEL) as an essential part of education from pre-school through high school.(CASEL 2008, 2) CASEL co-founder Daniel Goleman’s book on emotional intelligence has been instrumental in raising awareness of the relationship between spiritual well being and academic achievement. (Goleman 1995)

The mission of the PassageWorks Institute is “to motivate, prepare, and support educators to implement its proven model for nurturing the inner lives of students and teachers.” Founder Rachel Kessler’s groundbreaking work, The Soul of Education, addresses the seven gateways to the inner life of students that enable them to connect with themselves and with others. Under the gateway of Meaning and Purpose, individuals seek to know about the existence of God, their own purpose and place in the world, and whether there is life for them after death. (Kessler 2000, 58)

The premise behind SEL is that students learn better and can focus on academics when their emotional and social needs are cared for. A number of the principles and practices in use in the lower grades can be transposed to the context of higher education. While the situations that college students face are different from those of children, the former nevertheless do encounter matters of great emotional, social and spiritual concern such as living away from home, exploring their emerging identity, finding acceptance in a new community, discovering their purpose in life (career) and responding to new situations and temptations. These and other issues of college life can, and do, affect academic performance. Thus, incorporating elements of SEL into classroom discussion can enhance the spiritual life of students.

Moreover, a classroom attuned to SEL can create an atmosphere of collaboration and community, improve peer relationships, and emphasize the internal exploration for meaning. In short, a spiritual classroom values and emphasizes self-knowledge, healthy interpersonal relationships and communal concerns.

When two hundred and seventy-two global thinkers were asked what values were important for the world community, these are the five that emerged: compassion, honesty, fairness, responsibility, and respect. (Loges and Kidder 2001, 11) Not only are these attributes that SEL seeks to instill, these are also civic values that are rooted in biblical ethics. Thus, it is possible to introduce biblical values into classroom discourse and practice without directly mentioning either the Bible or Jesus Christ.

Biblical Values in the Secular Classroom

One can, however, overtly reference biblical principles within an academic dialogue as demonstrated by Parker Palmer in the following incident. When he was teaching at a college in Appalachia, the Dalai Lama visited the campus. Some of the fundamentalist Christian students were very upset believing the monk to be the Antichrist. One of these students spoke up in class and derided the notion that the Tibetan Buddhists could magically single out a young child and determine that he would be the next Dalai Lama. Palmer responded, “Like you, I’m a Christian, and what I need to do is to explore with you the fact that our own faith tradition has a very similar belief. In fact, we believe that we identified Jesus when he was an infant, younger even than the boy that became the Dalai Lama.” (Lantieri 2001, 4)

The ensuing dialogue brought the class into a discussion as to how people discern reality and decide what is true for them. The students were challenged as to their personal framework of reference, be it religious or otherwise. In this way, it became a spiritual conversation.

In another classroom, the topic of the day was ecology. Discussion ran the gamut from technological advances that were needed to save the planet, to lifestyle changes that were required, to the reasons why nations would or would not engage in such modified behavior. The teacher concluded with these two questions. “What is a human being?” “And why are we on earth?” (Lantieri 2001, 97) From a beginning in the context of ecology, students were ultimately confronted with the question as to why the survival of the human race is a matter of supreme importance. Such questions transport learners from the problems of the 21st century world to the basic metaphysical questions of life.

Spirituality in Specific Disciplines

It is clearly easier to make this spiritual connection with some courses than with others due to subject matter. In an English literature course where Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World was required reading, these are some sample questions that were posed to the students:

1. Soma is used heavily by the citizens of the World State to escape their daily lives. It is a magical drug because it allows one all the “benefits” of being drunk but without the nuisance of hangovers. In our own society, many people turn to drugs and alcohol to escape from their problems. Is this appropriate?
2. Sex is a commodity in the World State. Citizens are conditioned to believe that “everyone belongs to everyone.” Why does this seem like a skewed way to approach sex (or is it)? Why do we believe in institutions like marriage?
3. The citizens of the World State mock the concept of organized religion. But, we see that their beliefs are essentially a religion. What is religion, then? Is it an inherent or necessary part of society?
4. In Brave New World, babies are born from test tubes, and the lowest caste members are cloned. Despite the society’s liberal view on sex, they view pregnancy as an abomination. Would birthing babies from test tubes be a better way to handle reproduction? (Chow 2008)

The Christian instructor’s intent in these questions was to influence students to examine their values. In the subsequent class discussion, beliefs were challenged and moral and ethical principles brought to the forefront. Values based on Scripture were espoused by some of the students.

The final question above touched on cloning and, in fact, led to a dialogue on current practices in stem cell research. A geneticist made a guest appearance to address these issues from a scientific standpoint. Inter-disciplinary team teaching, whether for several instructional periods or for a new course, can be a viable option for those who educate in subject areas where ties to spirituality are not as obvious. Instructors in science or technology could co-teach with colleagues in the humanities as in the preceding example. Science and spirituality need not be mutually exclusive disciplines.

After attending a workshop on the topic of incorporating spirituality into classroom discourse, a professor in accounting contemplated injecting ethics into the equation. The recent interest in the financial scandals that have rocked Wall Street was the avenue that he foresaw for addressing matters of morality with his students. With forethought and appropriate and creative teaching methodologies, spiritual issues can be broached in the secular university to the benefit of the student body. (For additional information, see ContemplativeMind.org in endnotes.)

Creating a Safe Environment

However, creating a safe environment where spiritual topics can be approached, and the depths of thought and emotions plumbed, is far from an easy task. Establishing the classroom climate begins with the self-awareness of the teacher. Personal issues emerge, especially when touching upon matters of the soul. “When I do not know myself, I cannot know who my students are. I will see them through a glass darkly, in the shadows of my unexamined life.” (Palmer 2007, 3) Intellectual knowledge must be paired with emotional intelligence on the part of the leader.

When a student risks by sharing, the instructor must respond in an appropriate fashion. When a student displays vulnerability, the professor must know how to direct subsequent class interaction to acknowledge and encourage further conversation. Otherwise, well-intentioned attempts to foster dialogue in the spiritual realm will result in disappointed, frustrated and even hurt students. Classroom exchanges will return to surface level conversation and remain there.

After observing a disastrous interaction when a student shared from her emotional depths as requested and the teacher responded devoid of feeling, educator Chip Wood came to this conclusion. “I felt that she had put her whole soul out there. And there was no response. No affirmation or appreciation of what she had offered. The other kids immediately reined in their stories because what had seemed like a sacred space was ignored; destroyed, unrecognized by this teacher. It made me realize that toying with spirituality, if you don’t know what you’re doing, can be more damaging than just ignoring it.” (Kessler 2000, 128)

Conclusion

The leadership of the educator is pivotal because ultimately “We teach who we are.” Teachers who are comfortable with their own spirituality and have been able to integrate their faith with the other aspects of their lives will be in a better position to make a lasting impact on the souls of their students.

Works Cited

Astin, Alexander. “Why Spirituality Deserves a Central Place in Liberal Education,” Liberal Education 90 n2 (2004)

Bryant, Alyssa N. and Leslie M. Schwartz. 2006. “Spirituality in Higher Education: Integrating Spirituality into the Campus Curriculum and Co-Curriculum,” National Institute on Spirituality in Higher Education. link.

CASEL. 2008. “Past. Present. Future.” Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning. Link.

The Center for Contemplative Mind in Society. For a non-faith-based organization with a program to integrate learning and spirituality in higher education, see Center for Contemplative Mind in Society.

Chow, Candace J. Email message to writer, November 3, 2008.

Goleman, Daniel. 1995. Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ. New York: Bantam.

Kessler, Rachael. 2000. The Soul of Education: Helping Students Find Connection, Compassion, and Character at School. Alexandria: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Lantieri, Linda. “Integral Life, Integral Teacher: An Interview with Parker J. Palmer,” in Schools with Spirit.

Lantieri, Linda, ed. 2002. Schools with Spirit: Nurturing the Inner Lives of Children and Teachers. Boston: Beacon Press.

Loges, W. E. and R. M. Kidder. 1997. Global Values, Moral Boundaries: A Pilot Survey. Comden, Maine: The Institute for Global Ethics. Cited in Linda Lantieri, “A Vision of Schools with Spirit,” in Schools with Spirit.

Needleman, Jacob. “Wendy, Sim, and Other Philosphers: High School and the Love of Wisdom,” in Lantieri, Schools with Spirit.

Palmer, Parker. 2007. The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher’s Life. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

PassageWorks Institute, Inc. Mission stated on Home Page.

Photo credits: Shaylor; ISAAC

About the Author

Rev. Dr. Andrew Lee
Eastern Regional Director and Consultant
Institute for the Study of Asian American Christianity

A resident of New York City, the Reverend Dr. Andrew Lee will form an Eastern Region resource team and develop regional programs for ISAAC. He also serves as a consultant in the area of intergenerational ministries and congregational development. He will develop an ISAAC D.Min curriculum with an Asian American Ministry emphasis.

Dr. Lee received his B.A. in history at Nyack College, his M.Div. from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. from Baylor University with emphasis in Old Testament studies. Andrew has served as the Director of Theological Education at Northeastern Baptist School of Ministry and was Associate Professor of Old Testament Interpretation at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is currently an Adjunct Professor in Bible at New Brunswick Theological Seminary in New Jersey.

Rev. Lee also served as English Pastor of Trust in God Baptist Church (NYC) and lead pastor of English Ministries at Oversea Chinese Mission (the largest Chinese church in New York City), combining for more than 21 years of pastoral ministry. He recently contributed a chapter, “Reading the Bible as an Asian American: Issues in Asian American Biblical Interpretation,” to Ways of Being, Ways of Reading, edited by Mary Foskett and Jeffrey Kah-Jin Kuan (Chalice Press, 2006). His articles will also appear in forthcoming volumes of The New Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible (Abingdon Press, 2006). He is married with three children.