Spirituality in Higher Education

Questions about meaning and purpose are as old as humans, and in the earliest days of higher education, the search for truth was the ultimate journey of the student. Over the decades, though, the academy has often shunned the spiritual aspect of a student's education. Whether that is to avoid controversy or to protect from acknowledging that all is not known, there is a predisposition to avoid talking about spirituality in the academy. Regardless, the result is the creation of what T.S. Eliot called "hollow men" who live in this world but do not know why they are here and thus do not know how to live their lives. This book is one of many responding to a reawakening of desire to avoid such creatures. Its purpose, at least in a cursory way, is to look at spirituality in academe through a number of lenses. Composed of chapters from both faculty and administrators, this volume offers insight into the critical need for spirituality in educating the whole student while recognizing that how spirituality is viewed and taught (and experienced) is intensely personal. The goal is not to prescribe how spirituality should be integrated but to offer multiple options and perspectives. Not only will readers learn about the complex and vital role of spirituality, they will also be reminded that the quest for truth and meaning, not the destination, is what is vitally important in shaping discussions about spirituality.