Sacred and Secular Tensions in Higher Education ─ Connecting Parallel Universities

Both sacred and secular worldviews have long held a place in U.S. higher education, although non-religious perspectives have been privileged in most institutions in the modern era. Sacred and Secular Tensions in Higher Education illustrates the importance of cultivating multiple worldviews at public, private, and faith-based colleges and universities in the interest of academic freedom, and intellectual and moral dialogue.

Contributors to this edited collection argue that sacred perspectives are as integral to contemporary higher education in the United States as the more dominant secular perspectives. The debates and issues addressed in this book attempt to rebalance the dialogue and place an emphasis on pluralism, rather than declare victory of one paradigm over the other. Student affairs administrators, higher education and religious studies faculty, and campus ministers and chaplains will benefit from better understanding the interplay of these sometimes competing and sometimes complementary ideas on campus, and the impact of the debate on the lives of faculty, students, and staff.

Dr. Michael D. Waggoner is Professor of HigherEducation at the University of Northern Iowa and Editor of the peer-reviewed journal, Religion & Education.

Preface

1. Sacred and Secular Tensions in Contemporary Higher Education, Michael D. Waggoner

2. Taking the Tournament of Worldviews Seriously in Education: Why Teaching About Religion is not Enough, Perry L. Glanzer

3. Teaching Spirituality in Public Higher Education, Carney Strange and Judy Rogers

4. Understanding the "Interior" Life of Faculty: How Important is Spirituality? Jennifer A. Lindholm and Helen S. Astin

5. Inviting Atheists to the Table: A Modest Proposal for Higher Education, Robert J. Nash

6. Jesus, the Enlightenment, and Teaching World History: The Struggles of an Evangelical Scholar, Ralph E. Lentz II

7. Evangelicals on Campus: An Exploration of Culture, Faith, and College Life, Alyssa N. Bryant

8. Exploring Religious Pluralism in Higher Education: Non-Majority Religious Perspectives among Entering First-Year College Students, Alyssa N. Bryant
9. Spirituality and Religion: Through the Eyes of the "Hidden Educators," Christy Moran Craft

10. University Student Affairs Staff and Their Spiritual Discussions with Students, Jill Burchell, Jenny J. Lee, and Sara Olson

11. Addressing the Identity-Relevance Dilemma: Religious Particularity and Pluralism at Presbyterian Church-Related Colleges, Robert C. Spach

12. Being Religious at Knox College: Attitudes Toward Religion, Christian Expression, and Conservative Values on Campus, L. Sue Hulett

Afterword: Connecting Parallel Universities, Michael D. Waggoner