The Spirit of Service: Exploring Faith, Service, and Social Justice in Higher Education

This book explores the intersections of service, justice, and faith in higher education. It represents a conversation in progress an attempt to understand how to help undergraduates integrate service and spirituality for the purpose of social justice. Here a cadre of professors and administrators critically reflect upon the divide within academic culture between responsible, rigorous, intellectual competence and those facets of human experience that we describe as faith, spirituality, service, and a commitment to social justice. Several of the contributors give candid accounts of their own teaching experiences, sharing the importance of connecting learning to life. In addition, there are sometimes sharply differing views on what role, if any, service-learning, social justice, or faith should play in guiding our work in higher education. Each chapter offers a unique window through which we can gain a different perspective on the themes explored in this book. The Spirit of Service provides stimulation for widely ranging conversations about these issues at other colleges and universities and concludes with a wealth of suggestions and strategies. Divided into three parts, this book: Explores the meaning, practice, and implications of religious or spiritually motivated service Offers specific examples from faculty for integrating faith or spiritual perspectives with service, including what has worked and what dilemmas remain Focuses on specific dilemmas and implications for engaging in service for social justice