Because the pandemic has pushed us online, it is harder this year to see how lively religious and spiritual life is at Carleton. About 50% of each class declares a religious affiliation, and many more consider themselves spiritual. Almost every religion in the world is represented here and religious students tend to be both knowledgeable about their faith and open to learning about other traditions. That’s an impressive combination!
But we still hear that some students are uncomfortable bringing their religious identity into discussions on campus. They feel that they will be judged or disregarded. Yet, like other forms of identity, religious students’ perspectives and experiences are important to bring into the conversation. Secularity, especially in the context of a liberal arts education, allows for the appropriate expression of a full range of understandings, in pursuit of growth and learning for all. Religious perspectives should not be excluded or privileged.
Two guidelines help to make such discussions appropriate:
- The speaker must not assume that their words will be self-evidently true to others and must expect to offer justification.
- The listener must focus on the particular issue raised by the speaker and put aside the religious stereotypes they may hold.
The secular liberal arts expect the speaker and the listener to follow these principles in discussing any idea. We can each grow from such open conversations and improve our understanding of each other.
Please know you are not alone in your beliefs and concerns. Join us this winter in the Chapel (online, for now!) as we deepen our religious and spiritual lives, grapple with how faith and learning fit together, and explore meaning and purpose in our lives.
Carolyn Fure-Slocum, College Chaplain