Newswise — While you won't find many of today's college students in a church, temple or mosque for organized services, they are searching for spiritual meaning, says St. Lawrence University Chaplain Kathleen Buckley.
In fact, more than two-thirds of today's college students pray, and four out of five believe in God, according to a survey by the Higher Education Research Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Buckley says, "today's college students are typically not religious in the sense that they attend weekly religious services. But they are exploring sources from many philosophies and doctrines. This search for meaning and purpose has led us to develop a program called BYOB " Build Your Own Beliefs, in which students spend eight weeks exploring their spiritual side in 90-minute discussion groups and through self-reflection. Through this experience, each student ultimately creates his or her own personal belief statement."
As its name implies, the co-curricular gathering is designed to help students figure out what they believe. Buckley says, "Our goal is to provide a safe space for them to examine what they have inherited and seek together to find meaning and purpose for their lives. We do end up talking about religious matters, but we don't espouse any one religion. We include readings or insights from many of the world's spiritual traditions, as well as its thinkers, writers and artists. Each meeting is structured to guide students through a reflective process on a single topic. Personal reflections are enhanced by respectful discussion with the rest of the group. It is the goal of the group that by the end of the program, each member will write a personal belief statement. This exploration is personal, not dogmatic. As such, world religions may be mentioned, but no particular one is singularly espoused."
Buckley has noticed a steady increase in social-justice groups forming and an explosion of progressive, spiritual values that embrace diversity and respect all religious traditions. This past year, for the first time, several students applying for admission to the university called the chaplain's office to see what spiritual life is like on campus.
"That was a first!," Buckley says.
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