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Spiritual And Religious Considerations

Decent Essays

Ironically, spiritual and religious considerations were foundational in U.S. higher education historically. It was not until the late nineteenth century it began to shift to a fragmental one with a devaluing of liberal arts education (Lindholm, J. ,2014). Not only the education was operated with a business-like model but also the positivistic culture of academe conditions faculty and students to separate personal values from disciplinary content, coupled with associated notions that the spiritual dimension of experience is an illegitimate focus for serious scholarly inquiry. This represents another, often powerful, source of tension for the spirituality in this environment. Indeed, so-called dominator conceptualizations of spiritual and religious beliefs , structures, and relationships have also been used to rationalize behavioral atrocities and to justify chronic injustice and misery. Associated fears lead some to presume that those who would choose to focus on spiritual or religious dimensions of student and faculty life are motivated by a desire to “convert” others to their own beliefs and practices or to eradicate from the academy those who they feel don’t have the “correct” orientations and values (Lindholm, J. ,2014, P4). However, this culture change in academia cannot stop people from pursuing the meaning and purpose of their existence on this planet. Most of us, in some part of our life, have been seeking healing and reconciliation with self and others. This

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