The Spirit of Service

In The Spirit of Service , the contributing authors explore the intersection of faith, service, and social justice in higher education. Reflecting upon the role that higher education plays in preparing future generations of citizens and leaders, this book asserts that spirituality and values necessarily involve one's person-and that educators must begin to connect student learning with the human experiences of faith, service, and commitment to social justice. Each of the authors describes a teaching experience in order to critically reflect upon the divide in academic culture between responsible, rigorous, intellectual competence and personal values. The authors' lessons in success and failure are meant to provide guidance for all institutions that are committed to preparing young students to lead lives of leadership and civic engagement. Divided into three parts, this book: Explores the meaning, practice, and implications of religions 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 Containing a wealth of practical suggestions and strategies, The Spirit of Service represents a conversation in progress; it is an attempt to understand how to help undergraduates integrate service and spirituality for the purpose of social justice.