In recent years, there has been increasing interest in issues of meaning, purpose, and spirituality within the higher education community. To date, however, there has been very little empirical research conducted on these topics, especially with respect to how faculty view spirituality and its expression within the campus community. The result is a critical gap in understanding how to create educational environments that maximize the personal and professional potential of students and faculty. Indeed, at the heart of higher education’s capacity to change are faculty, who play a central role in shaping the culture and climate of their departments and their institutions. The values and beliefs of college and university faculty represent the fundamental standards by which key institutional decisions are made and priorities are set. At this critical juncture for the professoriate, questions of meaning, purpose, connection, and authenticity are more important than ever before. 

The Quest for Meaning and Wholeness: Spiritual and Religious Connections in the Lives of College Faculty provides an in-depth examination of how faculty conceptualize and experience the spiritual dimensions of their lives using new research that builds on findings detailed in Cultivating the Spirit. It also considers how faculty perceive the intersections between spirituality and higher education, and what implications their spiritual inclinations have not only for undergraduate education, but also for faculty life within academic workplaces. Each chapter describes research findings and insights along with implications for faculty development and the quality of overall life in higher education.

Published by Jossey-Bass, 2014; Hardcover 261 pages
ISBN: 978-1-118-27147-6