ERIC Number: EJ882667
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2009
Pages: 18
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0888-210X
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Keeping (or Losing) the Faith: Reflections on Spiritual Struggles and Their Resolution by College Seniors
Fisler, Jodi; Agati, Holly Alexander; Chance, Shannon M.; Donahue, Amie E.; Donahue, Gregory A.; Eickhoff, Eric J.; Gastler, Sara E. Kolb; Lowder, Joseph C.; Foubert, John D.
College Student Affairs Journal, v27 n2 p257-274 Spr 2009
In this qualitative study, researchers examined how college seniors experienced and resolved spiritual struggles in college. Results indicated that academic activities provided opportunities to question, learn, and grow spiritually. Although a variety of external factors influenced students' explorations of their spirituality, participants looked inward to resolve their struggles in deeply personal ways. Spiritual struggle was often manifested as a reexamination of students' pre-college values, an ongoing process for many students. Researchers identified four ways of describing students' state of resolution: (1) recommitting to an existing faith, (2) slightly readjusting their spiritual or religious values, (3) blending spiritual traditions, or (4) losing their faith.
Descriptors: College Seniors, Spiritual Development, Beliefs, Reflection, Conflict, Researchers, Educational Experience, Influences, Religious Factors, Developmental Stages, Qualitative Research
Southern Association for College Student Affairs. e-mail: admin@sacsa.org; Web site: http://www.sacsa.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A