Pope Francis incarnates a praxis of encounter in an age of polarization. For Francis, encounter entails displacement, dialog, and discernment. Relational pedagogy illuminates the fecundity of relationships between the teacher and student at the heart of education. Nel Noddings, preeminent proponent of relational pedagogy, grounds an ethics of care…

Iqbal views the schooling as well as the Madrassah systems devoid of developing a dynamic Muslim required for the renaissance of Ummah. With this realization, many Islamic educationists in Pakistan have established. Islamic schools in Pakistan. The question is whether their models are dynamic enough to create such Muslims? This research probes…

This reflective essay addresses the use of metaphors as a creative framework through which Christian academics can change the lens for viewing our practices. Academics strive to demonstrate creativity, innovation, critical thinking, and mental keenness, while aspiring to teach our students to do the same. Often, however, the stresses and strains…

Nearly a decade ago, Alyssa Rockenbach, the editor of the "Journal of College & Character's" "Spirituality on Campus" section, issued a call to action. First, she invited scholars to better assess campus spiritual and religious climate. Then, she urged practitioners to redouble their efforts to share and promote best…

It is widely accepted in academia and state policies that recent years have seen an increasing stress on publicly enacted Muslim identity in Britain and in many other parts of the world. Less recognised is the fact that many among those who call themselves Muslims do not share religion as a predominant identity-attribute for themselves. Such…

Catholic universities in the United States have developed complexity reflective of the larger development of modern universities and "multiversities." This complexity, together with the decline in the numbers of sponsoring religious orders and diocesan priests, presents new challenges for the sustaining of a theologically rooted,…

When the Religious Education Association (REA) was founded in 1903 in Chicago, the purpose of the organization was to explore innovative ways of envisioning, or we could say imagining, religious and moral instruction. At its first convention William Rainey Harper articulated a guiding vision for religious education that included foci on both…

This chapter gives an overview of the vision, knowledge base, and skill set of interfaith leadership.

The field of biblical studies lends itself well to decentered online learning--a kind that uses active learning to engage primary texts and their interpretations. Not only does such an approach work well in online and hybrid formats, it more readily welcomes readings that are more contextual, constructive, and collaborative. Three aspects best…

Cultivating a disposition of critical thinking among students and faculty can provide a means of addressing troubling cultural trends like breakdowns in public discourse, academic siloing, and disengagement from religion. This article expands the concept of critical thinking by engaging the work of John Henry Newman and Bernard Lonergan. The…

Many Americans identify as religious or spiritual, with a large subset of these individuals identifying as Christian. However, many doctoral training programs neglect to incorporate religion and spirituality into their curricula in an intentional and integrated way. Past national research has documented that many professionals report feeling…

The 2018 Religious Education Association (REA) meeting, "Beyond White Normativity: Creating Brave Spaces" shed light for many on the failure of the REA to effectively confront the reality of white racial bias within its systemic and structural practices. This essay reflects on four specific ways these challenges emerged during the 2018…

Sexual activity and desire have often been seen as inimical to Christian spirituality and practice, and many people have come to view Christianity as austere and shaming regarding sexuality. However, sexuality, religion, and policy-making have become so intertwined, that to ignore how they intersect and affect particular individuals' lives does a…

Providing guidelines to the students is central for them to optimize their learning, so as to enhance the effectiveness of their learning. However, one of the contemporary issues debated within the dynamics of learning indicates the decline of instructional strategies, one of which occurs due to the ruling out of ethical consideration in learning.…

This paper claims that 'Mahachula-academics always support the propagation of Buddhism'. Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University, Khon Kaen Campus has its vision to be 'the International Buddhist University for Mental and Social Development'. Besides the academic development, the essential means used in the mental and social development is the…