The United States' higher education landscape includes over 600 colleges and universities affiliated with a Christian denomination. Many of these institutions employ faculty whose worldview identities depart from the Christian ethos of the campus. The present study draws on case study data to examine how worldview minority faculty members make sense of the climate for religious and spiritual diversity at church-affiliated colleges and universities. Findings illuminate how worldview minority faculty members navigate tensions between their identities and church-affiliated institutional contexts. We use the concepts of worldview climate and identity taxation to explore the ways in which these faculty distinctively support worldview minority students in both official and unofficial capacities, and the important role these faculty play in advocating for nondominant perspectives on campus.
Worldview is often neglected as a dimension of holistic student learning and development in college, yet certain higher education practitioners are deeply committed to supporting students with diverse religious, spiritual, and secular identities. This article explores common characteristics among these “interfaith champions” and how their own worldview identities inform their commitment to advancing interfaith equity.
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