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Education in Your Religious Tradition

© ML Arthur

Many colleges and universities are associated with religious organizations. Sometimes, these affiliations mean nothing more than a symbol on a crest or the availability of certain religious services. Other times, they influence the entire character of the school, from required coursework to ordination programs, from extracurricular activities to mandatory service programs, from daily worship to behavior regulations. Many people choose to attend a religious institution because they feel culturally or theologically tied to a particular faith group or because they wish to become ordained in that faith. Some religious schools, however, are very welcoming of those who have other faiths. It can be a great way to become exposed to a faith and a culture different from your own without traveling to another country.

Most people are aware of the large network of Catholic Colleges in the United States, most of whom are regulated by national and international Catholic organizations (see http://www.catholiccollegesonline.org for more information). We have also heard about many Protestant colleges in the news lately, like the fundamentalist Bob Jones University (http://www.bju.edu) and the service-oriented colleges outlines in my previous article about free education (http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/8072... Here are some options for religious colleges you may not have heard of:

7th Day Adventist Education The Seventh Day Adventists are a Christian sect that believes returning to some of the ideals outlined in the Old Testament, including dietary restrictions and the keeping of Saturday as the Sabbath. They do not believe in the use of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs or in divorce, and many are vegetarians. They also have a sincere commitment to social responsibility. Atlantic Union College (http://www.atlanticuc.edu) is affiliated with the Seventh Day Adventists. It offers associate's degrees in a number of areas, bachelor's degrees in music, science, art, and humanities, and master's in education. Students are required to participate in community service. Some chapel service attendance is required, but more is optional. An athletic program and healthy dining are also available. See http://www.sdanet.org/school.html for an international listing of colleges and universities affiliated with this faith.

Transcendental Meditation Maharishi University of Management is a university offering standard liberal arts and sciences degrees as well as study in exercise science, business, library work, English as a Second Language, creative intelligence, and Vedic medicine. Undergraduates are required to take Natural Law Seminars, which train them in the practice of Transcendental Meditation (http://www.tm.org). Students take only one course at a time for a little over three weeks. Organic, vegetarian food is served and students have ample time for world travel and study abroad, cultural and artistic involvement, and club sports. See http://www.mum.edu for more information.

The copyright of the article Education in Your Religious Tradition in Higher Education is owned by ML Arthur. Permission to republish Education in Your Religious Tradition in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.