ABSTRACT
Few in academia would argue that educating students to value social justice is a worthless or counterproductive pursuit as faculty attempt to develop prosocial citizens, many of whom are likely to become leaders in society. In fact, increasing justice in society may be viewed as one of the universal goals of higher education. Historically, directives to pursue social justice in very specific ways have appeared in sacred scriptures in most of the world’s religions. It is surprising, then, that little attention has been paid to the relationship between religion and social justice in the literature on higher education. In addition, a focus on the influence of spirituality on social justice has been rare. Yet large numbers of students identify spirituality as an important aspect of their lives and many identify themselves as religious (Astin, Astin, Lindholm, Bryant, Szelényi, & Calderone, 2005). If indeed there are relationships between spirituality or religion and social justice among young adults, this would be important for academicians to consider as they promote the concern for social justice. Potential relationships between these constructs have implications for the way the topics of spirituality and religion are managed in academic environments, including general considerations such as the way these subjects are discussed or avoided on campuses, and specific deliberations such as curriculum development and application in various disciplines.
