By Dean Karla Carney-Hall
IWU's Dean of Students
This post is the start of our series on "College Campuses and Worldviews" Check out more by following the "College Campuses and Worldviews" tag.
When Wah and Hailey invited me to reflect on my own worldview and the role that college plays in faith development, I have to admit it’s a bit overwhelming. Worldview is immensely personal. Worldview describes your life’s most essential tenets -- the purpose and meaning of life, literally the way you see the world, the values you choose to live by, and your beliefs about life and death. Someone described worldview as having colored glasses; your worldview lens consistently interprets how you see and engage with the world. Answering these questions is a journey, nestled in family, experiences and values. Because of that, college is the perfect time and place to explore worldview!
Like many of you, my journey starts with my family. I was almost a “preacher’s kid” -- my parents both went to divinity school at Duke University, but neither ultimately worked in ministry. Perhaps as an extension of understanding “calling” and finding life’s purpose, my dad worked in career services and my mom was an educator for much of her life. Education and service are intertwined parts of my worldview.
I grew up in the United Methodist church, an active member of youth fellowship, choir, service ministry, and more. My circle of friends were connected both at school and at church. My family and my positive experiences with friends made church a place of community. That community reinforced positive values, serving others, and understanding social justice.
In college, I was not very connected to a church family. Like many of you, it wasn’t “easy” to connect -- new people, new community, my community wasn’t easily re-established, and well -- morning services on the weekend! It was especially hard to “go alone” with the awkwardness that comes from doing anything alone, even church. At one point, I worked with my church to implement a Sunday evening service for college students. We tried for a year to generate a college community, but to no avail. I found myself craving that community, but without a clear path to connecting. I wish the Office of Multifaith Engagement existed for me. I wish the multi-faith ambassadors were an option for continuing my faith journey.
To me (and many of you since you’re reading this), the value of worldview exploration in college starts with creating communities of support. We all value belonging and worldview often provides an opportunity for like-minded/like-valued peers. It’s a starting point for friendships -- common language (if you’re exploring a faith you’ve already been a part of), shared traditions and rituals that breed familiarity and comfort, and emotional support (often, but not always). Although I believe that community is critical to worldview, it’s not the only important component.
An examination of worldview is an extension of values clarification and critical thinking. A critical component of “college student development” is independence. In college, a student experiences freedom -- physically by living independently, mentally by exploring new ideas and values, and emotionally through self-awareness, independent from parents. College is one big lesson in value exploration. College is that time when students can examine their faith traditions and different worldviews more freely. We can move beyond the feelings of community and tradition to a critical examination of the tenets and beliefs. Whether this occurs in the classroom or in co-curricular experiences, we have the opportunity to reconcile our worldview traditions with our worldview beliefs, for ourselves.
For many, this reconciliation is difficult. As I said before, worldview is personal and there’s often cognitive dissonance. Many faith traditions have a history of identity-based judgments (gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, and more) that don’t translate well to our personal values. College is a time when we continue to become our best selves -- our identity is so critical to college development. For me, there was an early reckoning around the role of women in faith. I remember challenging our church choir director (at age 9) about whether girls could try out for the all-male lead musical she had selected. Today, it’s the division in the United Methodist church regarding supporting the LBGQ/TGNC community. Using critical thinking to examine the tenets of our faith traditions allows us to challenge worldviews. Collegiate critical thinking recognizes that one can accept parts of a worldview, while challenging others. We reject dualism - all or nothing - and embrace that faith is messy.
So, what do I think IWU has done for our students on a worldview journey? Our team has provided a tremendous community to bring people together. Community is the foundation of creating brave spaces for deep dialogue around worldview. The Office of Multifaith Engagement has created an inclusive space that is truly interfaith in the examination of worldview, so we can learn from one another. It would be easy on a campus with United Methodist roots to focus on Christianity; however, I’m particularly proud of the way OME lifts up diverse texts, voices, traditions and conveys value in each of these perspectives. I am proud that OME relies on critical thinking to explore faith. I greatly value the way OME commits to an educational process that includes personal experience, reflection and critical examination.
In my own faith journey, I wish I could say that my collegiate experience shaped my worldview. I wish I had all the tools that IWU students have to enhance their worldviews. My biggest worldview game-changer? Becoming a mom. Never have I prayed so hard for well-being and safety. Never have I prayed so passionately for a better, more inclusive world. Never have I articulated so clearly the values that I cherish most. This is part of my nightly prayer with my son … “Lord, help us to be patient, loving and kind. Help us to work hard every day, to learn and to grow, and be the people you want us to be. Help us to remember that no one is perfect and all we have to do is do our best. Lord, thank you for mommies and daddies and Brendans (especially Brendans). Be with us, guide us, bless us and protect us. In your name we pray.”
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