The Challenge and Promise of Pluralism: Dimensions of Spiritual Climate and Diversity at a Lutheran College

This qualitative case study sought to explicate relevant features of the spiritual climate at one liberal arts religious college and also highlight the diverse ways in which students, faculty, and staff identities shaped the experience of climate. The findings revealed that the spiritual climate of Lutheran College was a product of diverse and voluntary spiritual expressions, the struggle to balance the institution's denominational heritage with commitment to diversity, and community fragmentation brought on by conflicting ideologies. Moreover, minority narratives suggested that spiritual climate is not a singular, absolute reality, but is perceived and experienced in ways that depend on one's background, worldview, and minority/majority status. Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association, April 2009, San Diego, CA.