The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 40, No. 2 & Volume 41, No. 1 - 194

As U.S. society becomes increasingly diverse
both culturally and religiously, young adults are
faced with more opportunities than ever before
to engage with and learn from those whose
backgrounds, beliefs, values, and ways of life
differ substantially from their own (Wuthnow,
2007). From a certain vantage point, demographic shifts promise to enrich the lives of
this generation, opening young adults to new
ideas and possibilities. On the other hand,
growing diversity creates tension and hostility
in the world around us; as Eboo Patel lamented, "the evening news is full of stories of faithbased violence, and our public discourse has a
constant undercurrent of religious prejudice"
(2012, para. 5). Given the reality of discord and
aggression wrought by religious and worldview differences, Patel posed some compelling
questions for higher education leaders today:
What if recruiting a religiously diverse student
body, creating a welcoming environment for
people of different faith and philosophical
identities, and offering classes in interfaith
studies and co-curricular opportunities in
interfaith leadership became the norm?. . . .
What impact might a critical mass of interfaith
leaders have on America over the course of
the next generation? (2012, para. 10)
From an empirical perspective, we are beginning to understand how collegiate conditions and experiences might be tailored to
build the critical mass of interfaith leaders that
Patel advocates. For example, recent studies
that explore the campus climate for religious
and spiritual diversity reveal that provocative
encounters with worldview diversity during
college-particularly when these encounters
challenge students to reconsider their beliefs
and assumptions about their own and others'

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worldviews-are related to students' degree of
openness to and acceptance of people of other
religions and worldviews (Bryant, 2011; Bryant
Rockenbach & Mayhew, 2013). Not only do students have an opportunity to grow from these
challenging experiences, but such encounters
may also leave them feeling more satisﬁed with
the degree of spiritual diversity on their campus
(Bryant Rockenbach & Mayhew, in press).
Although campus climate studies help to
illuminate general patterns related to student
experiences and outcomes, we know little
about what is actually taking place as students
engage with peers of other worldviews. Research on intergroup dialogue suggests that
facilitated conversations about social identities (e.g., race, class, gender) provide promising opportunities to instill appreciation for
diversity, disrupt social and economic barriers, generate positive cross-cultural relationships, and foster commitment to social justice
advocacy (Zúñiga, Lopez, & Ford, 2012).
However, few studies within the higher education context portray the nuances of college
students' inter-worldview engagement and
the developmental implications that stem
from in-depth conversations that cross religious lines. One notable exception is Small's
(2011) qualitative investigation of college
students' faith frames. Observations of intraand intergroup dialogue involving Christian,
Jewish, Muslim, and atheist/agnostic students revealed the discourse strategies students used when confronted with challenging
discussions, as well as the privileging and
marginalizing forces that shaped how students engaged in dialogue and experienced
campus life. Small's extensive analysis of interfaith exchanges serves as an informative

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The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 40, No. 2 & Volume 41, No. 1

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