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Exploring Faith and Spiritual Life

Students can use the services available within the Greater West Haven and New Haven communities. In addition, the Interfaith and Spirituality Resource Guide and social media pages are available to assist students in connecting with others who are interested in attending worship services off-campus or looking for transportation to worship and faith opportunities.

Christian Faith Exploration and Community

The University of New Haven is home to many students who are of Christian faith. We support the spiritual development and community building of Christian students through different recognized student organizations (RSOs). In addition, student can connect with different Christian traditions and student communities by joining one of the RSOs and/or find a local house of worship within your tradition using the Interfaith and Spirituality Resource Guide for local houses of worship.

• Campus Crusade for Christ (CRU)

  CRU is a community that trains, equips, and prepares Christians to�Ӱ�ԭ��preach the Gospel to those they encounter. For more information on how to get involved, visit:

• Newman Club

  The Newman Club serves as a Catholic campus ministry for University of New Haven students. Students can dive more deeply into their Catholic faith tradition or can join to learn more about the Catholic faith. For more information on how to get involved, visit:

Muslims, Buddhists, Jewish, and other Faiths and Communities

The University of New Haven is home to many students who practice Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, and other religions. If you practice within one of these traditions or are interested in learning more about them, you can join one of the recognized student organizations below. You can also find a local house of worship within your tradition using the Interfaith and Spirituality Resource Guide for local houses of worship.

• Hillel Club

  Hillel Club represents the Jewish population on campus. Its goal is to share Jewish customs and traditions through activities and events. For more information on how to get involved, visit:

• Muslim Student Association

  The University of New Haven�Ӱ�ԭ��s Muslim Student Association is a place for students who identify as Muslim to come together and build a community through different events. The goal is to unite the Muslim community on campus. For more information on how to get involved, visit:

• Student Pagans Educating, Leading, and Learning (SPELL)

  The University of New Haven�Ӱ�ԭ��s Student Pagans Educating, Leading, and Learning (SPELL) club is a place for students who identify as Pagan, Wiccan, or any other Nature-Based or Spiritual Faith to come together and build a community through different events. Their goal is to hold discussions, rituals, educational events, and celebrations of Pagan/Natural Faith culture to foster a sense of community in the Pagan/Natural Faith population at UNH. For more information on how to get involved, visit: .

Cultural Exploration and Communities

There are dedicated students at the University of New Haven who are involved in cultural organizations. One organization that blends religious and cultural traditions is the Indian Student Council, with a blend of members from different parts of India. Through this council, students endeavor to unite and bond every Indian student through various traditions. For more information on how to get involved, visit:

• Indigenous Exploration and Community

  In development. Coming soon!

• Indigenous Peoples Day

  Indigenous Peoples Day is celebrated on the second Monday of October through various programs hosted by the Myatt Center for Diversity and Inclusion.

• Non-Theistic Exploration and Community

  We seek to support the holistic human development of all students, regardless of their background. As such, some students within the Charger Community do not identify with a particular faith tradition. The Meditation and Spiritual Center is open to you if you are spiritual but not religious, agnostic or atheist.

Interfaith Glossary

This glossary is not designed to be exhaustive or definitive. However, it is a helpful tool to enable you to begin to understand interfaith language at the University of New Haven.

• Interfaith

  This term is best understood by defining each term separately, "inter" and "faith.�Ӱ�ԭ�� "Inter" refers to the relationships between people who orient around religion differently. "Faith" is defined as the relationship between an individual and what we commonly understand as a religious or philosophical tradition. Put together, "interfaith" is about how our interactions with diverse groups impact the way we relate to our religious and ethical traditions and how our relationships with our traditions impact our interactions with those who are different from us.

• Religious Pluralism

  According to Diana Eck, pluralism is:

  • Pluralism is not diversity alone, but the energetic engagement with diversity.
  • Pluralism is not just tolerance, but the active seeking of understanding across lines of difference.
  • Pluralism is not a given, but an achievement.
  • Pluralism does not require us to leave our identities and our commitments behind, it is the encounter of commitments.
  • Pluralism is based on dialogue and encounter.
• Worldview

  One�Ӱ�ԭ��s worldview is a guiding life philosophy, which may be based on a religious tradition, spiritual orientation, nonreligious perspective, or some combination of these. (Mayhew et al., 2016). It is the foundational outlook one has on life that helps in making sense of the world.

• Anti-Semitism

  A certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of Anti-Semitism can be directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property or toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.

• Abrahamic Religion

  Religions whose people draw their origins to the Hebrew patriarch Abraham. The best known Abrahamic religions are Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

• Eastern Religion

  Religious traditions that originated in the Eastern hemisphere (East, South, and Southeast Asia). Major Eastern Religions include Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Shintoism, Taoism, and Confucianism. It is important to note that members of these communities now live in countries across the globe.

• Islamophobia

  Closed-minded prejudice against or hatred of Muslims. An Islamophobe is an individual who holds a closed-minded view of Islam and promotes prejudice against or hatred of Muslims.

• Religious Literacy

  Religious literacy entails the ability to discern and analyze the fundamental intersections of religion and social/political/cultural life through multiple lenses. Specifically, a religiously literate person will possess 1) a basic understanding of the history, central texts (where applicable), beliefs, practices and contemporary manifestations of several of the world's religious traditions as they arose out of and continue to be shaped by particular social, historical, and cultural contexts; and 2) the ability to discern and explore the religious dimensions of political, social, and cultural expressions across time and place.