Spiritual and Moral Friendships: How Campuses Can Encourage a Search for Meaning and Purpose

Abstract

Helping students understand and cultivate moral and spiritual friends is perhaps one of the most important gifts a college or university can give a student. Having meaningful relationships contributes significant energy to students’ inner lives–their values, moral commitments, and self-understandings. The topic of friendship, and all that it entails, offers educators a powerful tool to engage students in the discovery of meaning and purpose. Individuals should not fear the word “spiritual” at public universities, nor be convinced that faith-based institutions do spiritual well. This article invites colleges and universities to explore friendship as a learning outcome for all students.