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Article Excerpt
This phenomenological investigation examined how eight student-nominated faculty who teach at an evangelical Christian liberal arts university describe their understanding and practice of the Integration of Faith and Learning(IFL). Collected data via informal conversational, taped interviews led to the emergence if two primary themes: the Inseparability of Faith from Practice and the Outworking of Faith in Practice. The findings of the study highlight the need to create a more conductive context in which students can learn IFL and call for a re-examination of the already murky discourse surrounding definitional aspects of IFL. The study proposes to move the discourse forward by offering a new, yet to be discussed construct that emanated from the participants of this study, ontological foundation. A conceptual model describing its relationship with IFL is proposed.
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Numerous conceptual models for the integration of faith and learning (IFL) are present in the general literature (Farnsworth, 1982; Faw, 1998; Holmes, 1987) and in the counseling/clinical psychology literature (Carter & Narramore, 1979; Eck, 1996; Entwistle, 2004). What is less prevalent is a consensus definition for IFL (Faw, 1998; See Badley, 1994, for a review) and specific studies on how faculty members at religious universities actually do IFL.
The Current study seeks to fill that gap by phenomenologically investigating how eight Christian faculty members at a Christian liberal arts university actually live out IFL. These faculty members are unique in that were not the product of a board sample, or nominated by administrators or colleagues as exemplary integrators. Rather, these integrators were nominated by students as the professors from whom the students had learned the most about IFL.
Brodening Entwistle's (2004) IFL definition from a focus on psychology to general academic disciplines, we conceptualize IFL as a multidimensional scholarly yet holistic task. All italicized words were in Enwistle's original text. The integration of faith and learning(or integration) is a "multifaceted attempt to discern the underlying truths" (p.242) about one's liberal arts discipline and "Christianity (in theology, faith, and practice)" (p.242). "It will involve explicating the foundational presuppositions and histories of out disciplines. It will be a disciplinary and scholarly exercise when one attempts to integrate the findings of the.. [liberal arts discipline] and theology" (p.243). It will be "an applied integration" as men and women attempt to live out their findings (p.243)."Finally, it will be public and personal; it will be a shared responsibility and a personal quest for wholeness by individuals within their communities and in relation to God" (p.243).
We begin this study by briefly recognizing IFL models that exhibit a continuum of differing levels of interaction between the discipline and Christianity. Particular attention will be given to writers who explore IFL more holistically, specifically in regards to interpersonal and interpersonal dimensions. Next, research that focuses on how Christian faculty do IFL will be examined. Particular attention is given to the only currently researched model of how students learn IFL (proposed by Sorenson, 1997). Subsequently, the faculty participants in this study are introduced, and their phenomenological descriptions of IFL and its practice are presented. The findings are than explored in regards to their implications of IFL and its practice are presented. The findings are then explored in regards to their implications for defining integration and its task.
The IFL Continuum
Many theorists have created models of IFL involving various potential levels of interaction between the academic disciplines and Christianity. These often start with a level indicating no interaction (or perhaps even hostility at the idea) and proceed to one indicating a high level of academic/theological engagement to discover unified truth (See Carter & Narramore, 1979); ECK, 1996; Entwistle, 2004; Farnsworth, 1982; Faw, 1998; Holmes, 1987). While most of these model developers acknowledge the importance of interpersonal integration on the part of the professor, fewer developers have delved more deeply into these aspects of the holistic context in which IFL occurs.
Farnsworth (1982) notes these aspects in his "embodied integration" (p.310) concept. As one discovers unifying truths underlying psychology and theology, one must apply these truths in life through "right thinking and right living, or orthodoxy and orthopraxy" (p.310). "In short, it is living-thought and action, hearing and doing--with God" (pp.317-318, emphasis in the original). Thus, Farnsworth emphasizes that truths discovered from scholarly integrative activities must be applied personally. Little additional exploration of interpersonal and interpersonal aspects takes place.
In contrast, Gill (1979) applied incarnational theology to IFL specifically to emphasize "the human context" (p.1010) of learning. Professors need to strive to know students more personally and learn what is important to them. An emphasis must be placed on the process of learning and not just the content.
Bouma-Prediger (1990) perhaps goes the farthest of IFL model developers in addressing interpersonal and interpersonal aspects. He proposes a typology of four kinds of integration between two disciplines (e.g., psychology and theology). Intradisciplinary IFL "is the attempt to unite or bring into harmony theoretical perspective and professional practice" (p.25). Experiential integration involves the quest for "personal wholeness and spiritual well-being ... the resolution of intrapersonal conflict ..." (p.28). of particular interest is faith-praxis integration.
It is the attempt to live out one's faith commitment as authentically as possible in every day life, including one's vocation or professional life but usually going beyond that to include, for example, family relations, business decisions, educational endeavors, institutional religious involvement, ethical decision making, and so forth. The aim with this type of integration is internal harmony or consistency between faith commitment and way of life. In other words, the task is to live in accordance with one's faith commitment and world view. (p.27)
In summary, numerous scholars have utilized a continuum of levels in describing their IFL models. Most models focus primarily on the scholarly aspects of interdisciplinary engagement between theology and the academic disciplines. Fewer have addressed more holistic elements such as interpersonal and interpersonal involved in IFL.
Research on how Christian Faculty do IFL
While many IFL models exist, few studies have been done on what Christian faculty are actually doing regarding IFL Hardin, Sweeney, and Whitworth (1999) quantitatively surveyed faculty members in the teacher education departments of colleges associated with the Church of Christ to ascertain how they practiced IFL. Seventy surveys were returned, with 81% disagreeing with the need to separate faith into only certain areas of the teacher education curriculum. Such responses were "consistent with respondent's comments that it is difficult if not impossible to compartmentalize one's religious faith and that it must permeate through virtually every aspect of a person's life, including his/her professional life as a teacher educator" (p. 6).
Ream, Beaty, and Lion. (2004) sought to discover how faculty members at four research-focused religious schools (Baylor, Boston College, Brigham Young, and Notre Dame) understand IFL through a qualitative examination of faculty responses to open-ended questions in a survey (N = 1728, 53% response rate). They found a variety of views that appeared consistent with the continuum of IFL possibilities proposed by several model developers noted above, from one subset believing faith and learning should be separate and independent to...
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