I think one strand of the word spiritual is re-owning the experience of religiosity. The chaplains' office in Wilder Hall has long been the place for comfortable discussion of personal concerns for students in the Big Three, as the chaplains jokingly call their Protestant, Jewish, and Catholic realm, as well as for those who practice Oberlin's underrepresented faiths. What I'm seeing now is a desperation for religious experience. It's not political. It's much more internal and personal.
Brand is hesitant to call the resurgence of faith among young people a mere trend.
Oberlin has always attracted more than its share of foreign students, for whom switching faiths or disowning religious rituals is out of the question. Whatever the reason, this revival of sorts has not gone unnoticed, especially among students who practice, or would like to practice, openly and comfortably. Some say the faith has always been there, but in the last two years or so has simply become more visible, partly because the weary devout see no reason to hide their devotion in an institution that prides itself on embracing diversity. When I came here, I didn't think Oberlin could offer me as good a Jewish place as other schools. I was pleasantly surprised.