The mark of authentic spirituality is, in my view, a quest for honesty and truth before God combined with an offering of oneself for the well-being of others. Spirituality is an important factor in academic life because of the ways in which scholars and students are engaged in reflection not only on the objects of study but also on our own methods, presuppositions, and social locations. The growing awareness of how class, gender, race, and economic access inform our perspectives is one sign of our desire for such honesty. The life of the spirit further informs the academic community because of the involvement of many students, faculty, and staff in significant forms of service to the community beyond Harvard and Radcliffe. Bradshaw Aitken Ellen Bradshaw Aitken '82, ThD '97 is currently the visiting assistant professor of New Testament at Harvard Divinity School.
Answers range from the deeply mystical to the deeply mystifying.
I have come to the conclusion that spirituality can deliver multiple perspectives on what can be a single-minded pursuit of knowledge. For some people, it answers why we pursue, offering strength and hope when the journey seems long and schizophrenic. Often the only credible way to study spirituality is to doubt the presence of the spirit. I wonder at times if when we pried open the books on the Harvard shield and pledged to Truth, the sacrifice we made was Faith. Hussin Iza Hussin '00 is a junior concentrating in social studies.