Struggle for the Soul: Educational Progressives and Religious Experience

• In Event: Roundtable Session 110
  In Roundtable Session: Ministry and Spirituality in Christian Education

Abstract

This paper summarizes the findings of a multi-year biographical research project on the ways that five progressive educators’ youthful religious experiences impacted their later lives and careers. It utilizes archival and biographical sources, personal papers, and historical analyses to provide a richly textured investigation of the internal lives of Felix Adler, Jerry Voorhis, John Dewey, William Heard Kilpatrick, and John Lawrence Childs. The paper builds on their experiences to formulate three typologies describing how scholars harmonize youthful religious experiences with adult academic careers. Finally, the paper suggests subjects for future study in this area.

Author

• Jared R. Stallones, California State University, Long Beach