Religious diversity at Yale

"I've never seen so many religious people in my life," Erica Hickey, BK '02, said. You may have many expectations or none at all of spiritual life at Yale, but it really is what you make of it. When you move in, there's a chance you'll find a roommate putting up Buddhist prayer flags or the vice president of a prominent Jewish youth group lugging in a bunch of file boxes. As Jessica Bulman, BK '02, observed, "If you're looking for a religious experience, it's easy to find it; if not, it's very easy to have nothing to do with religion whatsoever."

Religious organizations at Yale range from the Baptist Campus Ministry to the International Church and Baha'i Association. The University Chaplain, the Reverend Jerry Streets, stresses that Yale mirrors the nation as a whole as an environment with a "great deal of pluralism."

Many students believe that such a variety of religious organizations creates a sense of community both on and off campus. Kenyatha Loftis, BK '02, explained how attending church outside Yale can be refreshing. "You get a picture of the real world," she said. Non-religious students can be included in the faith of friends and suitemates. You might find yourself in heated religious discussions over dinner or tagging along to Easter services or a seder.

There are many chances for spirituality to become part of your Yale experience. As an atheist, I find religion enters my life in small, comforting ways. The singing group Divine Grace performs in my entryway to raise everyone's spirits during the dark days of finals; the Mitzvah Mobile drives around campus playing Adam Sandler songs during Hanukkah. Religion can bring people together; it's yet another way we learn from each other.

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