Religious Life
Stanford University's Office for Religious Life encourages the flourishing of worship, ritual, educational, pastoral, and multi-faith opportunities for students from a variety of religious and spiritual traditions. Through the Office for Religious Life, the University provides space and the capacity for religious expression on campus, as well as programming to address questions of meaning and issues of spiritual, religious, ethical and moral significance in students’ lives. The Deans for Religious Life lead worship, teach courses, convene study groups, promote interfaith dialogue, and offer spiritual and pastoral guidance to individuals and to groups. Programming, ritual, and worship occur in three distinct spaces overseen by the Office for Religious Life: Memorial Church, the third floor of the Old Union in the Center for Interfaith Community, Learning and Experiences (CIRCLE), and the new Windhover Contemplative Center.
Mission
“To guide, nurture and enhance spiritual, religious and ethical life within the Stanford University community.”
We are collectively committed and devoted to ensuring lively, thoughtful and supportive contexts for Stanford students, faculty and staff who wish to pursue spiritual interests. We recognize that a spiritual/religious journey can be an important, balancing complement to the numerous challenges one faces in the pursuit of academic and career goals.
While each one of us participates in and leads worship and study in her/his own religious traditions, our primary objective as a staff is to collaborate as a multi-faith team and work with all constituents of this dynamic university.
Our aim is to promote enriching dialogue, meaningful ritual, and enduring friendships among people of all religious backgrounds.
ORL Staff
The Dean, Senior Associate Dean, and Associate Dean of the Office for Religious Life create multifaith worship opportunities in response to significant events in the life of the Stanford community, raise and respond to social justice issues and work throughout the university to address specific religious concerns. Additionally, they serve on a number of administrative committees and work collaboratively with other university offices on issues that affect the quality of life at Stanford.
The deans are committed to welcoming students of all genders and sexual identities, all religious and non-religious traditions, and all cultural backgrounds. The deans manage the Stanford Associated Religions (SAR), which constitutes more than 35 student groups including Bahai’s; Buddhists; Hindus; Humanists, Agnostics and Atheists; Jews; Muslims; Sikhs; Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Evangelical, and Protestant Christian communities.
