The Spiritual Connection: Honoring Faith Traditions and Polishing "Spiritual Literacies" in the Writing Conference at Christian Institutions

Much has been said about the future of writing centers and the need for consultants to respect the multifaceted literacies and diverse backgrounds of their clientele.2 In light of this issue’s theme of “connected writing,” writing center scholarship’s interest in bridging gaps between race, socio-economic status, and multimodal literacies proves that genuine connection is truly a priority in writing center theory and practice. But scholars have said surprisingly little about the effect of “spiritual literacies” and faith traditions on student writing: for instance, how might a writer’s faith inform her writing patterns and, relatedly, how does her writing represent her religious convictions?3 What role does the consultant/tutor play in helping a writer negotiate the presentation of her spirituality within a larger community’s written discourse? Perhaps most importantly, how can we help students write about their faith in a way that helps them connect with others outside of their faith tradition?University Writing Cente