Weightier Worship - Biola University

Plenty of studies have been done on
what happens to students during their four
1 6
years of college: how their minds grow,
how their relationships grow — even how
their waistlines grow. ● But before now,
very little research has been done on what
kind of growth is happening in their
spiritual lives. ● That’s where Todd Hall, a
professor at Biola’s Rosemead School of
Psychology, comes in. In 2003, Hall and a
team of researchers launched a
groundbreaking study designed to track
the spiritual develop ment of 500 Christian
college students from freshman to senior
year. Funded by The John Templeton
Foundation and Biola University, the
Professor’s
groundbreaking research
examines the spiritual growth
— and struggles —
of the nation’s Christian
college students
Illustration by Christopher Nielsen
research involved in-depth interviews and
twice-a-year surveys about each student’s
spiritual practices and relationship with
God. ● A year later, Hall began a second
research project that allowed colleges to
measure 22 indicators of students’ spiritual
lives using the “Spiritual Trans form ation
Inventory” (STI), which Hall developed. To
date, more than 3,000 students from nearly
40 Christian colleges across the United
States and Canada have participated. ●
Together, the studies provide a fascinating
snapshot of how students at Christian
colleges are doing spiritually. And some of
the results might surprise you. ● Here, Hall
provides an overview of his findings.
B I O L A