Reconfiguring Methodological Naturalism and the Exclusion of Religious Sensibilities and Spiritual Realities Within Academia

The bracketing of transcendence or the spiritual within the hallowed halls of academia, and thereby the sensibilities that sustain them, is not new but seems more pronounced in recent times. The immanent frame and philosophical paradigm of methodological naturalism, influenced by the sciences, exclude the religious with hardened boundaries even before a meaningful and productive conversation can begin. I wish to propose four ways in which the academic context can evolve to include religious traditions and spiritual realities in order to foster a sense of belonging among its faithful adherents.