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Spiritual Life & Campus Ministry

The University of New Haven is committed to supporting all students' holistic human and spiritual development. We are a community of many faiths and spiritual and philosophical traditions. As part of our diversity, equity, inclusion, access, and belonging (DEIAB) efforts, we are committed to assuring students that whatever their perspective – from devout to spiritual but not religious to atheist – they will be included and experience a sense of belonging in our Charger community.

The faith and spiritual traditions represented in our community include Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Native American spiritualities, Mormon, Atheist, Unitarian, and Sikhism, among others. Students develop different Recognized Student Organizations to support these traditions. Some of these groups gather regularly to share their faith traditions and learn from their fellow Chargers.

Meditation and Spirituality Center

The University’s Meditation and Spirituality Center has been designed for students of all faiths and beliefs to use in a manner that best reflects their religious or spiritual traditions. The facility includes a multipurpose room for services; quiet meditation and reflection areas for all faith traditions and men's and women's Muslim prayer spaces.

Use of the Meditation and Spirituality Space

The spaces available in the Meditation and Spirituality Center are meant to serve and support all students and the holistic wellness of the University community. The space allows individuals of all religious faiths and non-religious beliefs to experience a place for peace, prayer, meditation, and/or quiet reflection throughout the day. The spaces are for individual use as well as organized group activities, services, or meetings. The meditation and spirituality rooms are reservable and are available through student ID during the hours of 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day.

Providing safe, semi-private space for spiritual and religious activities for all students is one of the most vital forms of support we can provide. To provide comments, suggestions or feedback about this space, please contact: cdi@newhaven.edu

Location: 15 Ruden Street
Opening hours: 7 a.m.- 10 p.m.

Exploring Faith and Spiritual Life

Students can use the services available within the Greater West Haven and New Haven communities. In addition, the Interfaith and Spirituality Resource Guide and social media pages are available to assist students in connecting with others who are interested in attending worship services off-campus or looking for transportation to worship and faith opportunities.


Open the Interfaith and Spirituality Resource Guide in a new window

Christian Faith Exploration and Community

The University of New Haven is home to many students who are of Christian faith. We support the spiritual development and community building of Christian students through different recognized student organizations (RSOs). In addition, student can connect with different Christian traditions and student communities by joining one of the RSOs and/or find a local house of worship within your tradition using the Interfaith and Spirituality Resource Guide for local houses of worship.

Muslims, Buddhists, Jewish, and other Faiths and Communities

The University of New Haven is home to many students who practice Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, and other religions. If you practice within one of these traditions or are interested in learning more about them, you can join one of the recognized student organizations below. You can also find a local house of worship within your tradition using the Interfaith and Spirituality Resource Guide for local houses of worship.

  • Hillel Club represents the Jewish population on campus. Its goal is to share Jewish customs and traditions through activities and events. For more information on how to get involved, visit: Hillel - Charger Connection

  • The University of New Haven’s Muslim Student Association is a place for students who identify as Muslim to come together and build a community through different events. The goal is to unite the Muslim community on campus. For more information on how to get involved, visit: Muslim Student Association - Charger Connection

  • The University of New Haven’s Student Pagans Educating, Leading, and Learning (SPELL) club is a place for students who identify as Pagan, Wiccan, or any other Nature-Based or Spiritual Faith to come together and build a community through different events. Their goal is to hold discussions, rituals, educational events, and celebrations of Pagan/Natural Faith culture to foster a sense of community in the Pagan/Natural Faith population at UNH. For more information on how to get involved, visit: Student Pagans Educating, Leading, and Learning - Charger Connection.

Cultural Exploration and Communities

There are dedicated students at the University of New Haven who are involved in cultural organizations. One organization that blends religious and cultural traditions is the Indian Student Council, with a blend of members from different parts of India. Through this council, students endeavor to unite and bond every Indian student through various traditions. For more information on how to get involved, visit: Indian Student Council (ISC) - Charger Connection (newhaven.edu)

  • In development. Coming soon!

  • Indigenous Peoples Day is celebrated on the second Monday of October through various programs hosted by the Myatt Center for Diversity and Inclusion.

  • We seek to support the holistic human development of all students, regardless of their background. As such, some students within the Charger Community do not identify with a particular faith tradition. The Meditation and Spiritual Center is open to you if you are spiritual but not religious, agnostic or atheist.

Interfaith Glossary

This glossary is not designed to be exhaustive or definitive. However, it is a helpful tool to enable you to begin to understand interfaith language at the University of New Haven.

  • This term is best understood by defining each term separately, "inter" and "faith.” "Inter" refers to the relationships between people who orient around religion differently. "Faith" is defined as the relationship between an individual and what we commonly understand as a religious or philosophical tradition. Put together, "interfaith" is about how our interactions with diverse groups impact the way we relate to our religious and ethical traditions and how our relationships with our traditions impact our interactions with those who are different from us.

  • According to Diana Eck, pluralism is:

    • Pluralism is not diversity alone, but the energetic engagement with diversity.
    • Pluralism is not just tolerance, but the active seeking of understanding across lines of difference.
    • Pluralism is not a given, but an achievement.
    • Pluralism does not require us to leave our identities and our commitments behind, it is the encounter of commitments.
    • Pluralism is based on dialogue and encounter.

  • One’s worldview is a guiding life philosophy, which may be based on a religious tradition, spiritual orientation, nonreligious perspective, or some combination of these. (Mayhew et al., 2016). It is the foundational outlook one has on life that helps in making sense of the world.

  • A certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of Anti-Semitism can be directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property or toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.

  • Religions whose people draw their origins to the Hebrew patriarch Abraham. The best known Abrahamic religions are Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

  • Religious traditions that originated in the Eastern hemisphere (East, South, and Southeast Asia). Major Eastern Religions include Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Shintoism, Taoism, and Confucianism. It is important to note that members of these communities now live in countries across the globe.

  • Closed-minded prejudice against or hatred of Muslims. An Islamophobe is an individual who holds a closed-minded view of Islam and promotes prejudice against or hatred of Muslims.

  • Religious literacy entails the ability to discern and analyze the fundamental intersections of religion and social/political/cultural life through multiple lenses. Specifically, a religiously literate person will possess 1) a basic understanding of the history, central texts (where applicable), beliefs, practices and contemporary manifestations of several of the world's religious traditions as they arose out of and continue to be shaped by particular social, historical, and cultural contexts; and 2) the ability to discern and explore the religious dimensions of political, social, and cultural expressions across time and place.

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