Office of Spiritual & Religious Life
Spiritual and Religious Life at Kenyon
Chaplains Marc Bragin and Rachel Kessler introduce us to five Kenyon students and a professor who share the places on campus that allow them to connect to their spirituality.
Chat with the Chaplains
A weekly opportunity to have breakfast with Kenyon's religious leaders connects spiritual and social life. For the past three years, Chaplains Marc Bragin and Rachel Kessler '04 have made a point to break with the usual structure that defines student-chaplain interactions by holding an open and conversational weekly event entitled "Chat with the Chaplains."
'A Place to Pause'
Kenyon's Center for Wellness and Meditation provides an opportunity for students and employees to rest and recharge during the day. Opened in January 2020, the space features four rooms: a main area with a couch and tea, a multipurpose room, a meditation room and a MindPeace room. The meditation room includes books on different forms of meditation; the MindPeace space is furnished to offer calming sensory stimuli, such as special lighting and a weighted blanket, designed to relax one’s mind.
If faith is important to you, you'll discover many opportunities to develop your spiritual life at Kenyon. You'll find a variety of activities supporting a diversity of faiths, from formal religious services to support for humanitarian interest groups.
The Office of Spiritual and Religious Life at Kenyon College works at many levels to engage students on their own spiritual terms.
Students may explore their identities by participating in community service, expressing themselves artistically, participating in social events and student organizations, engaging in formal learning or attending religious services. Our office strives to create a broad understanding of what it means to be an inclusive and accepting member of the Kenyon community by providing a caring environment for students to grow religiously, socially and ethically.
Campus organizations with a spiritual or religious focus include:
Hillel
Kenyon College Hillel serves the Jewish students, faculty and greater Gambier community by providing religious, cultural and social opportunities to explore, enhance and celebrate Jewish life. Hillel sponsors speakers and entertainers, organizes community dinners, parties, film nights and trips to Columbus. The goal of Hillel is to maximize opportunities for the Jewish population around the campus to explore Judaism and expand their knowledge of its traditions and culture. The Rothenberg Hillel House was dedicated on October 24, 2014, and is located at 103 West Brooklyn Street.
Canterbury Kenyon
Canterbury Kenyon, the Episcopal campus ministry, is here to love God together, to grow together in faith and to welcome all. Canterbury Kenyon works with Harcourt Parish, an Episcopal congregation that worships in the Church of the Holy Spirit on Kenyon's campus, to support the spiritual life of students. Canterbury meets regularly and participates in local and international service projects. Every Tuesday, students and parishioners cook dinner together at the Parish House.
Other Student-led Groups
Additional campus organizations include BE: a Coalition for Christian Outreach (CCO) ministry at Kenyon; the Humanist Association at Kenyon; and the Newman Club, a group for Catholic students.
View a list of all current spiritual and religious student groups.