New Sacred Text Available at the CRC
The Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Multicultural Education (ODIME) is excited to catalog and house new physical copies of books of Major Faith Traditions in the Collegiate Religious Center (CRC) as 19 Schussler Road.
Beginning with the major faith traditions of Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, Taoism, and Buddhism – we hope to continue to build and offer more religious resources to students at WPI. These sacred texts and scriptures are respective to each specific tradition’s spirituality and canonize their sacred practices.
The function and rhetorical power of sacred texts is significant to religious diversity and the practiced religious life of our WPI community. Sacred texts are historical in that they sacralize communal life and hold something particular to what it means to be human, to find meaning in the world, and find community with others of shared difference.
Dedicated linguists bridge the distance of these ancient texts by making them available to us in close, faithful, and responsibly translated versions of them. As we continue to look for and find connection to one another, we consider these texts and their embedded sacredness as a historical guide and resource in our way forward together.
Within these sacred texts are narratives rich with experiences that appeal to and powerfully teach modern readers. We are excited to offer good translations of these sacred scriptures as a way to support religious diversity and provide additional spiritual resources to students.
-Kalvin Cummings (He/Him), Assistant Director for Religion and Spiritual Life
The Collegiate Religious Center (CRC) as an interreligious haven hopes to continue to provide spiritual resources to students as they learn how to be good neighbors in community here together and after they leave.
In partnership with the George C. Gordon Library, we hope to make these selected translations available for faculty, staff, and student circulation.
For more information about these resources, or if you have any questions, feedback, or recommendations please contact Kalvin Cummings at diversity@wpi.edu.
The Collegiate Religious Center (CRC) provides a space to WPI students, faculty, staff, and community members for the purpose of religious exploration, devotions, worship, prayer, education, administration, and fellowship. Our team of Campus Chaplains serve as spiritual advisors for students, and can offer support and guidance irrespective of students' primary religious traditions. As spiritual advisors to the WPI community, Campus Chaplains counteract the inequality of varied expression(s) of religion, spirituality, and any form of meaning-making practice and support student meaning-making expression to tend with systems of oppression as well as any other stressors. This center includes several reservable spaces to suit both spiritual and non-spiritual needs, including a Multifaith Meeting Space, Islamic Prayer Room, and Multifaith Worship Space.
The Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Multicultural Education (ODIME) promotes and oversees all student facing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) learning experiences, programs, services, trainings, and initiatives for WPI.