Based on that study, Cherry concluded that religion on campus has changed in that students are exploring their spirituality in new ways and professors are incorporating religion into their curricula.
These elements are due to a variety of societal changes over the past fifty years, Cherry said, such as consumerism, technological changes and different family structures.
"Massive cultural and social shifts have led to a religious revival," he said.
Cherry explained in detail what his study found from a series of questionnaires, interviews and observations.
Most modern college students, he said, are not rejecting religion, but they are exploring different religions from an intellectual perspective and creating their own form of spirituality.
"This reconstruction or construction of their spirituality often meant borrowing from other religions," he said.
Religion is often viewed as institutional and fixed, but spirituality appeals to individualism in that it can incorporate ideas from several religions, he said.
Julie Edwards (senior-agricultural business management) said the shift from religion to spirituality is positive.
"I think it's a good thing that people are open minded and want to explore other things rather than just doing what they're told," Edwards said.
Another changing element of on-campus religion is the way professors approach the topic, Cherry said.
Instead of either preaching a specific religion or ignoring the issue altogether, Cherry said most professors respect individual perspectives while encouraging students to try to understand other views.
Scott Holland (junior-mechanical engineering) said he agreed with a lot of what Cherry said.
"I thought most of it was not too shocking," Holland said.
The findings of the series of questionnaires, interviews and observations are complied in a book, Religion on Campus.
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