Center for Religious & Spiritual Life

Reflect | Resist | Rejuvenate

The Center for Religious and Spiritual Life is an interreligious, nondenominational body that promotes spiritual flourishing for all students, religious and nonreligious alike. Our areas of focus are ethical reflection, social and racial justice and civic engagement, mindfulness and contemplative practice, and community building based in dialogue and respect. We provide resources grounded in different faith and wisdom traditions, and strive to raise religious literacy and promote interfaith engagement toward a more inclusive, just and engaged citizenry. In the midst of a vibrant academic community, we encourage explorations of mystery, faith, ritual and that which we experience as holy.

We invite you to reflect, resist, rejuvenate with us, and remember—whoever you are, wherever you have been and wherever you are going, you are welcome here.

Explore Religious & Spiritual Life

Events & Programs

Students eating at Cutter-Ziskind dining room

Resources

Student Organizations

Students sitting on couch having a discussion

Community

Overheard view of tables set up in the chapel

Spaces

Helen Hills Hills Chapel

Our Mission

The Smith Center for Religious & Spiritual Life offers guidance and pastoral care through a lens of mutuality and exploration, and we collaborate to respond with grace and courage to the events that threaten to disrupt our lives. We are invested in what Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King and others before him called the “beloved community,” a dynamic vision in which the worth, dignity and promise of each human is honored and in which we strive to live as stewards of the earth and its creatures.

Connect With Us!

About the Center

The Smith Center for Religious & Spiritual Life is a unique setting for student engagement.

Our Staff

Our staff members are here to guide and assist you in your spiritual growth and fulfillment.

To learn more about what we're up to each semester, be sure to read our newsletter.

Student Advisory Board

The CRSL Student Advisory Board fosters collaboration and dialogue between students and the Center for Religious & Spiritual Life.

Featured Events

Featured Event

Mar

Soup, Salad & Soul

Bodman Lounge 12:15pm
Homemade vegetarian soup and salad. Arrive when you can, official start time is 12:15pm. Enjoy lunch and take part in reflective, student led discussions on spirituality and life.

Mar

Learn Quran with Tajweed for Beginners

Sanctuary, 3:30pm
Learn how to read the Quran beautifully with Islamic Studies teacher Arina Beg and become more close to Allah SBT
“…and recite the Qur’an slowly and distinctly.” (Holy Quran 73:4)

Learn to recite the Quran with proper Tajweed and pronunciation. Step by step process where we will learn the basics of Tajweed rules starting with the correct pronunciation of the letters and their characteristics, then the basic Tajweed rules In sha Allah.

Mar

Generating Justice and Joy

Sanctuary 6:30pm
End the Silence, Stop the Violence. To address gun violence, domestic hate crimes, and build peace and trust in our community. Join us for an evening of peace building and a simple meal of bread and soup with gluten free options, and a comfort food desert.

Mar

Meditation

Sanctuary 5 p.m.
Students, faculty, staff, and alumnae are invited to come together in person for weekly mindful meditation led by Ruth Ozeki and Mary Beth Brooker. We will do a simple, relaxed, silent practice of sitting and walking meditation, based on Zen forms. Chairs and floor cushions are available. Meditation instruction will be offered each week. All levels welcome.

See Events & Programs

Toward Racial Justice at Smith - A Living Document for Community Comment

In this time of urgent racial crisis, we emerge from ongoing planning into powerful action.

With recommendations from our Toward Racial Justice at Smith plan, Smith College continues its commitment to transparency, to inclusivity and to racial justice at Smith. Informed by student, staff and faculty voices to Inclusion in Action work, as well as student and alumnae/i demands, discussions with the Inclusion Council and Presidents’ Cabinet, the college commits to action.

LEARN ABOUT PLAN ACTION ITEMS