How do non Christian/Catholics fare at St. Albans - culture? Bhuddist/Jewish/Muslim?

[Anonymous]

How does it feel to be Jewish or Bhuddist or Muslim at the school? Is it really inclusive or are you always an outsider?

[Anonymous]

I think this is a question that you might do well with by asking the school to put you in touch with some current families.

With that said, from observation there are a fair amount of Jewish students -- Bhuddist or Muslim students are less frequent. Students of all faiths seem to enjoy the chapel program. It is twice a week in the afternoon, about 20 minutes in duration, and the homily is most often given by a student and sometimes a member of the faculty. Students of all faiths give the homilies, and sometimes they talk explicitly about religious faith but more often it is a moral or ethical point not explicitly linked to one religion.

In the Upper School, the three religion classes over the four years are academic/philosophical in nature rather than proselytizing. Freshmen take a class on the Bible; sophomores take Ethics, which is structured in large part as a comparative religion class in which they learn about the tenets of Islam and other major non-Christian faiths; and seniors take a very philosophical class focusing on perceptions of God and the nature of faith.

There are actually not that many Episcopalians so there is not really one "dominant" faith in the student body. It is a compassionate place with terrific chaplains who reach out to all in the community -- students, faculty, staff -- regardless of faith, when there is a death in the family or a serious illness.

So, it seems quite inclusive on the religious front to my perception but I'd encourage you to try to talk to some families about this for a more direct view.

[Anonymous]

Edited to correctly spell "Buddhist" -- my apologies!

I think this is a question that you might do well with by asking the school to put you in touch with some current families.

With that said, from observation there are a fair amount of Jewish students -- Buddhist or Muslim students are less frequent. Students of all faiths seem to enjoy the chapel program. It is twice a week in the afternoon, about 20 minutes in duration, and the homily is most often given by a student and sometimes a member of the faculty. Students of all faiths give the homilies, and sometimes they talk explicitly about religious faith but more often it is a moral or ethical point not explicitly linked to one religion.

In the Upper School, the three religion classes over the four years are academic/philosophical in nature rather than proselytizing. Freshmen take a class on the Bible; sophomores take Ethics, which is structured in large part as a comparative religion class in which they learn about the tenets of Islam and other major non-Christian faiths; and seniors take a very philosophical class focusing on perceptions of God and the nature of faith.

There are actually not that many Episcopalians so there is not really one "dominant" faith in the student body. It is a compassionate place with terrific chaplains who reach out to all in the community -- students, faculty, staff -- regardless of faith, when there is a death in the family or a serious illness.

So, it seems quite inclusive on the religious front to my perception but I'd encourage you to try to talk to some families about this for a more direct view.