Transformations at the Edge of the World: Forming Global Christians Through the Study Abroad Experience

For the editors of this volume, "the edge of the world" is not a place of physical remoteness where cell phone coverage runs out, nor is it a region of economic marginality. Instead, it is a place of personal transformation, the point of convergence between students' spiritual development and their commitment to global engagement. To help students arrive in such a place, faculty and staff seek holistic approaches to education. In the study abroad context, holistic education emphasizes formation of personal ethics, cultivation of empathy, the creation of deep communities, and commitment to social responsibility.

This collection of essays is characterized by the diversity of its voices. The contributors represent a broad range of faith-based institutions and a wide array of academic disciplines. The study abroad programs they describe, scattered across five continents, reflect a variety of models. Gathered into this pioneering collection are essays that theorize about the conjunction of spiritual formation and global engagement, share practices that are currently bearing fruit, and identify potential areas of growth and improvement for the future.

For humanity and all of creation to flourish, we must understand our differences and our connectedness, our uniqueness and our relationship. We must learn to become neighbors. This book presents and synthesizes best practices in faith-centered global transformational learning, and charts critical directions for deepening engagement with this field.---Paul W. Robinson, director and professor of the Human Needs and Global Resources (HNGR) Program, Wheaton College.