Tracker Pixel for Entry

​Full of Faith: Adam Copeland on “Wrestling with Faith and College”

Writer's Block | January 28th, 2015

It was two weeks ago today that Adam Copeland, Concordia professor and director of theological inquiry, held a reading at Zandbroz Variety for his book “Kissing in the Chapel, Praying in the Frat House: Wrestling with Faith and College.” This event included free food, coffee and wine, along with copies available for sale.

Copeland’s book, published by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers back in December, is a collection of essays written by students in their 20snationwide. For his audience at Zandbroz, Copeland described the three-year process of collecting and readying these essays for publication.

“About three years ago, Concordia posted a new position online, it was called the Faculty Director for Faith and Leadership,” Copeland said. “About that time I was thinking that my ideal position would be teaching practical theology at some sort of higher education institution that also cared about the church.”

When being interviewed for the position, he was asked what his area of research would be. His response was that he’d like to augment generational research finds on millennials and their relationship with organized religion.

“I had this go-to presentation about millennials and their faith,” he explained, “in reference to the hottest generational theory about millennials: that they mistrust institutions, that they never get married, that they spend half their lives on Facebook, that they can text-message faster than other generations can think … And above all, they have this relationship with religion that emphasizes spirituality, but that is reticent of the institutional church.”

After succeeding in getting the job, Copeland put out a call for submissions on his blog. He received thousands of hits and over 50 submissions, which were narrowed down to 21 for the final product.

At the reading, Copeland read a few excerpts, starting with an essay in the section titled “Who am I? Who is God? What am I to do? Stories of Call.” This essay was written by a Duke University student about how she arrived at college expecting God to reveal His plan for her so she could choose her major. But when the revelation still hadn’t arrived in her sophomore year, she began taking matters into her own hands.

“One of the things students wrestle with is expectations,” Copeland said. “They come to college with all these preconceptions, and sometimes — well usually — those preconceptions aren’t lived out exactly in their college experience. So a lot of dealing with working through faith is building up resiliency, encountering new perspectives and addressing that change.”

He then read another excerpt from the section “Sex and Sexuality,” which details challenges with sexual orientation, gender identity and overcoming the trauma of sexual assault.

The essay selected was written by a gay UND student who struggled to reconcile his sexuality with his conservative Lutheran upbringing. In college he became depressed and withdrawn, prompting his friends to get him drunk in an attempt to make him admit what was wrong. To his relief, he was met with acceptance when he finally told them.

Other themes explored in this collection include overcoming mental illness, studying abroad, learning about different religions and challenging long-held ideologies.

“I wanted the book to include a wide variety of experiences with faith and college,” Copeland said “so I was careful I’d never censor students’ experiences.”

Copeland is currently working toward his PhD in rhetoric, writing and culture at NDSU. Among other publications, his writing has appeared in The Christian Century, WorkingPreacher.org, The Huffington Post and in 10 books.

Recently in:

By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comThe Fargo Park District will host the Kids Triathlon on Wednesday, July 9, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The event will be held at Madison Park and Bicycle Playground, located at 3010 11th Avenue N.…

Back-to-school season is on the horizon, but there's still plenty of summer left. Check out our favorite August attractions and events in North Dakota and western Minnesota. And if if you missed them, here are a few excellent May…

June 21, 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.Fargo Theatre, 314 Broadway N., Fargo“We Watch Shudder,” Fargo’s favorite horror podcasters, bring on the darkness during the longest day of the year. The Darkest Day of Horror Film Festival features…

Fighting the good fightBy Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com Over two thousand rallies took place nationwide June 14 as part of the “No Kings" protest. Ten of those protests were held in North Dakota, with thousands in attendance.…

By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comWhy doesn’t the world require politicians to leave office at 60?Most of the leaders of countries, whether gods, fascists, democrats or socialists, are not doing very well these days. David Van…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Holiday wine shopping shouldn’t have to be complicated. But unfortunately it can cause unneeded anxiety due to an overabundance of choices. Don’t fret my friends, we once again have you covered…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com The weather warmed up quickly here in the upper Midwest this spring, sparking prime eating season. This means burger battles, food trucks and lake-season food travel. The 2025 Downtown Fargo Burger…

By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comThe Moorhead Public Library will offer three free, all-ages outdoor concerts featuring regional bands this summer. The series begins on June 12 with the Meat Rabbits, a group that blends…

By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.com Filmmaker Matt Wolf, whose lovely “Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell” suggests he would be the perfect director to construct the definitive biographical account of the wholly…

By Deb Wallworkdwallwork@icloud.comI first met Catherine Mulligan at a party at her house. It was a small gathering, spontaneous, just a few people over for dinner. Directed toward a stack of plates and bowls and a big pot warming…

North Dakota play about mental health launches Midwest tour in AugustBy Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.com A new one-act play inspired by patients buried in the Old Cemetery at the Jamestown State Hospital will tour festivals in…

By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…

The drug that keeps re-purposing itselfBy Ellie Liveranieli.liverani.ra@gmail.com There is a drug that is getting a lot of attention nowadays all over the world. It has various commercial names (Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus), but…

By Alicia Underlee NelsonProtests against President Trump’s policies and the cuts made by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are planned across North Dakota and western Minnesota Friday, April 4 and…

By Vern Thompsonvern.thompson@rocketmail.com Working in the Bakken oil fields of the Williston Basin is so different from my home in Fargo. I'm not judging, because the people working and living in western North Dakota are very…