| Abstract: | The Serve Program at Ignatius University combines academic study of theology with a year‐long community service project focused on combating poverty. An analysis of the Serve Program during the 2008–09 academic year revealed that participating students demonstrated a significant increase in their interest in theology; a greater desire to enroll in theology coursework; and a deeper interest in theology than classmates not participating in the service‐learning program. Interviews with Serve participants revealed that their exposure to poverty and inequality through their service placements led them to read the program's assigned theological texts with a particular focus on the authors' messages about individual and social responsibility for struggling fellow citizens. |
