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Abstract

The purpose of this study is to understand if practicing monasticism and spiritual disciplines impact the development of student leaders. The research was conducted through grounded theory qualitative interviews with eight student leaders who participated in a monastic trip for the duration of January 2016. Therefore, the present study seeks to answer the question:

What impact does monasticism and spiritual disciplines have on the development of student leaders at a private Christian liberal arts institution?

The eight students were interviewed before and after their monastic trip, answering questions about monasticism and spiritual disciplines, student leadership, and trip expectations/ experiences. Themes derived from the pre- and post-trip interviews conclude that participating in monasticism had a positive impact on the students in three core areas: inhabiting time, shift to other-oriented leadership, and whole-person development. Therefore, this study seeks to present implications for how educators can effectively incorporate monasticism into student leader training in order to better equip students emotionally, mentally, and spiritually as they begin their year serving as a leader on campus.

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