Religious Life
There is great religious diversity on campus, and at some point during your time here you will probably meet at least one person of a faith you have never even heard of. It's also worth mentioning that the administration has struck a really good balance between endorsement and independence -- that is to say, as a rule, religious students tend to feel well supported, and nonreligious students don't feel harassed.
The Princeton University Chapel, the Center for Jewish Life and Murray-Dodge Hall (where the Office of Religious Life is located) are the nuclei of religious activities at Princeton. The chapel opens its doors to the entire University community, with an ecumenical service each Sunday at 11 a.m., as well as daily and weekly chapel services for specific religious groups. Jewish services are held at the Center for Jewish Life, which also sponsors special celebrations and other events associated with religious holidays. Many other groups (Muslim, Hindu, evangelical, etc.) meet in Murray-Dodge.
The Office of Religious Life in Murray-Dodge sponsors informal dinners, discussion groups and a fairly popular late-night café (free homemade cookies and tea most nights). In addition, chaplains from various faiths minister to the campus community and sponsor special activities for Princeton students.
The Center for Jewish Life, located at 70 Washington Road, offers a large variety of religious, social and community activities, which range from “The Simpsons” study breaks to Torah study. The center's facilities include a TV room, a pool room, a library, a computer cluster, a kosher dining hall and spaces for religious observance. Besides the daily orthodox minyan, the CJL holds reform, conservative and orthodox services on Friday night, followed by a family-style dinner. The B'nai B'rith Hillel Foundation is also located at the center.
Other Religious Groups
Campus worship groups include (go to the Office of Religious Life site for the complete list):
- Aquinas Institute (Roman Catholic)
- Baha'i Club
- Baptist Chaplaincy
- Christian Science Organization
- Episcopal Church at Princeton
- Latter-Day Saints
- Lutheran Concordia Society
- Manna Christian Fellowship
- Muslim Students Association
- Orthodox Christian Fellowship
- Princeton Chabad
- Princeton Evangelical Fellowship
- Princeton Hindu Satsangam
- Seventh-Day Adventists
- Southern Baptist Chaplaincy
- Unitarian Universalist Campus Community
- Wesley Foundation (Methodist)
- Westminster Foundation (Presbyterian)
- Yavneh House (Jewish)
The Religious Life Council, comprised of undergraduate and graduate students drawn evenly from all of the communities of faith at Princeton, works to provide visibility for the strength and diversity of religious life on campus, as well as promoting inter- and intra-faith dialogue on theological and ethical issues and exploring the connection between intellectual life and spiritual growth at Princeton.
