‘Remember Now Thy Creator in the Days of Thy Youth’: The Quiet Religious Revolution on a Canadian Campus in the 1960s

Résumé

While increasing information in becoming available on Canadian student activists of the 1960s, little is known of the religious beliefs and practices of average university students.  Relying on never before analyzed information on students attending Glendon College (the original campus of York University) from 1963 to 1967, it is shown that religion was not an important component of public or private discourse.  Moreover, while a majority adhered to the religions of their parents, over the course of their studies, a considerable number of students rejected religion or had become atheists or agnostics, particularly if they were enrolled in the humanities.  Such students were more likely than others to identify with the political left.  Overall, students experienced more change in religion than in politics.  The impetus to religious change included formal courses, a general increase in knowledge, and interactions with other students and faculty.  Despite change, few students reported religious problems.