Dr. Donna Freitas, assistant professor of religion at Boston University

Dr. Donna Freitas, assistant professor of religion at Boston University, will discuss her book, “Sex and the Soul: Juggling Sexuality, Spirituality, Romance and Religion on America’s College Campuses” from 3-4:30 p.m. March 19 as part of Lewis University’s 8th annual Signum Fidei lecture in the Sancta Alberta Chapel on the Romeoville campus. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Freitas wrote the book after teaching an eye-opening undergraduate course on “Dating and Friendship.” She noticed students’ wanting to reject unfettered sexual freedom and fascinated with spirituality.

In her book, Freitas explored if cultural pressure toward sexual activity is related to the documented drop in traditional religious practice on campuses. She visited seven colleges, conducted 111 in-depth student interviews, and analyzed data from 2,500 student-surveys and hundreds of student journals.

Frietas finds a significant number of students hoping to bring their embodied-selves into dialogue with spirituality or faith, but adrift and alone in trying to do so. Further, students at Catholic, evangelical, secular and private colleges “are far more alike in their desires, struggles and disappointments regarding” sexualized culture, she wrote.

Called one of the nation’s foremost scholars of religion and youth culture, Dr. Freitas is also author of “Killing the Impostor God: Philip Pullman’s Spiritual Imagination in His Dark Materials” and a novel, “The Possibilities of Sainthood.” She is a regular contributor to Beliefnet and The Washington Post.

Lewis’ annual Signum Fidei lecture series is hosted by the Center for Ministry and Spirituality. It celebrates the University’s Catholic and Lasallian heritage, bringing to campus women and men of vision and faith to illuminate issues affecting the church and its people, to reflect on spirituality in the Catholic tradition, and to provide a forum for topics based on Church teaching. Signum Fidei is a Latin phrase meaning sign of faith.

“For all of us committed to accompanying college students in integrating learning, faith, and values within the whole person, Dr. Freitas raises vital personal and institutional questions,” said Dr. James Burke, assistant professor of theology and director of the Center for Ministry and Spirituality. “The Center invites everyone to enter into the dialogue her work envisions. How do we draw wisdom from our faith tradition and spiritualities in order to live sexually responsible lives?”

A Catholic university sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, Lewis offers nearly 80 undergraduate majors and programs of study, accelerated degree completion options for working adults, various aviation programs and 22 graduate programs in nine fields. The 10th largest private, not-for-profit university in Illinois is being honored for the fifth consecutive year by The Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report. For more information please visit www.lewisu.edu.