This essay proposes a conception of honors programs and colleges as sacred communities that acknowledge and embrace the unique human dignity of each of their members. Drawing on Ron Wolfson's congregational model articulated in "Relational Judaism", McMillan and Chavis's definition of "sense of community," and the pedagogy of…

High-quality, experientially based education for high-ability and highly motivated students from diverse backgrounds is an academic mix that not only improves our institutions but can improve our world, globally and locally. Diversity is important as more than an abstract, theoretical concept. Honors education can play a powerful role in teaching…

Whether at public or private, secular or faith-based institutions, questions of social justice and civic engagement are an increasing focus of attention in honors education. The emphasis on modes of learning that are, in the terms of the National Collegiate Honors Council's 2014 "Definition of Honors Education," "measurably broader,…