Student Profile

Chris Redding
Santa Fe, N.M.
Major: Religion
Class: 2007

Chris Redding’s search for the “perfect” off-campus study experience led him to the Semester for the Exploration of Value and Vocation in South Africa, a new program sponsored by the Lilly Project. A senior religious studies major from Santa Fe, N.M., Redding was excited by the opportunity to study social justice issues, particularly South Africa’s transition from apartheid to democracy.

“I first learned about the opportunity through (associate campus minister) K.P. Hong while doing research on campus the previous summer,” says Redding, who helped to found En Route, an organization for students from mainline Protestant denominations. “I read a lot about the country, and the more I read, the more I became interested in getting a first-hand perspective on what was going on there.”

The program, coordinated by emeritus professor of philosophy Richard Bell, was based at Rhodes University, where Redding took classes while living on campus. He also took time to begin working on his Junior Independent Study Project, titled “Civil Religion in South Africa.” In addition, he decided to stay for the summer program, where he made connections with Susan Lee, director of multi-ethnic student affairs, and three other Wooster students as they studied South African politics and culture.

“I learned so much while I was there,” says Redding, who was initially ambivalent about off-campus study. “The experience really opened my eyes. Being there changes one’s perspective. I felt helpless about the poverty I saw, but I was inspired by the way the people made the best of their situation; they seemed so content.”

In addition to his studies and his observations about life in a different culture, Redding was able to travel and take in the sights of the country. Among his more memorable expeditions was a trip to Mozambique, where he was able to witness the “real” Africa and see the stark contrast between rich and poor.

“The experience definitely changed me,” says Redding. “I’m still not sure about my future plans, but I’m certain that the opportunity to study abroad will shape the decisions I make in the coming year. Initially, I thought I wanted to work with the Peace Corps in a different country, but now I think I would like to stay in the U.S. and help here.”

Redding’s journey has been closely monitored by Hong, who says, “Chris exemplifies the potential of off-campus study to change students' lives. He approached the program in South Africa with nascent curiosity, not only about the role of religion in social transformation but also about the credible practice of his own faith in the world. His studies and involvements at Wooster substantiated the formative place of religious practice in his life, but I wondered what would happen to his commitments in a vastly different context. What I came to see in Chris was that readiness to suspend the safety of his familiar reference points and step into a new place not found on his GPS, and to be present to the uncertainties, doubts, and fears that occasion new discoveries. I'm waiting to see what new commitments and life directions will emerge for Chris from those discoveries.”

As Redding readjusts to life in his native country, he is likely to see things a little differently following his experience in South Africa. “I’ve been thinking a lot about who I am,” he says. “Now, I am focusing on the person I hope to become.”