The Arabic term, Islam, connotes peace and submission. As a religion, Islam describes humanity’s struggle (jihad) to rest in God’s (Allah) peace. The course will explore the sights, sounds, and social sensations that have emerged over the religion’s 1400-year history. Students will reflect on what unites and divides its 1.6 billion followers worldwide. There is no denying that the events of … Continue reading REL 293 Islam
The New Testament is a collection of first-century Mediterranean notes between people interested in the burgeoning Jesus movement. Translated, edited, and collated, these writings have since become a touchstone in the cultural heritage of the West. We will attempt to situate New Testament texts in light of the artifacts and social drama of the period … Continue reading REL 226 (WCH): The New Testament
What if the study of religion started with the African American experience? Instead of privileging a specific tradition, this course examines the history of a people who came to a new world compelled to quickly learn the significance of "religion" itself. We will follow along by plumbing the depths of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, listening to … Continue reading REL 101 (WCH): Signifying Religion: An African American Worldview
Few teachers want to spend their much deserved summer breaks in a professional development workshop. But the faculty at Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences are hardcore. Their team invited me to lead a session on using third screen (or mobile devices) in the college classroom.
And we had a blast!
To be clear, I'm not against statistics. We can qualify "religion." We can quantify "religion." But words and numbers represent human relationships (and thus, politics). Religious studies is about striving to see them more clearly. The discipline doesn't have a monopoly on this. But it is our intellectual burden, and we take it seriously.
