Dan Brown’s “Origin” and the Art(ifcial) of Religion

Posted on by Richard Newton

In this series, "Sensations of Religion," students from Dr. Richard Newton introductory religion class explore the difference people make with "stuff" in discourses pertaining to religion.  The first piece in our series questions author Dan Brown's claim that artificial intelligence may supersede religion's facility for connecting individuals. Elizabethtown College student E. Rider Brandau suggests that … Continue reading Dan Brown’s “Origin” and the Art(ifcial) of Religion

#SyrRelBodies: US Religions and the Regulation of Bodies of Color

Posted on by Richard Newton

Learn more about Dr. Goodwin’s amazing class here and follow the hashtag #SyrRelBodies on Twitter for a well-curated discussion of US religions and the regulation of bodies of color.

REL 101 (WCH): Signifying Religion: An African American Worldview

Posted on by Richard Newton

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

Mapping Source-Places and the Roots of Religion

Posted on by Richard Newton

Business Insider recently shared a thought-provoking video on the spread of religion around the world. Producer Alex Kuzoian used a spinning globe to map the spread of Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam in under three minutes. A timeline of the last five millennia progresses in correspondence with the changing domains of each religion. Annotations … Continue reading Mapping Source-Places and the Roots of Religion

Technology Won’t Make You a Better Teacher! and other professional development insights

Posted on by Richard Newton

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!