On Theory and Syllabi

What is it that we are are hoping students gain from our classes? What do we want them to experience? What excites us about what they'll bring to the table? What scares us about it? What are we too quick or too afraid to name in our courses of study?

The Heroic Justice of Grammatical and Stylistic Decisions

Dr. Kevin Shorner-Johnson continues our look at the power of words with a reflection on how the ethics of diction in the college classroom. See earlier posts on Millennials and persuasion, scriptures in public school, and sexual rhetoric in the Hebrew Bible.      For college students, acts of justice often seem to be abstract … Continue reading The Heroic Justice of Grammatical and Stylistic Decisions

Calling All Students and Scholars

This October, we began our soft launch of Sowing the Seed: Fruitful Conversations on Religion, Culture, and Teaching. You’ve encouraged our team to keep this thing going. We’re with you! We hope you’ll stay with us for our grand launch in January. Thanks to a grant from Elizabethtown College, we are able to hire a … Continue reading Calling All Students and Scholars

REL 321 The Bible and Race in the USA

In the journey to become American, communities find themselves having to contend with the Bible and race. The manner of the intersections and negotiations may vary, but the connection is consistent part of the nation's history. This seminar examines the relationship between these two discourses in the American experiment, giving special attention to how the Bible has … Continue reading REL 321 The Bible and Race in the USA

REL 293 Islam

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