2001-02 Workshop on Teaching and Learning for Pre-Tenure Religion Faculty at Colleges and Universities

Front Row (left to right): Ellen Marshall (Elizabethtown College), Stacey Floyd-Thomas (Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University), Robert Royalty (Wabash College), Sally Johnston (Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University), Todd Penner (Austin College), *Frederick Denny (University of Colorado, Boulder), Mathew Schmalz (College of the Holy Cross), Alicia Batten (Pacific Lutheran University), Milton Moreland (Huntingdon College).

Second Row: Kerry Skora (Hiram College), Corrie Norman (Converse College), Amy DeRogatis (Michigan State University), Frances Flannery–Dailey (Hendrix College), Carol Duncan (Wilfrid Laurier University), *Carolyn Jones Medine (University of Georgia), *Patricia O’Connell Killen (Pacific Lutheran University), Julie Miller (University of the Incarnate Word), Laurie Cozad (University of Mississippi), *Richard Ascough (Queen’s Theological College), *Paul Myhre (Wabash Center).

* leadership/staff 

Participants and Project Descriptions:

Alicia Batten, Pacific Lutheran University
“Religious Texts and Ethics”
Develop a capstone course for undergraduate religion majors that 1) compares the application of religious texts to ethics across a spectrum of religions, 2) improves the students’ understanding and application of methodology in the field of religion, and 3) increases students’ awareness of their own presuppositions.

Laurie Cozad, University of Mississippi
“Religion, the State, and U.S. Foreign Policy: Spotlight on India and China”
Create an interdisciplinary course in the history of religions and international affairs that explores four examples of the interaction of religions and the state from India and China. Develop design options for classroom interaction, a list of alternative learning resources, and strategies that address how to evaluate Internet sites and print news sources.

Amy DeRogatis, Michigan State University
“Religion and the American Environment”
With a goal of attracting students from across the campus of a large university, create this entry-level course that explores the relationship between place and religious identity and uses innovative pedagogical techniques to link course content to assignments and to enable students to scrutinize deeply held beliefs.

Carol Duncan, Wilfrid Laurier University
“Teaching World Religions in a North American Context”
Redesign of elective course, “Religions of the Americas I,” by adjusting the reading and audiovisual materials list, renovating the course website, finding strategies for increasing student involvement in class discussions, and involving community leaders as guest lecturers.

Frances Flannery-Dailey, Hendrix College
“Biblical Studies Meets Hollywood: Teaching Religion and Film”
Experimenting with pedagogical strategies, producing a series of video clips, and refining and articulating the pedagogical issues in relating film criticism to the construction of religion as I redesign my course, “Religion and Film.”

Stacey Floyd-Thomas, Virginia Polytechnical Institute and State University
“Globalizing a Religious Studies Curriculum for an Interdisciplinary Perspective”
Revising a course, “Women, Ethics and Religion,” by utilizing interdisciplinary approaches and a global framework to analyze empirical data, read sacred and secular texts, examine case studies, and review public policy.

Sally Johnston, Virginia Polytechnical Institute and State University
“Faith Talk and Leadership Development in a Public University: An Action Research Project”
Using the methodology of action research, explore the place of the language of faith in expressing a personal ethic of leadership in the context of a public university. Revise a course in leadership, including new ways to partner with faith communities to support the education of students with religious affiliations.

Ellen Marshall, Elizabethtown College
“Making the Most of a Good Story: Effective Use of Novel and Film as Resources for Teaching Religion”
Investigate how to use films, plays and novels more effectively in teaching religion. Consider ways to prepare students to study narrative, ways to connect the narrative and the study of religion, methods of assessing the students’ understanding of the course content, and compiling a bibliography of companion readings.

Julie Miller, University of the Incarnate Word
“Environmental Theology and Ethics”
Develop a course that utilizes a variety of teaching methods, including educational technology and service learning, to explore perspectives on nature and the environment found in the Christian tradition and their application to the ethical implications of global environmental policies.

Milton Moreland, Huntingdon College
“The Bible and World Cultures: New Strategies for Teaching Introductory Level Courses on the Bible”
A systematic analysis of the goals for the Introduction to the Bible curriculum. Establish a set of objectives for the introductory Bible course, consider alternative approaches to course content, create syllabi, and prepare a guide for curriculum development.

Corrie Norman, Converse College
“Making Connections in ‘Gender, Food and Meaning:’ Course Development and Building a Community of Learning”
Develop four community-building projects for a course, “Gender, Food and Meaning.” Prepare a noncredit course about food rituals, research food and religious communities in Upstate South Carolina and build a website, organize a campus-wide discussion about food and meaning, and develop a related service-learning project.

Todd Penner, Austin College
“Reading the Bible Rhetorically: Constructing Biblical Identity”
Using a socio-rhetorical approach in developing an introductory Bible course. Analyzing how learning takes place with this approach, developing pedagogical strategies and tools, including critical evaluation of biblical rhetorical strategies, and developing a comparison of biblical discourse with discourses from other traditions.

Robert Royalty, Wabash College
“Introducing the Bible, Introducing the Study of Religion”
Revise a course, “Introduction to the Hebrew Bible,” by incorporating new primary and secondary resources, developing group assignments, including student reflection on theological issues, and integrating new technology and visual media.

Mathew Schmalz, College of the Holy Cross
“Unity, Diversity and Methodology in the Teaching of Comparative Religions”
Experiment with the use of an interactive website of an Indian village to revise a course, “Comparative Religions: Worldview.” Investigate how such resources can be integrated into undergraduate religion courses, including the design of assignments that require a deeper comparison of religions, and the development of different forms of classroom discussion.

Kerry Skora, Hiram College
“Teaching and Learning of Hinduism in a Religious Studies Seminar”
Design a religious studies seminar on Hinduism that explores ways to link my own research to my teaching, including innovative approaches to designing and using a syllabus, reading list, websites, and assignments to meet the needs of a wide range of students.